GEO-FENCE ENTRY AND EXIT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150011237A1
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phunware, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phunware, Inc.
• Inventors: Obermeyer, Lance, Oliver, Andrew, Miller, Kyle, Shetty, Prashant, Rustgi, Aditya
• Application Number:
  US14/322,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0283 via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method is provided for determining when a mobile communications device has crossed a geo-fence. The method comprises (a) providing a mobile communications device (209) equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a server (211) over a network (203), and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database (213); (b) receiving, from the operating system, a notification that (i) the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (ii) that a period of time has passed; (c) querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy; (d) transmitting the data set to the server; and (e) receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the data set, a set of geo-fences (205) proximal to the general location.

Claims

1. A method for determining the location of a mobile communications device with respect to a geo-fence, comprising:

ascertaining, at a first resolution, the proximity p=p₁ of the mobile communications device to a first geo-fence; and

if |p₁|<

k, wherein kε

R, then ascertaining, at a second resolution, the proximity p=p₂ of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using GPS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using Wi-Fi.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using super high frequency (SHF) radio waves.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the SHF radio waves have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device using a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device using a protocol based on the standard specified in Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device over a wireless personal area network (WPAN).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein k≦

10 m.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein k≦

5 m.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein 0.01 m≦

k≦

5 m.

13-67. -67. (canceled)

68. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a tangible medium; and

a software program disposed in the tangible medium and containing suitable programming instructions which, when executed, cause the mobile communications device to ascertain, at a first resolution, the proximity p=p₁ of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence and, if |p₁|<

k, wherein kε

R, to ascertain, at a second resolution, the proximity p=p₂ of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence.

69. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined using Wi-Fi.

70. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined using super high frequency (SHF) radio waves.

71. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined using SHF radio waves have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

72. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined using a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'"'"' (IEEE) 802.11 standards.

73. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined using a protocol based on the standard specified in Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0.

74. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein the second resolution is determined by using a wireless personal area network (WPAN).

75. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using GPS.

76. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using cell tower triangulation.

77. The mobile communications device of claim 68, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using Wi-Fi triangulation.