Establishing location sharing configurations

• US 10,623,907 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glympse
• Original Assignee: Glympse
• Inventors: Miller, Stephen, Park, Christopher, Rakonza, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US16/209,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20190182626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments for establishing configurations for a location sharing session are described. A location sharing session can include a sharing device gathering location data and providing it to a recipient device, e.g. via a server system. Configurations for a sharing session can include, for example: a duration that the sharing device provides the location data or that the sever system permits access to location data by the recipient device; preferences for how to manually or automatically set the duration for the sharing session; options to automatically end the sharing session; etc. A sharing session duration can be automatically set based on, e.g. an estimated time of arrival, a specified mode of transport, etc., and can include a specified amount of buffer time. The automatic share duration can last until a particular event occurs, e.g. the sharing device arriving at a particular location.

Claims

1. A method for establishing configurations for location sharing sessions, the method comprising:

receiving a first location sharing request from a first mobile device;

determining, at a host system, that the first location sharing request is associated with an indication to create a first location sharing session with a first static share duration;

setting the first static share duration as part of a configuration for the first location sharing session,

wherein, during the first static share duration, the host system obtains first location data from the first mobile device and makes the first location data available to a first recipient device;

receiving a second location sharing request from a second mobile device;

determining, at the host system, that the second location sharing request is not associated with an indication to create a second location sharing session with a second static share duration;

obtaining an estimated time of arrival, wherein the estimated time of arrival is for the second mobile device to reach a destination associated with the second location sharing request;

computing a second share duration for the second location sharing session based on the estimated time of arrival; and

setting the second share duration as part of a configuration for the second location sharing session,

wherein, during the second share duration, the host system obtains second location data from the second mobile device and makes the second location data available to a second recipient device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting, based on mappings of estimated time of arrival ranges to corresponding buffer times, a buffer time based on the obtained estimated time of arrival;

wherein computing the second share duration is further based on the selected buffer time.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that a mode of transportation associated with the second location sharing request is one of one or more specified modes of transportation associated with adding a buffer time; and

in response to the determining that the mode of transportation is one of the one or more specified modes of transportation, selecting a buffer time;

wherein computing the second share duration is further based on the selected buffer time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated time of arrival is based on one or more of:

a selected mode of transportation, identified current traffic conditions, identified current weather conditions, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated time of arrival is based on a combination of determined typical speed characteristics, obtained in relation to multiple users, for portions of a determined route for reaching the destination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated time of arrival is based on determined speed characteristics of a current user that are based on previously observed diving speeds of the current user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein additional parts of the configuration for the second location sharing session are set based on a previously saved favorite share session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

a) a first frequency that the second location information is provided from the second mobile device in a first time between when the second mobile device is at a threshold distance from the destination and when the second mobile device is at the destination, is greater than

b) a second frequency that the second location information is provided from the second mobile device for at least part of a second time that is before the second mobile device reaches the threshold distance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second share duration is automatically ended in response to identifying a particular event, wherein the particular event is one of:

a determination that the second mobile device reached the destination a threshold amount of time ago;

a determination that the second mobile device is a threshold distance from the destination;

a determination that the second mobile device is a threshold distance from the second recipient device;

or

a determination that a change in speed associated with the second mobile device is above a threshold.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the configuration for the second location sharing session further comprises a setting to share a speed associated with the second mobile device;

and

wherein the second location sharing session, based on the setting to share the speed, provides, to the second recipient device, an indication of the speed associated with the second mobile device.

11. At least one non-transitory memory carrying instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving a location sharing request from a mobile device;

determining an estimated time of arrival, wherein the estimated time of arrival is for the mobile device to reach a destination associated with the location sharing request;

computing a share duration for the location sharing session based on the estimated time of arrival; and

setting the share duration as part of a configuration for the location sharing session,

wherein, during the share duration, a host system obtains location data from the mobile device and makes the location data available to a recipient device.

12. The memory of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

selecting, based on mappings of estimated time of arrival ranges to corresponding buffer times, a buffer time based on the obtained estimated time of arrival;

wherein computing the share duration is further based on the selected buffer time.

13. The memory of claim 11, wherein the estimated time of arrival is based on determined speed characteristics of a current user that are based on previously observed diving speeds of the current user.

14. The memory of claim 11, wherein the share duration for the location sharing session is a duration during which a server receives the location data for the mobile device and during which the server permits the recipient device, specified in the location sharing request, access to one or more indications of the location data.

15. The memory of claim 11, wherein

a) a first frequency that the location information is provided from the mobile device in a first time between when the sharing device is at a threshold distance from the destination and when mobile device is at the destination, is greater than

b) a second frequency that the location information is provided from the mobile device for at least part of a second time that is before the mobile device reaches the threshold distance.

16. The memory of claim 11, wherein the share duration is automatically ended in response to identifying a particular event, wherein the particular event is one of:

a determination that the mobile device is a threshold distance from the recipient device;

or

a determination that a change in speed associated with the mobile device is above a threshold.

17. The memory of claim 11,

wherein the configuration for the location sharing session further comprises a setting to share a speed associated with a mobile device;

and

wherein the location sharing session, based on the setting to share the speed, provides, to the recipient device, an indication of the speed associated with the mobile device.

18. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving a location sharing request;

determining an estimated time of arrival for a destination associated with the location sharing request;

computing a share duration for the location sharing session based on the estimated time of arrival; and

setting the share duration as part of a configuration for the location sharing session.

19. The system of claim 18,

wherein the operations further comprise selecting a buffer time;

and

wherein computing the share duration is further based on the selected buffer time.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the share duration is automatically ended in response to identifying a particular event, wherein the particular event is one of:

a determination that a sharing device is a threshold distance from a recipient device;

or

a determination that a change in speed associated with the sharing device is above a threshold.