GEO-FENCING IN A BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM

• US 20180219994A1
• Filed: 03/22/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Frenz, Jonathan, Swanson, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A mobile device having location services may store information pertaining to a geo-fence that is associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a location. The mobile device may identify a current location of the mobile device and store data pertaining to the location of the mobile device. The mobile device determines a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data in response to an internal stimuli or an external stimuli. The geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence. The mobile device may notify a remote server of the current geo-fence state.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device, having location services as well as a communication interface for communicating with a remote server, to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

determine a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the current location of the mobile device, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

compare the current geo-fence state with a previous geo-fence state, and when the current geo-fence state does not match the previous geo-fence state, communicate the current geo-fence state to the remote server, but when the current geo-fence state does match the previous geo-fence state, not communicating the current geo-fence state to the remote server.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state from time to time.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state in response to an internal stimuli.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein the internal stimuli comprises one or more of:

detecting a restoration of communication via the communication interface;

detecting a restoration of the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user logging into the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting a wake up condition from a force close of the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting the mobile device exiting an airplane mode;

detecting a user turning on the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user turning on geo-fencing on the mobile device;

detecting a power on condition of the mobile device; and

detecting an updated geo-fence.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state in response to an external stimuli.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the external stimuli comprises one or more of:

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that a suspend mode of the geo-fence has been turned off;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence has been modified at a remote location;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that another user has crossed the geo-fence;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence state of another user has changed;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that geo-fencing has been turned on; and

the mobile device receiving a request via the communication interface for a current location from a remote location.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device, having location services as well as a communication interface for communicating with a remote server, to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

repeatedly identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

store location data of the mobile device, the location data including the current location of the mobile device and one or more past locations of the mobile device;

determine a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based at least in part on the stored location data, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

repeatedly determine if the mobile device has crossed the geo-fence or not by referencing the geo-fence state over time, and if it is determined that the mobile device has crossed the geo-fence, notify the remote server, but if it is determined that the mobile device has not crossed the geo-fence, not notifying the remote server.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein it is determined if the mobile device has crossed the geo-fence or not from time to time.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein it is determined if the mobile device has crossed the geo-fence or not in response to an internal stimuli.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the internal stimuli comprises one or more of:

detecting a restoration of communication via the communication interface;

detecting a restoration of the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user logging into the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting a wake up condition from a force close of the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting the mobile device exiting an airplane mode;

detecting a user turning on the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user turning on geo-fencing on the mobile device;

detecting a power on condition of the mobile device; and

detecting an updated geo-fence.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein it is determined if the mobile device has crossed the geo-fence or not in response to an external stimuli.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the external stimuli comprises one or more of:

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that a suspend mode of the geo-fence has been turned off;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence has been modified at a remote location;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that another user has crossed the geo-fence;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence state of another user has changed;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that geo-fencing has been turned on; and

the mobile device receiving a request via the communication interface for a current location from a remote location.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface;

location services for determining a location of the mobile device;

a communication interface for communicating with a remote server;

a memory for storing an executable program, the memory also storing information pertaining to a geo-fence assigned to a fixed location of a building;

a controller operatively coupled to the user interface, the location services, the communication interface, and the memory, the controller configured to;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

determine a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the current location of the mobile device, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

compare the current geo-fence state with a previous geo-fence state, and when the current geo-fence state does not match the previous geo-fence state, communicate the current geo-fence state to the remote server, but when the current geo-fence state does match the previous geo-fence state, not communicating the current geo-fence state to the remote server.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state from time to time.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state in response to an internal stimuli.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the internal stimuli comprises one or more of:

detecting a restoration of communication via the communication interface;

detecting a restoration of the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user logging into the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting a wake up condition from a force close of the executable program on the mobile device;

detecting the mobile device exiting an airplane mode;

detecting a user turning on the location services of the mobile device;

detecting a user turning on geo-fencing on the mobile device;

detecting a power on condition of the mobile device; and

detecting an updated geo-fence.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the current geo-fence state is determined and the current geo-fence state is compared with the previous geo-fence state in response to an external stimuli.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the external stimuli comprises one or more of:

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that a suspend mode of the geo-fence has been turned off;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence has been modified at a remote location;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that another user has crossed the geo-fence;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that the geo-fence state of another user has changed;

the mobile device being informed via the communication interface that geo-fencing has been turned on; and

the mobile device receiving a request via the communication interface for a current location from a remote location.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to store location data of the mobile device, wherein the location data includes the current location of the mobile device and one or more past locations of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the previous geo-fence state is based on one of the past locations.