SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING LOCATION INFORMATION ON MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20110279323A1
• Filed: 05/11/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Hung, Michael Hin Kai, Kline, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/451
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for activating a GPS receiver or a WiFi receiver on a mobile device may be provided, which comprises determining an approximate location of the mobile device. The approximate location of the mobile device may be determined using cell tower location information. If the approximate location of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance from a desired location, or is “close enough”, then the GPS receiver or the WiFi receiver is activated. The GPS receiver or the WiFi receiver is activated to determine a more accurate location of the mobile device. The approximate and the more accurate location information may be exchanged with another mobile device to allow the user to find one another.

Claims

1. A method for controlling use of a location measurement system on a mobile device, the method comprising:

obtaining a first location measurement pertaining to the mobile device; and

,

if the first location measurement is within a predetermined distance from a desired location, initiating use of the location measurement system to obtain a second location measurement pertaining to the mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first location measurement is an approximate location measurement.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second location measurement is an accurate location measurement.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location measurement system is a GPS receiver, WiFi receiver, WiMAX receiver, or a Bluetooth®

receiver.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first location measurement is obtained using cell tower location information, user input, or WiMAX base-station location information.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying the approximate location and the desired location on the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein upon obtaining the second location measurement, displaying the second location measurement and the desired location on the mobile device.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the desired location is the location of another mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the location of the other mobile device is another approximate location.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein upon initiating the use of the location measurement system, using the location measurement system to determine the second location measurement to send to the other mobile device.

11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising determining if the mobile device is pre-approved to share the first location measurement with the other mobile device, and, if so, automatically sharing the first location measurement with the other mobile device.

12. The method according to claim 2 wherein the approximate location measurement is a region of uncertainty in which the mobile device is located within.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the predetermined distance comprises the region of uncertainty at least touching the desired location.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

upon obtaining the first location measurement and the desired location, establishing one or more lines between the first location measurement and the desired location, and,

wherein the predetermined distance comprises the distance between any one of the one or more lines to the desired location, such that upon detecting the first location measurement of the mobile device coinciding with the one or more lines, initiating the use of the location identification system.

15. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

upon determining the first location measurement and the location of the other mobile device, establishing one or more lines between the first location measurement and the location of the other mobile device, and,

upon detecting the first location measurement coinciding with the one or more lines, the mobile device sending the first location measurement to the other mobile device.

16. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

upon determining that the first location measurement is moving closer to the desired location within a time period, increasing the frequency at which the first location measurement is obtained.

17. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for controlling use of a location measurement system on a mobile device, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for:

obtaining a first location measurement pertaining to the mobile device; and

,

if the first location measurement is within a predetermined distance from a desired location, initiating use of the location measurement system to obtain a second location measurement pertaining to the mobile device.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the first location measurement is an approximate location measurement.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the second location measurement is an accurate location measurement.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the location measurement system is a GPS receiver, WiFi receiver, WiMAX receiver, or a Bluetooth®

receiver.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the first location measurement is obtained using cell tower location information, user input, or WiMAX base-station location information.

22. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 further comprising displaying the first location measurement and the desired location on the mobile device.

23. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein upon obtaining the second location measurement, displaying the second location measurement and the desired location on the mobile device.

24. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 wherein the desired location is the location of another mobile device.

25. The computer readable medium according to claim 24 wherein the location of the other mobile device is another approximate location.

26. The computer readable medium according to claim 24 wherein upon initiating the use of the location measurement system, using the location measurement system to determine the second location measurement to send to the other mobile device.

27. The computer readable medium according to claim 24 further comprising determining if the mobile device is pre-approved to share the first location measurement with the other mobile device, and, if so, automatically sharing the first location measurement with the other mobile device.

28. The computer readable medium according to claim 18 wherein the approximate location measurement is a region of uncertainty in which the mobile device is located within.

29. The computer readable medium according to claim 28 wherein the predetermined distance comprises the region of uncertainty at least touching the desired location.

30. The computer readable medium according to claim 17 further comprising:

upon determining that the first location measurement is moving closer to the desired location within a time period, increasing the frequency at which the first location measurement is obtained.