CREATING GEOFENCE ASSISTANCE INFORMATION

• US 20130310053A1
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Aditya N., Sheshadri, Suhas H.
• Application Number:
  US13/472,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20130310053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Example methods, apparatuses, or articles of manufacture are disclosed herein that may be utilized, in whole or in part, to facilitate or support one or more operations or techniques for creating geofence assistance information, such as for use in or with a mobile communication device. Briefly, in accordance with at least one implementation, a method may include determining a geofence boundary; and identifying transmission cells forming a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating the geofence boundary. In some instances, a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a geofence boundary may comprise a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a perimeter of the geofence boundary, for example.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a geofence boundary; and

identifying transmission cells forming a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary comprises a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a perimeter of said geofence boundary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying said transmission cells is based, at least in part, on a maximum antenna range (MAR) obtained with respect to each of said transmission cells.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said MAR comprises a radius of said each of said transmission cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission cells are identified based, at least in part, on an application of an iterative-type process.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying said transmission cells further comprises:

forming a scan area enclosing said geofence boundary; and

determining whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising:

zooming out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said zooming out comprises incrementally decreasing the magnification of said scan area until said transmission cells forming said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary are identified within said scan area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying said transmission cells further comprises:

forming a scan area completely within said geofence boundary; and

determining whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

zooming in said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said zooming in comprises incrementally increasing the magnification of said scan area until said transmission cells forming said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary are identified within said scan area.

12. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

zooming out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

generating a cell identification (Cell-ID) list identifying said transmission cells for use by a mobile device as geofence assistance information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission cells comprise at least one of the following:

a base transceiver station;

an access point;

a femtocell;

a wireless transmission node;

or any combination thereof.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface; and

at least one processor programmed with instructions to;

determine a geofence boundary; and

identify transmission cells forming a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary comprises a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a perimeter of said geofence boundary.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said identifying said transmission cells is based, at least in part, on a MAR obtained with respect to each of said transmission cells via said communication interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one processor programmed with said instructions to said identify said transmission cells further to:

form a scan area enclosing said geofence boundary; and

determine whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor further programmed with instructions to zoom out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one processor programmed with said instructions to said identify said transmission cells further to:

form a scan area completely within said geofence boundary; and

determine whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one processor further programmed with instructions to zoom in said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one processor further programmed with instructions to zoom out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one processor further programmed with instructions to generate a Cell-ID list identifying said transmission cells for use by a mobile device as geofence assistance information.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, and further comprising:

a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver to receive one or more wireless signals from at least one wireless communications system; and

a location-tracking unit to initiate a position fix of a mobile device with respect to said geofence boundary based, at least in part, on said one or more received wireless signals.

25. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a geofence boundary; and

means for identifying transmission cells forming a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary comprises a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a perimeter of said geofence boundary.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said identifying said transmission cells is based, at least in part, on a MAR obtained with respect to each of said transmission cells.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said MAR comprises a radius of said each of said transmission cells.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said transmission cells are identified based, at least in part, on an application of an iterative-type process.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said means for identifying said transmission cells further comprises:

means for forming a scan area enclosing said geofence boundary; and

means for determining whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, and further comprising:

means for zooming out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said means for zooming out comprises means for incrementally decreasing the magnification of said scan area until said transmission cells forming said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary are identified within said scan area.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said means for identifying said transmission cells further comprises:

means for forming a scan area completely within said geofence boundary; and

means for determining whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, and further comprising:

means for zooming in said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said means for zooming in comprises means for incrementally increasing the magnification of said scan area until said transmission cells forming said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary are identified within said scan area.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, and further comprising:

means for zooming out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

37. The apparatus of claim 25, and further comprising:

means for generating a Cell-ID list identifying said transmission cells for use by a mobile device as geofence assistance information.

38. An article comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a special purpose computing platform to;

determine a geofence boundary; and

identify transmission cells forming a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary.

39. The article of claim 38, wherein said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating said geofence boundary comprises a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas approximating a perimeter of said geofence boundary.

40. The article of claim 38, wherein said storage medium having said instructions to identify said transmission cells further comprises instructions to:

form a scan area enclosing said geofence boundary; and

determine whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

41. The article of claim 40, wherein said storage medium further comprises instructions to zoom out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas surrounding said geofence boundary exists within said scan area.

42. The article of claim 38, wherein said storage medium having said instructions to identify said transmission cells further comprises instructions to:

form a scan area completely within said geofence boundary; and

determine whether a loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

43. The article of claim 42, wherein said storage medium further comprises instructions to zoom in said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

44. The article of claim 42, wherein said storage medium further comprises instructions to zoom out said scan area in response to a determination that there is no said loop of contiguous cell coverage areas exists within said scan area.

45. The article of claim 38, wherein said storage medium further comprises instructions to generate a Cell-ID list identifying said transmission cells for use by a mobile device as geofence assistance information.