Dynamic geo-fence size adjustment

• US 10,075,812 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Weather Co. LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Greenberger, Jeremy A., Sandonato, Nicholas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Quan M
• Application Number:
  US15/806,431
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for dynamically adjusting a location based geo-fence based on current or predicted weather is provided. The method includes determining a target number of users to be reached for an area using a geo-fence and receiving an indication of a predicted meteorological event for the area covered by the geo-fence. The method further includes generating a predicted number of users that will trigger the geo-fence based on: a desired location, a current size, and a predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number users that trigger the geo-fence. The method further includes, responsive to the predicted number of users being below a threshold, increasing the size of the geo-fence such that the predicted number of users at least meets the threshold and sending a notification to a given user of the number of users in response to the given user triggering the geo-fence.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for modifying an area covered by a geo-fence to increase a predicted number of users to receive notifications when triggering the geo-fence, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors, a target number of users to be reached for an area using a geo-fence;

receiving, by one or more computer processors, an indication of a predicted meteorological event for the area covered by the geo-fence;

generating, by one or more computer processors, a predicted number of users that will trigger the geo-fence based on;

a current size of the geo-fence, and

a predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number of users that trigger the geo-fence; and

responsive to the predicted number of users being below a threshold, increasing, by one or more computer processors, the area covered by the geo-fence such that the predicted number of users at least meets the threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geo-fence is configured to increase the area covered by the geo-fence to at most a maximum area based on a maximum distance a given user is predicted to travel in a time period in which the geo-fence is active.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, by one or more computer processors, a notification to a given user of the number of users in response to the given user triggering the geo fence, wherein the given user is predicted to respond to an offer included in the notification.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the offer included in the notification relates to an availability of items relating to the weather-related event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number users that trigger the geo-fence is determined by analyzing historical data from one or more previous meteorological events.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving the indication of the predicted meteorological event, creating, by one or more computer processors, one or more additional geo-fences in a projected path of the predicted meteorological event;

monitoring, by one or more computer processors, an actual path of the predicted meteorological event; and

moving, by one or more computer processors, the one or more additional geo-fences to stay ahead of the predicted meteorological event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving an indication that the predicted meteorological event has passed, decreasing, by one or more processors, the size of the one or more additional geo-fences.

8. A computer program product for modifying an area covered by a geo-fence to increase a predicted number of users to receive notifications when triggering the geo-fence, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a target number of users to be reached for an area using a geo-fence;

program instructions to receive an indication of a predicted meteorological event for the area covered by the geo-fence;

program instructions to generate a predicted number of users that will trigger the geo-fence based on;

a current size of the geo-fence, and

a predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number of users that trigger the geo-fence; and

program instructions to, responsive to the predicted number of users being below a threshold, increase the area covered by the geo-fence such that the predicted number of users at least meets the threshold.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the geo-fence is configured to increase the area covered by the geo-fence to at most a maximum area based on a maximum distance a given user is predicted to travel in a time period in which the geo-fence is active.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to send a notification to a given user of the number of users in response to the given user triggering the geo fence, wherein the given user is predicted to respond to an offer included in the notification.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the offer included in the notification relates to an availability of items relating to the weather-related event.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number users that trigger the geo-fence is determined by analyzing historical data from one or more previous meteorological events.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to, upon receiving the indication of the predicted meteorological event, create one or more additional geo-fences in a projected path of the predicted meteorological event;

program instructions to monitor an actual path of the predicted meteorological event; and

program instructions to move the one or more additional geo-fences to stay ahead of the predicted meteorological event.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to, upon receiving an indication that the predicted meteorological event has passed, decrease the size of the one or more additional geo-fences.

15. A computer system for modifying an area covered by a geofence to increase a predicted number of users to receive notifications when triggering the geo-fence, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a target number of users to be reached for an area using a geo-fence;

program instructions to receive an indication of a predicted meteorological event for the area covered by the geo-fence;

program instructions to generate a predicted number of users that will trigger the geo-fence based on;

a current size of the geo-fence, and

a predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number of users that trigger the geo-fence; and

program instructions to, responsive to the predicted number of users being below a threshold, increase the area covered by the geo-fence such that the predicted number of users at least meets the threshold.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the geo-fence is configured to increase the area covered by the geo-fence to at most a maximum area based on a maximum distance a given user is predicted to travel in a time period in which the geo-fence is active.

17. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to send a notification to a given user of the number of users in response to the given user triggering the geo fence, wherein the given user is predicted to respond to an offer included in the notification.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the offer included in the notification relates to an availability of items relating to the weather-related event.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the predicted effect the predicted meteorological event will have on the number users that trigger the geo-fence is determined by analyzing historical data from one or more previous meteorological events.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to, upon receiving the indication of the predicted meteorological event, create one or more additional geo-fences in a projected path of the predicted meteorological event;

program instructions to monitor an actual path of the predicted meteorological event; and

program instructions to move the one or more additional geo-fences to stay ahead of the predicted meteorological event.