Efficient resource usage for location sharing in computer networks

• US 8,831,632 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Streeling Laboratories LLC
• Original Assignee: Kevin Laws
• Inventors: Laws, Kevin, Judge, Michael, Blythe, Garrett, Ravikant, Kamal
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US13/527,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/414.1, 455/524, 455/456.3, 455/411, 455/457, 455/420, 340/988, 342/451, 701/409, 701/482
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A location sharing system and related processes across computer networks are provided that efficiently utilize resources by adjusting location determination techniques at client devices. A rule-based architecture including user-based heuristics facilitates location determination that is accurate while optimizing resource consumption. Current interest in or other behavior associated with a target user or requesting user can be used in selecting a location determination protocol at the client device. An accurate portrayal of a user'"'"'s location can be provided efficiently by correlating interest to utilize more accurate but larger resource-intensive components when interest is higher and to utilize less accurate but lower resource-intensive components when interest is lower.

Claims

1. A method of sharing location information between computing devices, comprising:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol;

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device, the tracking information including an indication that the second client device has an interest in a location of the first client device;

in response to the indication that the second client device has the interest in the location of the first client device, initiating a location protocol change at the first client device;

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol after initiating the location protocol change, the second location protocol having a higher accuracy than the first location protocol; and

stopping the determining second location information for the first client device using the second location protocol after a threshold time following determining second location information for the first client device using the second location protocol.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a push protocol message from the second client device or a location sharing platform, the push protocol message including the tracking information.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the push protocol message is a voice over internet protocol message.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a push protocol message from a location sharing platform; and

issuing a request to the location sharing platform in response to the push protocol message;

wherein the tracking information is received from the location sharing platform in response to the request.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

periodically polling the second client device or a location sharing platform for the tracking information.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending the first location information to the second client device; and

sending the second location information to the second client device;

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the second client device.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending the first location information to a location sharing platform; and

sending the second location information to the location sharing platform;

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the location sharing platform.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the tracking information that the second client device is more than a threshold distance from the first client device;

in response to determining that the second client device is more than the threshold distance from the first client device, determining the second location information using the second location protocol then determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol; and

sending the third location information to a location sharing platform or the second client device.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the tracking information that the second client device is not more than a threshold distance from the first client device;

in response to determining that the second client device is not more than the threshold distance from the first client device, determining from the tracking information whether the second client device is moving toward the first client device;

if the second client device is not moving toward the first client device, determining the second location information using the second location protocol then determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol; and

sending the third location information to a location sharing platform or the second client device.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

if the second client device is moving toward the first client device, determining whether the first client device has been using the second location protocol for more than a threshold time period;

if the first client device has been using the second location protocol for more than the threshold time period, setting the first client device to use the first location protocol for a minimum amount of time; and

if the first client device has not been using the second location protocol for more than the threshold time period, determining the second location information using the second location protocol.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at the first client device third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol after the threshold time following determining second location information for the first client device using the second location protocol.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises receiving at a first server the first location information from the first client device; and

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises receiving at the first server the second location information from the first client device.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein:

determining first location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises sending a first instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the first location information using the first location protocol; and

initiating the location protocol change at the first client device and determining second location information comprises sending a second instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the second location information using the second location protocol.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein:

the first instruction causes the first client device to determine the first location information using a first location mechanism on the first client device; and

the second instruction causes the first client device to determine the second location information using a second location mechanism on the first client device.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein:

the first location mechanism includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; and

the second location mechanism includes a cellular identification mechanism.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises determining the first location information at the first client device; and

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises determining the second location information at the first client device.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein:

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device comprises receiving at the first client device the tracking information from the second client device.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein:

initiating a location protocol change at the first client device comprises initiating the location protocol change by the first client device.

19. A method of sharing location information between computing devices, comprising:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol;

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device;

determining from the tracking information that the second client device has indicated an interest in the location of the first client device and is more than a threshold distance from the first client device;

in response to the tracking information, determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol, then determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol, the second location protocol having a higher accuracy than the first location protocol; and

sending the third location information to a location sharing platform or the second client device.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

sending the first location information to the second client device; and

sending the second location information to the second client device;

wherein sending the third location information comprises sending the third location information to the second client device; and

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the second client device.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

sending the first location information to the location sharing platform; and

sending the second location information to the location sharing platform;

wherein sending the third location information comprises sending the third location information to the location sharing platform; and

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the location sharing platform.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises receiving at a first server the first location information from the first client device;

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises receiving at the first server the second location information from the first client device;

determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises receiving at the first server the third location information from the first client device.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein:

determining first location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises sending a first instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the first location information using the first location protocol;

determining second location information for the first client device using the second location protocol comprises sending a second instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the second location information using the second location protocol; and

determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises sending a third instruction form the first server to the first client device to determine the third location information using the first location protocol.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises determining the first location information at the first client device;

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises determining the second location information at the first client device; and

determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises determining the third location information at the first client device.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein:

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device comprises receiving at the first client device the tracking information associated with the second client device.

26. A method of sharing location information between computing devices, comprising:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol;

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device;

determining from the tracking information that the second client device has indicated an interest in the location of the first client device and that the second client device is not more than a threshold distance from the first client device;

in response to the tracking information, determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol, the second location protocol having a higher accuracy than the first location protocol;

in response to determining that the second client device is not more than the threshold distance from the first client device, determining from the tracking information whether the second client device is moving toward the first client device;

if the second client device is not moving toward the first client device, determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol after determining the second location information using the second location protocol; and

sending the third location information to a location sharing platform or the second client device.

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

if the second client device is moving toward the first client device, determining whether the first client device has been using the second location protocol for more than a threshold time period;

if the first client device has been using the second location protocol for more than the threshold time period, setting the first client device to use the first location protocol for a minimum amount of time; and

if the first client device has not been using the second location protocol for more than the threshold time period, determining the second location information using the second location protocol.

28. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

sending the first location information to the second client device;

sending the second location information to the second client device;

wherein sending the third location information comprises sending the third location information to the second client device;

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the second client device.

29. A method according to claim 26, further comprising:

sending the first location information to the location sharing platform; and

sending the second location information to the location sharing platform;

wherein sending the third location information comprises sending the third location information to the location sharing platform; and

wherein the tracking information associated with the second client device is received from the location sharing platform.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises receiving at a first server the first location information from the first client device;

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises receiving at the first server the second location information from the first client device; and

determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises receiving at the first server the third location information from the first client device.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein:

determining first location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises sending a first instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the first location information using the first location protocol; and

determining second location information comprises sending a second instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the second location information using the second location protocol;

determining third location information for the first client device comprises sending a third instruction from the first server to the first client device to determine the third location using the first location protocol.

32. A method according to claim 26, wherein:

determining first location information for a first client device using a first location protocol comprises determining the first location information at the first client device;

determining second location information for the first client device using a second location protocol comprises determining the second location information at the first client device; and

determining third location information for the first client device using the first location protocol comprises determining the third location information at the first client device.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein:

receiving tracking information associated with a second client device comprises receiving at the first client device the tracking information associated with the second client device.