Clustering geofence-based alerts for mobile devices

• US 8,798,646 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xiaohang, Shamsi, Farhan, Okshtein, Yakov, Singleton, David, Repenning, Debra Lin, Zhang, Lixin, Foster, Marcus Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US13/950,511
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/456, 709/242, 709/238, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A geofence management system obtains location data for points of interest. The geofence management system determines, at the option of the user, the location of a user mobile computing device relative to specific points of interest and alerts the user when the user nears the points of interest. The geofence management system, however, determines relationships among the identified points of interest, and associates or “clusters” the points of interest together based on the determined relationships. Rather than establishing separate geofences for multiple points of interest, and then alerting the user each time the user'"'"'s mobile device enters each geofence boundary, the geofence management system establishes a single geofence boundary for the associated points of interest. When the user'"'"'s mobile device enters the clustered geofence boundary, the geofence management system notifies the user device to alert the user of the entrance event. The user then receives the clustered, geofence-based alert.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing combined alert notifications, comprising:

determining, by one or more computing devices, a first location of a user computing device;

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, the first location of the user computing device to one or more geofence management computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and in response to communicating the first location of the user computing device to geofence management computing device, geofence boundary data for a geofence boundary of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary of the geofence encompasses two or more associated points of interest;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a second location of the user computing device, the second location being within the geofence boundary of the geofence;

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, the second location of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and in response to communicating the second location of the user computing device to the geofence management computing device, a notification to provide a combined alert regarding the associated points of interest; and

,

providing, by the one or more computing devices, a combined alert on the user computing device regarding one or more of the associated points of interest.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship of proximity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship of affiliation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein the two or more points of interest are affiliated with a location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the one or more computing devices, a planned route or destination of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship with the planned route or destination.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the provided alert comprises content information for one or more of the associated points of interest.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the alert provided on the user computing device comprises an audible alert, a vibration, or a visible alert.

9. A system to provide a combined alert notification, comprising:

a storage device;

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;

determine a first location of a user computing device;

communicate the first location of the user computing device to one or more geofence management computing devices;

receive, in response to communicating the first location of the user computing device to geofence management computing device, geofence boundary data of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary data defines a geofence boundary that encompasses two or more associated points of interest;

determine a second location of the user computing device, the second location being within the geofence boundary of the geofence;

communicate the second location of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices; and

,

receive, in response to communicating the second location of the user computing device to the geofence management computing device, a notification to provide a combined alert regarding one or more of the associated points of interest.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising providing an alert on the user computing device regarding the one or more of the associated points of interest, wherein the provided alert comprises an audible alert, a vibration, or a visible alert.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the provided alert comprises content information for one or more of the associated points of interest.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship of proximity or a relationship of affiliation.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising providing a planned route or destination of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship with the planned route or destination.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to provide a combined alert notification, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to determine a first location of a user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions to communicate the first location of the user computing device to one or more geofence management computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to receive, in response to communicating the first location of the user computing device to a geofence management computing device, geofence boundary data of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary data defines a geofence the encompasses two or more associated points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions to determine a second location of the user computing device, the second location being within the geofence boundary of the geofence;

computer-executable program instructions to communicate the second location of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to receive, in response to communicating the second location of the user computing device to the geofence management computing device, a notification to provide a combined alert regarding the associated points of interest; and

,

computer-executable program instructions to provide an alert on the user computing device regarding one or more of the associated points of interest.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship of proximity.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship of affiliation.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the two or more points of interest are affiliated with a location.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising providing a planned route or destination of the user computing device to the one or more geofence management computing devices, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship with the planned route or destination.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the provided alert comprises content information for one or more of the associated points of interest.