Selective processing of location-sensitive data streams

• US 8,447,333 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bamba, Bhuvan, Gedik, Bugra, Wu, Kun-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, MARCOS L
• Application Number:
  US13/469,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20120276923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554121-4122, 701445-447, 701450-452, 701/491, 701/516, 701540-541
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A method for processing a first data stream specifying locations of a user at different times and a second data stream specifying values of a monitored attribute at a location of interest at different times includes: receiving a location-centric trigger specifying at least one spatial predicate condition relative to the location of interest and at least one non-spatial predicate condition relevant to the location of interest, calculating a safe region that includes locations whose probability of satisfying the spatial predicate condition falls below a first threshold, calculating a safe value container that includes values whose probability of satisfying the non-spatial predicate condition falls below a second threshold, and processing the first data stream and the second data stream against the location-centric trigger, by considering only those locations that are not contained within the safe region and only those values that are not contained within the safe value container.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in processing a plurality of incoming data streams, the plurality of incoming data streams comprising a first data stream that specifies one or more locations of a mobile user at one or more times and a second data stream that specifies one or more values of a monitored attribute at a location of interest at one or more times, the method comprising:

delivering a location-centric trigger to a location-based information monitoring system, the location-centric trigger specifying at least one spatial predicate condition relevant to the location of interest and at least one non-spatial predicate condition relevant to the location of interest;

receiving a safe region from the location-based information monitoring system, the safe region comprising at least one of the one or more locations whose probability of satisfying the spatial predicate condition falls below a first predefined threshold, wherein the safe region comprises a rectangle having a maximum weighted perimeter;

processing a current location of the mobile user against the safe region; and

delivering the current location to the location-based information monitoring system only if the current location lies outside of the safe region,

wherein at least one of;

the delivering the location-centric trigger, the receiving, the processing, or the delivering the current location is performed using a processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is part of a mobile device operated by the mobile user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an update from the location-based information monitoring system after the delivering, wherein the update indicates that the location-centric trigger has been satisfied.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the safe region in a location accessible to the processor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

periodically re-processing the current location against the safe region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum weighted perimeter comprises an intersection of a plurality of safe regions associated with the mobile user.

2. An apparatus comprising computer readable storage medium containing an executable program for assisting in processing a plurality of incoming data streams, the plurality of incoming data streams comprising a first data stream that specifies one or more locations of a mobile user at one or more times and a second data stream that specifies one or more values of a monitored attribute at a location of interest at one or more times, where the program performs steps comprising:

delivering a location-centric trigger to a location-based information monitoring system, the location-centric trigger specifying at least one spatial predicate condition relevant to the location of interest and at least one non-spatial predicate condition relevant to the location of interest;

receiving a safe region from the location-based information monitoring system, the safe region comprising at least one of the one or more locations whose probability of satisfying the spatial predicate condition falls below a first predefined threshold, wherein the safe region comprises a rectangle having a maximum weighted perimeter;

processing a current location of the mobile user against the safe region; and

delivering the current location to the location-based information monitoring system only if the current location lies outside of the safe region.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the executable program is executed by a processor that is part of a mobile device operated by the mobile user.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving an update from the location-based information monitoring system after the delivering, wherein the update indicates that the location-centric trigger has been satisfied.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the steps further comprise:

storing the safe region in a location accessible to the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

periodically re-processing the current location against the safe region.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the maximum weighted perimeter comprises an intersection of a plurality of safe regions associated with the mobile user.