High density location-based service zone management for a geographic region

• US 10,129,694 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parshin, Sergey, Barenboim, Ronen, Bowerman, Michael, Ducrou, Jon Robert, Hapgood, Ryan, Liu, Qiwei, Schollmeyer, Michael, Sutula, James Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US15/670,430
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 455457, 4554563, 4554561, 4554042
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for managing which location-based service zones to monitor when the number location-based service zones within a geographic region exceed the amount the device can support. An active zone defining a geographic region and location-based service zones within the geographic region is provided by another computing device. When the number of location-based service zones meets or exceeds a predefined threshold, a subset of the location-based service zones is selected for monitoring according to a current device location and/or other parameters.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a first computing device, wherein, when executed, the program causes the first computing device to at least:

obtain active zone data from a second computing device, the active zone data encoding an identification of a plurality of location-based service zones within a geographic region and geographic parameters defining the geographic region;

determine that a number of the plurality of location-based service zones meets or exceeds a client-supported threshold;

determine a location of the first computing device based at least in part on at least one of an exit or an entrance of the first computing device with respect to at least one location-based service zone monitored by the first computing device;

assign scores to individual ones of the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on the location of the first computing device and geographic parameters of individual ones of the plurality of location-based service zones;

rank the individual ones of the plurality of location-based service zones according to the scores;

select a subset of the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on at least one of;

the location of the first computing device, a speed of the first computing device, or a direction of movement of the first computing device, the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones including a highest ranked number of location-based service zones within the client-supported threshold; and

initiate monitoring of the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the active zone data further comprises aggregate user history of user interaction by a plurality of users with at least one of the location-based service zones, the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones further being selected based at least in part on the aggregate user history.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein when executed, the program further causes the first computing device to at least:

determine that the first computing device has moved outside the geographic region;

estimate an updated location of the first computing device; and

send a request to the second computing device for a new plurality of location-based service zones within a new geographic region based at least in part on the updated location.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein when executed, the program further causes the first computing device to at least:

detect an interaction with a particular location-based service zone within the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones being monitored; and

modify a user interaction history in response to detecting the interaction with the particular location-based service zone.

5. A system, comprising:

a first computing device; and

at least one application executed in the first computing device, wherein, when executed, the at least one application causes the first computing device to at least;

receive a plurality of location-based service zones within a geographic region and geographic parameters defining the geographic region from a second computing device;

determine that a number of location-based service zones meets or exceeds a predefined threshold;

assign scores to individual location-based service zones of the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on a plurality of factors, different weights being applied to individual factors of the plurality of factors, and the plurality of factors comprising at least one of;

a previously-monitored location-based service zone, a speed of the first computing device, a direction of movement of the first computing device, user interaction history, or an aggregate user interaction history;

select a subset of the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on a location of the first computing device and the plurality of factors; and

initiate monitoring of the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, when executed, the at least one application further causes the first computing device to at least rank the individual location-based service zones according to the scores, the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones being selected according to a highest-ranked number of location-based service zones within the predefined threshold.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein, when executed, the at least one application further causes the first computing device to at least:

determine that the first computing device has moved outside the geographic region;

estimate an updated location of the first computing device; and

send a request to the second computing device for a new plurality of location-based service zones within a new geographic region based at least in part on the updated location.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein a first location-based service zone of the plurality of location-based service zones comprises a geofence and a second location-based service zone of the plurality of location-based service zones comprises a beacon.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein, when executed, the at least one application further causes the first computing device to at least modify the subset of the plurality of location-based service zones in response to determining that the first computing device has changed location.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein, when executed, the at least one application further causes the first computing device to at least determine the number of location-based service zones within the plurality of location-based service zones.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein, when executed, the at least one application further causes the first computing device to at least:

detect an interaction with a particular location-based service zone; and

modify a user interaction history in response to detecting the interaction with the particular location-based service zone.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a first computing device, active zone data from a second computing device, the active zone data comprising a plurality of location-based service zones within an active zone defined by geographic parameters;

assigning, via the first computing device, scores to individual location-based service zones of the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on a plurality of factors, different weights being applied to individual factors of the plurality of factors;

ranking, via the first computing device, the individual location-based service zones according to the scores;

selecting, via the first computing device, a subset of location-based service zones from the plurality of location-based service zones in response to a number of the plurality of location-based service zones exceeding a predefined threshold, the subset of location-based service zones including a highest-ranked number of the location-based service zones; and

monitoring, via the first computing device, the subset of location-based service zones.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising estimating, via the first computing device, a device location of the first computing device based at least in part on an exit from a previously monitored location-based service zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the subset of location-based service zones are selected based at least in part on the device location.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending, via the first computing device, a request for the active zone data to the second computing device, the request including the device location.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting, via the first computing device, an exit from a particular location-based service zone from the subset of location-based service zones.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising estimating, via the first computing device, an updated device location of the first computing device in response to the exit.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting, via the first computing device, an updated subset of location-based service zones from the plurality of location-based service zones based at least in part on the updated device location.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, via the first computing device, that the first computing device has exited the active zone based at least in part on the updated device location;

sending, via the first computing device, a request for an updated active zone from the second computing device, the request including the updated device location; and

receiving, via the first computing device, updated active zone data comprising an updated plurality of location-based service zones within the updated active zone defined by updated geographic parameters.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of factors comprise at least one of:

a previously-monitored location-based service zone, a speed of the first computing device, a direction of movement of the first computing device, user interaction history, or an aggregate user interaction history.