Optimizing performance of location-aware applications using state machines

• US 8,036,679 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of South Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of South Floirda
• Inventors: Winters, Philip L., Barbeau, Sean J., Labrador, Miguel, Georggi, Nevine, Perez, Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Cong
• Application Number:
  US12/245,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/414.1, 455/403, 455/404.2, 455/67.11, 455/115.1, 455/115.3, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A location-aware method that dynamically adjusts software parameters in Location-Based Service (LBS) applications in real-time based on environmental conditions and application requirements. The invention saves power expended during position calculations while increasing application performance, optimizes settings for the application based on real-time conditions, and reduces bandwidth used. In an embodiment, the present method comprises a state machine or a plurality of state machines.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval in a location-aware application, the method comprising:

obtaining a location recalculation interval;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a first threshold value;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value; and

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the value of the location recalculation interval equal to an initial interval value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second threshold value equals the initial interval value.

4. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval in a location-aware application, the method comprising:

obtaining two location points;

obtaining a location recalculation interval;

determining a movement distance by calculating the distance between the two location points;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance less than a distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a first threshold value;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance greater than the distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance greater than the distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance greater than the distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance less than the distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first threshold value; and

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance less than the distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the first threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising setting the value of the location recalculation interval equal to an initial interval value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second threshold value equals the initial interval value.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the two location points are the most recently calculated location points.

8. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval in a location-aware application, the method comprising:

obtaining a recent location point;

obtaining a target location point;

obtaining a location recalculation interval;

determining a target distance by calculating the distance between the recent location point and the target location point;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the target distance less than a first distance threshold and greater than a second distance threshold, and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a first interval threshold, wherein the second distance threshold is less than the first distance threshold;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the target distance greater than the first distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a second interval threshold;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the target distance less than the first distance threshold and less than the second distance threshold, and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first interval threshold;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the target distance less than the first distance threshold and greater than second distance threshold, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second interval threshold;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a target distance greater than the second predetermined distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a target distance greater than the second predetermined distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a movement distance less than the predetermined distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the second threshold value; and

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a movement distance less than the predetermined distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising setting the value of the location recalculation interval equal to an initial interval value.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the recent location point is the most recently calculated location point.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second threshold value equals the initial interval value.

12. A method of adjusting access to a plurality of available location technologies used by a location-aware application, the method comprising:

allowing the application access to a first location technology in the plurality of available location technologies and denying the application access to a second location technology in the plurality of available location technologies responsive to the number of successful location calculations greater than a minimum threshold number of successful location calculations, wherein the first location technology requires less of a wireless network'"'"'s resources to perform location calculations; and

allowing the application access to the second location technology and denying the application access to the first location technology responsive to the failure of a location calculation.

13. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval and access to a plurality of available location technologies used by a location-aware application, the method comprising:

allowing the application access to a first location technology in the plurality of available location technologies and denying the application access to a second location technology in the plurality of available location technologies responsive to the number of successful location calculations greater than a minimum threshold number of successful location calculations, wherein the first location technology requires less of a wireless network'"'"'s resources to perform location calculations;

allowing the application access to the second location technology and denying the application access to the first location technology responsive to the failure of a location calculation;

setting a value for a location recalculation interval equal to a first interval value;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval to a second interval value responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a first threshold value;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval to a third interval value responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the location recalculation interval greater than the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the location recalculation interval about equal to the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value;

increasing the value of the interval values responsive to allowing access to the second location technology and the value of the interval value less than a third threshold value; and

decreasing the value of the interval values responsive to allowing access to the first location technology and the value of the interval value greater than a fourth threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second threshold value equals the first interval value.

15. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval and a timeout value in a location-aware application, the method comprising:

obtaining a location recalculation interval;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a first interval threshold value;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second interval threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first interval threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a failed location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the first interval threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second interval threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second interval threshold value;

increasing the timeout value responsive to the failed location calculation and the timeout value less than a first timeout threshold value;

decreasing the timeout value responsive to the successful location calculation and the timeout value greater than a second timeout threshold value;

maintaining the timeout value responsive to a failed location calculation and the timeout value greater than the first timeout threshold value;

maintaining the timeout value responsive to a failed location calculation and the timeout value about equal to the first timeout threshold value;

maintaining the timeout value responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second timeout threshold value; and

maintaining the timeout value responsive to a successful location calculation and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second timeout threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising setting the value of the location recalculation interval equal to an initial interval value.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising setting the timeout value equal to an initial timeout value.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second interval threshold value equals the initial interval value.

19. A method of adjusting a location recalculation interval in a location-aware application, the method comprising:

obtaining a location recalculation interval;

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a predetermined number of failed location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval less than a first threshold value;

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to a predetermined number of successful location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the predetermined number of failed location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the predetermined number of failed location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the first threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the predetermined number of successful location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value; and

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the predetermined number of successful location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number of failed location calculations equals the predetermined number of successful location calculations.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising setting the value of the location recalculation interval equal to an initial interval value.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second threshold value equals the initial interval value.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising waiting a predetermined amount of time before increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the predetermined number of failed location calculations and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the first threshold value.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining a speed of travel;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the speed of travel greater than a low-speed threshold, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the speed of travel greater than the low-speed threshold, and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the speed of travel less than the low-speed threshold for less than a predetermined amount of time, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the speed of travel less than the low-speed threshold for less than the predetermined amount of time, and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value; and

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the speed of travel less than the low-speed threshold for greater than the predetermined amount of time, the predetermined number of failed location calculations, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the first threshold value.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval to about the value of the second threshold value responsive to the speed of travel greater than a high-speed threshold, the predetermined number of successful location calculations, and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than the first threshold value.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining two location points;

determining a movement distance by calculating the distance between the two location points; and

decreasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the movement distance greater than a distance threshold and the value of the location recalculation interval greater than a second threshold value.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining an estimated horizontal accuracy;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the estimated horizontal accuracy greater than a horizontal accuracy threshold for less than a predetermined amount of time, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the second threshold value;

maintaining the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the estimated horizontal accuracy greater than the horizontal accuracy threshold for less than the predetermined amount of time, and the value of the location recalculation interval about equal to the second threshold value; and

increasing the value of the location recalculation interval responsive to the estimated horizontal accuracy greater than the horizontal accuracy threshold for greater than the predetermined amount of time, the predetermined number of failed location calculations, and the value of the location recalculation interval less than the first threshold value.