Substantially Continuous Location Logging for Geographic-Positioning Capable Devices

• US 20130237254A1
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Popov, Lev, Proctor, Iain Andrew Russell
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0248 dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes recording a first location of a mobile device; determining, by one or more processors of a geographic-positioning component of the mobile device, on a periodic basis, a current location of the mobile device; determining, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, whether the current location is outside a geographic region defined at least in part by the first location; and if the current location is outside the geographic region, then transmitting, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, a message to one or more other processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the other processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a location of an entity socially connected to a user associated with the mobile device, the entity and the user socially connected through an on-line social network with which the user and the entity are associated;

determining, by one or more processors of a geographic-positioning component of the mobile device, on a periodic basis, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, whether the current location is within a geographic region defined at least in part by the location of the entity; and

if the current location is within the geographic region, then transmitting, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, a message to one or more other processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the other processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a radius associated with the mobile device, wherein the radius also defines at least in part the geographic region.

3. The method of claim 2, where in the radius is determined based at least in part on a velocity of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on a time of day.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on a power budget of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on an error associated with the location of the entity or the current location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message identifies the current location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the entity or current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.

9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media within a mobile device, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive a location of an entity socially connected to a user associated with the mobile device, the entity and the user socially connected through an on-line social network with which the user and the entity are associated;

determine on a periodic basis a current location of the mobile device;

determine whether the current location is within a geographic region defined at least in part by the location of the entity; and

if the current location is within the geographic region, then transmit a message to one or more processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further operable to determine a radius associated with the mobile device, wherein the radius also defines at least in part the geographic region.

11. The media of claim 10, where in the radius is determined based at least in part on a velocity of the mobile device.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on a time of day.

13. The media of claim 10, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on a power budget of the mobile device.

14. The media of claim 10, wherein the radius is determined based at least in part on an error associated with the location of the entity or current location.

15. The media of claim 9, wherein the message identifies the current location.

16. The media of claim 9, wherein the location of the entity or current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.

17. A method comprising:

determining, by one or more first processors of a mobile device, an operating condition of the mobile device, the operating condition comprising;

a current velocity of the mobile device;

a current time of day;

current activity of a user associated with the mobile device;

or

a current proximity of the mobile device to an entity socially connected to the user through an on-line social network that the user and the entity are associated with; and

if the operating condition satisfies one or more operating criteria of the mobile device, then transmitting, by the first processors, a message to one or more second processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the second processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message identifies the current location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the operating criteria are based at least in part on an affinity between the user and the entity.