APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING, DISPLAYING AND IMPLEMENTING A GEO-FENCE USING LOCATION DETERMINATION OF MOBILE DEVICES WITHIN A LOCATION-BASED GROUP

• US 20150319568A1
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Inventors: Haro, Alexander, Hulls, Christopher, Borsuk, Michael, Hood, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• 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 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Method of generating, displaying, and implementing geo-fence using location determination of mobile devices (MHSDs) within location-based group starts with server receiving geo-fence information and generating geo-fence based on geo-fence information. Server receives location data and proximity information from MHSDs. Location data received from first MHSD includes first MHSD'"'"'s location. Proximity information received from first MHSD includes identification of MHSDs within proximity sensitivity radius of first MHSD'"'"'s location. Server forms subgroup of MHSDs based on proximity information from each MHSD. Subgroup include first MHSD and MHSDs that have provided proximity information that identifies first MHSD are being within proximity sensitivity radiuses of the MHSDs, respectively. Server refines the fixed location of the first MHSD, which includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor sensitivity of MHSDs that are in subgroup. Server generates and transmits alert to display device when refined location of first MHSD crosses the geo-fence. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method for generating, implementing and displaying a geo-fence using the location determination of mobile devices within a location-based group comprising:

receiving, by a processor, geo-fence information and generating, by the processor, a geo-fence based on the geo-fence information received;

receiving, by the processor, location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensitivity radius of the first mobile device;

forming by the processor a subgroup of mobile devices based on the proximity information from each of the plurality of mobile devices, the subgroup including the first mobile device and mobile devices that have provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device are being within the proximity sensitivity radiuses of the mobile devices, respectively;

refining, by the processor, the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor sensitivity of each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup;

transmitting, by the processor, the refined location of the first mobile device and the geo-fence to a display device; and

generating and transmitting, by the processor, an alert to the display device when the refined location of the first mobile device crosses the geo-fence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the refining the fixed location of the first mobile device further comprises:

determining by the processor, if a database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection; and

if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the refining, by the processor, the location of the first mobile device further comprises:

triangulating based on the location data from each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup to obtain a refined location of the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

updating a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the display device, the refined location of the first mobile device and the geo-fence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is at least one of a sound, an image, or a text.

8. An apparatus for generating, implementing and displaying a geo-fence using the location determination of mobile devices within a location-based group comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface to;

receiving geo-fence information, and

receive a location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensitivity radius of the first mobile device; and

a memory storage storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive the geo-fence information, the location data and the proximity information from the communication interface,

generate a geo-fence based on the geo-fence information,

form a subgroup of mobile devices based on the proximity information from each of the plurality of mobile devices, the subgroup including the first mobile device and mobile devices that have provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device are being within the proximity sensitivity radiuses of the mobile devices, respectively,

refine the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor sensitivity of each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup,

signal to the communication interface to transmit the refined location of the mobile device and the geo-fence to a display device, and

generate and transmit an alert to the display device when the refined location of the first mobile device crosses the geo-fence.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a database storing data associated with a plurality of mobile devices,

wherein, when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor refines the fixed location of the first mobile device by;

determining if the database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection, and

if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor refines the fixed location of the first mobile device by:

triangulating based on the location data from each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup to obtain a refined location of the first mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor further:

update a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the alert is at least one of a sound, an image, or a text.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method of generating, displaying, and implementing a geo-fence using the location determination of mobile devices within a location-based group comprising:

receiving geo-fence information and generating a geo-fence based on the geo-fence information received;

receiving location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensitivity radius of the first mobile device;

forming a subgroup of mobile devices based on the proximity information from each of the plurality of mobile devices, the subgroup including the first mobile device and mobile devices that have provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device are being within the proximity sensitivity radiuses of the mobile devices, respectively;

refining the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor sensitivity of each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup;

transmitting the refined location of the first mobile device and the geo-fence to a display device; and

generating and transmitting an alert to the display device when the refined location of the first mobile device crosses the geo-fence.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the refining the fixed location of the first mobile device further comprises:

determining, by the processor, if a database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection; and

if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the refining, by the processor, the location of the first mobile device further comprises:

triangulating based on the location data from each of the mobile devices that in the subgroup to obtain a refined location of the first mobile device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising

updating a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the alert is at least one of a sound, an image, or a text.