SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DEFINING ZONES FOR LOCATION-BASED SERVICES

• US 20170366934A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenberger, Jeremy A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,034,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for defining zones used in location-based services. A mobile device with administrative privileges is moved in a path within a venue. The path is recorded and the interior of the path forms a zone. Additionally, embodiments provide for modification of existing zones based on a recorded path from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for defining a zone within a location detection system at a venue, comprising:

obtaining local position data of a mobile device within the venue;

determining a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiating a path start for a path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, moving the mobile device along the path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiating a path end for the path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correcting lines of the path based on a best-fit analysis; and

defining a region bounded by the corrected lines of the path of the mobile device as the zone within the location detection system at the venue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the location information of the path to a data server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position is substantially identical to the first position, whereby the path forms a closed shape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position is different than the first position, whereby the path forms an open shape;

and wherein initiating the path end further comprises synthesizing a line segment between the first position and the second position to form a closed shape that defines the zone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying an existing zone based on the location information of the path.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the existing zone based on the location information of the path includes expanding the existing zone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the existing zone based on the location information of the path includes contracting the existing zone.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the existing zone based on the location information of the path includes splitting the existing zone.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

establishing a zone valid period; and

reverting the existing zone to a previous boundary upon the end of the zone valid period.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a representation of the zone on a display associated with the mobile device.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor;

a local receiver coupled to the processor;

wherein the memory contains instructions, which when executed by the processor, perform the steps of;

obtaining local position data of the mobile device within the venue;

determining a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiating a path start for a path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, moving the mobile device along the path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiating a path end for the path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correcting lines of the path based on a best-fit analysis; and

defining a region bounded by the corrected lines of the path of the mobile device as the zone within the location detection system at the venue.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising a WiFi transceiver.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, further comprising a Bluetooth transceiver.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the memory further contains instructions, which when executed by the processor, perform the step of synthesizing a line segment between the first position and the second position to form a closed shape that defines the zone.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the memory further contains instructions for modifying a zone within a location detection system at a venue, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the steps of:

obtaining local position data of the mobile device within the venue;

determining the first position of the mobile device within the zone;

initiating a path start for the path;

moving the mobile device along the path to the second position, while recording location information of the path;

initiating the path end for the path; and

modifying the zone based on the location information of the path.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the step of modifying the zone based on the location information of the path includes expanding the zone.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the step of contracting the zone.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the step of splitting the zone.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the steps of:

establishing a zone valid period; and

reverting the zone to a previous boundary upon the end of the zone valid period.

20. A computer program product for adjustment of an electronic display of an electronic device, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the electronic device to:

obtain local position data of a mobile device within the venue;

determine a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiate a path start for a path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, move the mobile device along the path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiate a path end for the path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correct lines of the path based on a best-fit analysis; and

define a region bounded by the corrected lines of the path of the mobile device as the zone within the location detection system at the venue.