Location-based device automation

• US 10,142,123 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Shoemaker, David J., Ingrassia, Michael I., Hramits, Nathaniel P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisner, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US15/587,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20170338974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying a presence of a plurality of mobile devices at a geographic location; determining an entertainment option to be played at the geographic location based on the identified plurality of mobile devices; and based on the determination, selecting an entertainment option to be played at the geographic location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a network controller, information about operational states of a first network device and a second network device, wherein the first network device is located in a first section of a particular geographic area and the second network device is located in a second section of the particular geographic area;

obtaining, at a first time by the network controller, location of a mobile device that is associated with the network controller;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device is located in the first section of the particular geographic area at the first time;

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the first section, controlling the first network device to play an audio recording;

re-obtaining, at a second time by the network controller, location of the mobile device;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device has re-located to the second section of the particular geographic area at the second time; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has re-located to the second section, re-directing audio playback through the second network device, wherein re-directing audio playback through the second network device comprises;

controlling the first network device to stop playing the audio recording, wherein the first network device stops playing the audio recording at a first point in the audio recording, and

controlling the second network device to play the audio recording starting at the first point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network device and the second network device include audio speaker devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network controller is integrated into at least one of the first network device or the second network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a cellular device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises communicating between the network controller and the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) protocol, or the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi positioning technologies, cellular positioning technologies, GPS, GNSS, or an external location service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein using Wi-Fi positioning technologies or cellular positioning technologies further comprises:

determining the location of the mobile device using data obtained from cellular towers or Wi-Fi positioning technologies along with floor plan information or a map database and geocoding.

8. Non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, by a network controller, information about operational states of a first network device and a second network device, wherein the first network device is located in a first section of a particular geographic area and the second network device is located in a second section of the particular geographic area;

obtaining, at a first time by the network controller, location of a mobile device that is associated with the network controller;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device is located in the first section of the particular geographic area at the first time;

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the first section, controlling the first network device to play an audio recording;

re-obtaining, at a second time by the network controller, location of the mobile device;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device has re-located to the second section of the particular geographic area at the second time; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has re-located to the second section, re-directing audio playback through the second network device, wherein re-directing audio playback through the second network device comprises;

controlling the first network device to stop playing the audio recording, wherein the first network device stops playing the audio recording at a first point in the audio recording, and

controlling the second network device to play the audio recording starting at the first point.

9. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the first network device and the second network device include audio speaker devices.

10. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the network controller is integrated into at least one of the first network device or the second network device.

11. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein the mobile device includes a cellular device.

12. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises communicating between the network controller and the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) protocol, or the Internet.

13. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 8, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi positioning technologies, cellular positioning technologies, GPS, GNSS, or an external location service.

14. The non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 13, wherein using Wi-Fi positioning technologies or cellular positioning technologies further comprises:

determining the location of the mobile device using data obtained from cellular towers or Wi-Fi positioning technologies along with floor plan information or a map database and geocoding.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining, by a network controller, information about operational states of a first network device and a second network device, wherein the first network device is located in a first section of a particular geographic area and the second network device is located in a second section of the particular geographic area;

obtaining, at a first time by the network controller, location of a mobile device that is associated with the network controller;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device is located in the first section of the particular geographic area at the first time;

in response to determining that the mobile device is located in the first section, controlling the first network device to play an audio recording;

re-obtaining, at a second time by the network controller, location of the mobile device;

determining, by the network controller, that the mobile device has re-located to the second section of the particular geographic area at the second time; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has re-located to the second section, re-directing audio playback through the second network device, wherein re-directing audio playback through the second network device comprises;

controlling the first network device to stop playing the audio recording, wherein the first network device stops playing the audio recording at a first point in the audio recording, and controlling the second network device to play the audio recording starting at the first point.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first network device and the second network device include audio speaker devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network controller is integrated into at least one of the first network device or the second network device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the mobile device includes a cellular device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises communicating between the network controller and the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) protocol, or the Internet.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein obtaining the location of the mobile device comprises determining the location of the mobile device using one of Wi-Fi positioning technologies, cellular positioning technologies, GPS, GNSS, or an external location service.