Contextually-aware location sharing services

• US 10,205,731 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khuu, Hiep V., Gadre, Ashish Vijay, Ong, Lisa Hwei-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmidt, Karl L
• Application Number:
  US14/866,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/25 involving aiding data received from a cooperating element, e.g. assisted GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/019 Energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0257 Hybrid positioning by coordinating position lines of different shape G01S5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for providing contextually-aware location sharing services for computing devices. In some configurations, the techniques disclosed herein can involve a number of computing devices configured to select and utilize location data from one or more resources based on one or more factors. An analysis of contextual data including, but not limited to, the capabilities of the individual devices, a status of one or more components, or the availability or cost of data, allows individual devices to dynamically select and utilize location data or a source of location data to accommodate a range of scenarios. Techniques disclosed herein can also detect the presence of a changed scenario and take one or more actions based, at least in part, on data defining the changed scenario.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting, at a first device, a presence of a second device;

verifying, at the first device, an authorization to initiate communication between the first device and the second device based on user consent to share secured data between the first device and the second device;

determining a first power consumption level for determining a location by a component of the first device;

receiving, at the first device, data from the second device comprising shared location data defining a location of the second device, and contextual data comprising resource data indicating a second power consumption level for obtaining the shared location from the second device and timestamp data indicating an age of the shared location data;

determining a priority for the shared location data based on a level of accuracy indicated in the shared location data and the age of the shared location data and a priority of component location data provided by the component of the first device based on an age of the component location data and based on a level of accuracy indicated in the component location data;

determining, based on the priority for the shared location data and the priority of the component location data, that the shared location data is to be used, wherein the shared location data is to be used when the second power consumption level is less than the first power consumption level;

in response to determining that the shared location data is to be used, selecting the shared location data provided by the second device, and

determining a location of the first device utilizing the determined shared location data defining the location of the second device as the location of the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving accuracy data indicating a level of accuracy associated with the shared location data;

generating selection data indicating a selection order of the shared location data defining the location of the second device and the component location data provided by the component of the first device based, at least in part, on the accuracy data or the resource data;

detecting data identifying a changed scenario; and

modifying the selection order of the selection data based, at least in part, on the data identifying the changed scenario, wherein the shared location data or the component location data is selected based, at least in part, on the selection order.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first device is configured to operate on a battery power source or an external power source, wherein the data identifying the changed scenario indicates a transition of the first device from the battery power source to the external power source or a transition of the first device from the external power source to the battery power source, and wherein the selection order is modified based, at least in part, on the data identifying the changed scenario.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, obtaining timestamp data associated with system data associated with a service providing the shared location data, wherein the shared location data or the component location data provided by a component of the first device is selected based, at least in part, on the timestamp data associated with the system data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining movement data indicating movement of the first device, wherein the shared location data or the component location data provided by a component of the first device is selected based, at least in part, on the movement data indicating movement of the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining movement data indicating a rate at which the first device is moving, wherein the shared location data or the component location data provided by a component of the first device is selected based, at least in part, on the movement data indicating the rate at which the first device is moving.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data further comprises status data indicating a fee associated with system data provided by a service, and wherein the shared location data or the component location data is selected based, at least in part, on the fee associated with the system data.

8. A first device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the first device to

determine a first power consumption level for determining a location by a component of the first device;

receive data comprising location data defining a location of a second device and contextual data comprising resource data indicating a second power consumption level for obtaining the location data from the second device and timestamp data indicating an age of the location data;

determining a priority for the location data based on a level of accuracy indicated in the shared location data and the age of the location data and a priority of component location data provided by the component of the first device based on an age of the component location data and based on a level of accuracy indicated in the component location data;

determining, based on the priority for the location data and the priority of the component location data, that the location data is to be used, wherein the location data is to be used when the second power consumption level is less than the first power consumption level;

in response to determining that the location data is to be used, determine a location of the first device utilizing the determined shared location data defining the location of the second device as the location of the first device.

9. The first device of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the first device to obtain timestamp data associated with the system data, wherein determining that the first device is to utilize the location data is based, at least in part, on the timestamp data associated the system data.

10. The first device of claim 8, wherein the contextual data further comprises status data indicating that system data is available for download from a service provider, and wherein determining that the first device is to utilize the location data is based, at least in part, on the status data indicating that the system data is available.

11. The first device of claim 8, wherein the contextual data further comprises status data indicating a price of system data available from a service provider, wherein determining that the first device is to utilize the location data is based, at least in part, on the price.

12. The first device of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the first device to:

determine the first device is to share the location data with a third device; and

communicate the location data with the third device when it is determined that the first device is to share the location data with the third device.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to

determine a first power consumption level for determining a location by a component of the computing device;

receive contextual data from a plurality of resources that are individually configured to provide shared location data, the contextual data comprising resource data indicating a second power consumption level for obtaining the shared location data from at least one resource of the plurality of resources and timestamp data indicating an age of the location data;

determining a priority for the shared location data based on a level of accuracy indicated in the shared location data and the age of the shared location data and a priority of component location data provided by the component of the computing device based on an age of the component location data and based on a level of accuracy indicated in the component location data;

determining, based on the priority for the shared location data and the priority of the component location data, that the shared location data is to be used, wherein the shared location data is to be used when the second power consumption level is less than the first power consumption level; and

in response to determining that the shared location data is to be used, determine a location of the computing device utilizing the shared location data defining a location of the at least one recourse as the location of the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the contextual data further comprises accuracy data indicating the level of accuracy associated with the location data provided by the individual resources, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computing device to

generate threshold data indicating a required level of accuracy;

and

determine if the accuracy data meets a condition with respect to the threshold data, wherein one or more resources are selected from the plurality of resources if the accuracy data meets the condition with respect to the threshold data.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the contextual data further comprises data indicating an availability of system data used by the one or more resources, and wherein the selection of the one or more resources is further based on the data indicating the availability of the system data.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the contextual data further comprise data indicating a fee associated with system data used by the one or more resources, and wherein the selection of the one or more resources is further based on the data indicating the fee associated with the system data.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the contextual data further comprises data indicating a rate of movement of the computing device, and wherein the selection of the one or more resources is further based on the data indicating the rate of movement of the computing device.