GEOFENCING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140162692A1
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Li, Andrew Andrey, Nursimulu, Khenaidoo, Reshetnyak, Mykhaylo Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,971,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A computer-implemented method performed by a computing device having a processor operatively coupled to a memory, the method comprising storing a plurality of geofences in the memory along with addresses of servers associated with each of the geofences, receiving current location data from a mobile device, the current location data representing a current location of the mobile device, comparing the current location data with each of the plurality of geofences to determine whether data is to be obtained from one or more of the servers associated with each of the geofences, if the data is to be obtained, obtaining the data from the one or more servers, and transmitting the data to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a computing device having a processor operatively coupled to a memory, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of geofences along with addresses of servers associated with each of the geofences;

receiving current location data from a mobile device, the current location data representing a current location of the mobile device;

comparing the current location data with each of the plurality of geofences to determine whether data is to be obtained from one or more of the servers associated with each of the geofences;

if the data is to be obtained, obtaining the data from the one or more servers; and

transmitting the data to the mobile device, wherein the data comprises instructions to invoke an application on the mobile device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data comprises one or more device-executable actions to be executed by the device to activate or deactivate a hardware component.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data comprises location-based content.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising resolving conflicts between actions.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising prioritizing geofences.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein obtaining the data comprises sending an anonymous request as a proxy server on behalf of the mobile device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising storing the geofences in a memory of the computing device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a computing device cause the computing device to:

obtain a plurality of geofences along with addresses of servers associated with each of the geofences;

receive current location data from a mobile device, the current location data representing a current location of the mobile device;

compare the current location data with each of the plurality of geofences to determine whether data is to be obtained from one or more of the servers associated with each of the geofences; and

if the data is to be obtained, obtain the data from the one or more servers; and

transmit the data to the mobile device, wherein the data comprises instructions to invoke an application on the mobile device.

9. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the data comprises one or more device-executable actions to be executed by the device to activate or deactivate a hardware component.

10. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein the data comprises location-based content.

11. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 9 further comprising resolving conflicts between actions.

12. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 further comprising prioritizing geofences.

13. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 8 wherein obtaining the data comprises sending an anonymous request as a proxy server on behalf of the mobile device.

14. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 8 further comprising storing the geofences in a memory of the computing device.

15. A geofencing server comprising:

a communication port for obtaining a plurality of geofences along with addresses of content servers associated with each of the geofences and for receiving current location data from a mobile device, the current location data representing a current location of the mobile device; and

a processor, which is operatively coupled to the memory and to the communication port, for comparing the current location data with each of the plurality of geofences to determine whether data is to be obtained from one or more of the content servers associated with each of the geofences and if the data is to be obtained, to cause the geofencing server to obtain the data from the one or more content servers and, upon receipt of the data, to cause the geofencing server to transmit the data to the mobile device, wherein the data comprises instructions to invoke an application on the mobile device.

16. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 15 wherein the data comprises one or more device-executable actions to be executed by the device to activate or deactivate a hardware component.

17. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 15 wherein the data comprises location-based content.

18. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to resolve conflicts between actions.

19. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to prioritize geofences.

20. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 15 wherein the data is obtained by the processor generating and causing the communication port to send an anonymous request on behalf of the mobile device.

21. The geofencing server as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a memory for storing the plurality of geofences along with the addresses of content servers associated with each of the geofences.

22. A mobile device comprising:

a memory coupled to a processor for executing a geofence daemon that is configured to trigger a geofencing action in response to receiving a geofence condition notification from a geofence server;

a location manager executed by the processor for providing location data to the geofence daemon for communicating to the geofence server; and

an invocation manager executed by the processor for invoking an application on the mobile device in response to an action signal from the geofence daemon.

23. The mobile device as claimed in claim 22 comprising a geofence application interfacing with the geofence daemon for creating geofences.

24. A method, performed by a mobile device, of using geofences to obtain data, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of geofences;

generating current location data representing a current location of the mobile device;

comparing the current location data with each of the plurality of geofences to determine whether data is to be obtained from one or more servers associated with each of the geofences;

if the data is to be obtained, obtaining the data from the one or more servers by transmitting a request to a geofencing server that obtains the data from the one or more servers and then transmits the data back to the mobile device, wherein the data comprises instructions to invoke an application on the mobile device; and

invoking the application on the mobile device in response to receiving the instructions.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 wherein comparing is performed in response to detecting a signal from a wireless transmitter.