Technology for managing location-based functionalities for electronic devices

• US 10,440,509 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weiss, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai
• Application Number:
  US15/954,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20190320287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 4554143, 455421, 4554122, 4554561-4563, 455457
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing and facilitating geofencing features associated with electronic devices are disclosed. According to certain aspects, an entity may own or manage a set of retail stores. A server associated with the entity may receive an estimated location of an electronic device, and may determine that the estimated location is in proximity to one of the set of retail stores. The server may further calculate a geofencing boundary for the retail store based on certain location-based data, and may determine whether the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary. The server may additionally facilitate certain geofencing features based on the determination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing geofencing features, comprising:

receiving, from an electronic device via a network connection, an estimated location of the electronic device;

determining, by a computer processor, that the estimated location of the electronic device is in proximity to a location of a store, wherein the store (i) is located within a specific area, and (ii) has a default geofencing boundary associated therewith;

in response to determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is in proximity to the location of the store;

accessing a population density associated with the specific area in which the store is located,

calculating, by the computer processor, a geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary associated with the store based at least in part on the population density, and

determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store; and

transmitting, to the electronic device via the network connection, a communication reflecting that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the estimated location of the electronic device comprises:

receiving at least one of;

GPS coordinates of the electronic device, wireless access point data, and cellular triangulation data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein calculating the geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary is further based on the wireless access point data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is in proximity to the location of the store comprises:

accessing a lookup table listing a plurality of stores having a respective plurality of locations; and

determining, from the lookup table, that a distance between the estimated location of the electronic device and the location of the store does not exceed a threshold distance.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein calculating the geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary is further based on a size of the store.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, to the electronic device via the network connection, the communication reflecting that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store comprises:

transmitting the communication to the electronic device via the network connection, wherein the communication causes an application executing on the electronic device to activate an in-store mode associated with the store.

7. A system for managing location features, the system comprising:

a transceiver for communicating with an electronic device via a network connection;

a memory storing (i) location data associated with a set of stores, and (ii) non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor interfacing with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to;

receive, from the electronic device via the transceiver, an estimated location of the electronic device,

identify, from the location data stored in the memory, a store of the set of stores having a location that is in proximity to the estimated location of the electronic device, wherein the store (i) is located within a specific area, and (ii) has a default geofencing boundary associated therewith,

identifying, from the location data stored in the memory, a population density associated with the specific area in which the store is located,

calculate a geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary associated with the store based on at least the population density,

determine that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store,

generate a command associated with the estimated location of the electronic device being within the geofencing boundary for the store, and

transmit the command to the electronic device via the transceiver, the command for execution by the electronic device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the estimated location comprises at least one of:

GPS coordinates of the electronic device, wireless access point data, and cellular triangulation data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the geofencing boundary for the store is calculated by modifying the default geofencing boundary further based on the wireless access point data.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein to identify the store of the set of stores having the location that is in proximity to the estimated location of the electronic device, the processor is configured to:

determine that a distance between the estimated location of the electronic device and the location of the store does not exceed a threshold distance.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the command, when executed by the electronic device, causes an application of the electronic device to initiate an in-store mode.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the command, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to display a notification indicating that the electronic device is located within the store.

13. A computer-implemented method of managing store modes of an application executable by an electronic device, comprising:

receiving, from the electronic device via a network connection, an estimated location of the electronic device;

determining, from a set of location data associated with a store, that the estimated location of the electronic device is in proximity to a location of the store, wherein the store (i) is located within a specific area, and (ii) has a default geofencing boundary associated therewith, wherein the set of location data indicates a population density associated with the specific area in which the store is located;

calculating a geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary associated with the store based on at least the population density;

determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store; and

in response to determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is within the geofencing boundary for the store;

generating a command associated with an in-store mode of the application, and

transmitting the command to the electronic device via the network connection, the command, when executed by the electronic device, causing the application to initiate the in-store mode.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein receiving the estimated location of the electronic device comprises:

receiving at least one of;

GPS coordinates of the electronic device, wireless access point data, and cellular triangulation data.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein calculating the geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary is further based on the wireless access point data.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein determining that the estimated location of the electronic device is in proximity to the location of the store comprises:

accessing a lookup table listing a plurality of stores having a respective plurality of locations; and

determining, from the lookup table, that a distance between the estimated location of the electronic device and the location of the store does not exceed a threshold distance.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein calculating the geofencing boundary for the store by modifying the default geofencing boundary is further based on a size of the store.