TECHNIQUES FOR DETERMINING A STATE OF PROXIMITY BETWEEN MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140162687A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Edge, Steven William
• Application Number:
  US14/098,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20140162687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/08 among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Techniques are provided to support proximity services for a mobile device. In an example implementation, an electronic device may determine whether a first mobile device and a second mobile device are each operatively provisioned to make use of a common proximity service, and determine whether a state of proximity between the first and second mobile devices is expected to occur at a future time based at least in part on a current or past motion state of at least one of the mobile devices, and/or a historic behavior of at least one of the mobile devices, and/or an identification that the mobile devices are in a common venue. The electronic device may initiate notification of a user and/or an application of at least one of the mobile devices that a state of proximity with the other mobile device has occurred or will occur.

Claims

1. A method of supporting proximity services for a mobile device comprising:

determining whether a first mobile device and a second mobile device are each operatively provisioned to make use of a common proximity service;

determining whether a state of proximity between the first mobile device and the second mobile device is expected to occur at a future time based at least in part on at least one of;

a current or past motion state of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device,

a historic behavior of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, and/or

an identification that the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in a common venue; and

initiating notification of a user and/or an application of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that the state of proximity has occurred or will occur.

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

determining at least one of;

a probability, and/or a time interval for which the state of proximity is expected to occur at the future time; and

initiating notification of the user and/or the application in response to at least one of;

the probability exceeding a probability threshold, and/or the time interval falling below a time threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the current and past motion state of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices comprises at least one of a geographic location and a velocity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the historic behavior of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices is determined, at least in part, on a location history of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the historic behavior is based, at least in part, on at least one of a current location of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices and a current day and/or a time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the location history is stored in the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

7. An apparatus for supporting proximity services, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether a first mobile device and a second mobile device are each operatively provisioned to make use of a common proximity service;

means for determining whether a state of proximity between the first mobile device and the second mobile device is expected to occur at a future time based at least in part on at least one of;

a current or past motion state of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device,

a historic behavior of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, and/or

an identification that the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in a common venue; and

means for initiating notification of a user and/or an application of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that the state of proximity has occurred or will occur.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, and further comprising:

means for determining at least one of;

a probability, and/or a time interval for which the state of proximity is expected to occur at the future time; and

wherein the means for initiating notification of the user and/or the application, is response to at least one of;

the probability exceeding a probability threshold, and/or the time interval falling below a time threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of the current and past motion state of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices comprises at least one of a geographic location and a velocity.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the historic behavior of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices is determined, at least in part, on a location history of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the historic behavior is based, at least in part, on at least one of a current location of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices and a current day and/or a time.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the location history is stored in the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

13. A computing device for supporting proximity services, the computing device comprising:

memory; and

a processor to;

determine whether a first mobile device and a second mobile device are each operatively provisioned to make use of a common proximity service;

determine whether a state of proximity between the first mobile device or the second mobile device is expected to occur at a future time based at least in part on at least one of;

a current or past motion state of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, a historic behavior of at least one of the first or second mobile devices, and/or an identification that the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in a common venue; and

initiate notification of a user and/or an application of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that the state of proximity has occurred or will occur.

14. The computing device of claim 13, the processor to further:

determine at least one of;

a probability, and/or a time interval for which the state of proximity is expected to occur at the future time; and

initiate notification of the user and/or the application in response to at least one of;

the probability exceeding a probability threshold, and/or the time interval falling below a time threshold.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the current and past motion state of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices comprises at least one of a geographic location and a velocity.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the historic behavior of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices is determined, at least in part, on a location history of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the historic behavior is based, at least in part, on at least one of a current location of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices and a current day and/or a time.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the location history is stored in the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

19. An article for use in supporting proximity services, the article comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein computer implementable instructions executable by a processor of a computing device to;

determine whether a first mobile device and a second mobile device are each operatively provisioned to make use of a common proximity service;

determine whether a state of proximity between the first mobile device and the second mobile device is expected to occur at a future time based at least in part on at least one of;

a current or past motion state of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, a historic behavior of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device, and/or an identification that the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in a common venue; and

initiate notification of a user and/or an application of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device that the state of proximity has occurred or will occur.

20. The article of claim 19, the computer implementable instructions being further executable by the processor to:

determine at least one of;

a probability, and/or a time interval for which the state of proximity is expected to occur at the future time; and

initiate notification of the user and/or the application in response to at least one of;

the probability exceeding a probability threshold, and/or the time interval falling below a time threshold.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein at least one of the current and past motion state of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices comprises at least one of a geographic location and a velocity.

22. The article of claim 19, wherein the historic behavior of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices is determined, at least in part, on a location history of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the historic behavior is based, at least in part, on at least one of a current location of the at least one of the first or second mobile devices and a current day and/or a time.