Systems and methods for determining to use geo-fencing by using straight-line distances between locations

• US 8,874,138 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Carmel, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US13/839,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/422.1, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for determining whether a user device is within a geofenced region using lower powered location tracking techniques. In one instance, the user device may determine the minimum distances to geofenced regions. The user device may track the distance between locations and compare those distances to the minimum distances to determine the likelihood the user device is within one of the geofenced regions.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the computer-executable instructions to;

determine a first location of a user device associated with the system;

determine geographic boundaries of one or more regions;

determine minimum distances between the user device and a portion of the one or more of the regions;

determine a second location of the user device;

determine a distance between the first location and the second location; and

determine the user device is within one of the one or more regions when the distance between the first location and the second location meets a predetermined criteria with reference to the minimum distances and the distance between the first location and the second location.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

confirm the second location of the user device is within at least one of the regions; and

receive information from a remote device related to the at least one of the regions after confirming.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine a third location of the user device;

determine a distance between the second location and the third location;

determine updated minimum distances for the one or more regions by subtracting the distance between the second location and the third location from each of the minimum distances; and

compare the third location of the user device with at least one of the geographic boundaries of the regions when the distance between the second location and the third location meets a predetermined criteria with reference to the minimum distances and the distance between the second location and the third location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the distance between the first location and the second location comprises an absolute distance that is independent of orientation or elevation differences between the first location and the second location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic boundaries of the regions comprise a perimeter around a designated area, and when the user device is determined to be located within the perimeter the user device is permitted to send or receive information related to the designated area, and is not permitted to send or receive information when the user device is determined to be located outside the perimeter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the minimum distance comprises the absolute distance between the first location and a portion of each of the one or more regions, the absolute distance being independent of orientation or elevation differences between the first location and each of the one or more portions.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more wireless network devices to receive location information from at least one or more of the following:

a cellular network, a satellite network, an access point network, or a personal area network.

8. One or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement a method comprising:

determining, using the at least one computer processor, a minimum distance between a first location of a user device and one or more geographic boundaries, the user device receives or sends information related to the geographic boundary when the user device is located within the geographic boundary;

determining a gap distance between the first location and a second location of the user device; and

determining the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the gap distance is greater than or equal to at least one of the minimum distances.

9. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, further comprising:

confirming the second location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receiving or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the second location is confirmed to be within the at least one geographic boundary.

10. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, further comprising:

confirming the second location is outside at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

determining updated minimum distances between the second location and the one or more geographic boundaries;

determining another gap distance between the second location and a third location of the user device;

determining the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when a difference between the other gap distance and at least one of the updated minimum distances is less than or equal to zero;

confirming the third location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the third location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receiving or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the user device is confirmed to be located within the at least one geographic boundary.

11. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, wherein the gap distance comprises a horizontal distance between the first location and the second location.

12. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, wherein each of the minimum distances comprise a horizontal distance between the first location and at least one of the one or more geographic boundaries to the first location.

13. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, wherein the gap distance of each of the minimum distances are determined independent of the orientation between the first location, second location, or the one or more geographic boundaries.

14. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 8, wherein the gap distance and the minimum distances are determined based, at least in part, on information from one or more of the following:

on a cellular network, a satellite network, a personal area network, or an access point network.

15. A device, comprising:

at least one radio;

one or more antennas;

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one computer processor that executes the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the at least one computer processor, a minimum distance between a first location of a user device and one or more geographic boundaries, the user device receives or sends information related to the geographic boundary when the user device is located within the geographic boundary;

determine a gap distance between the first location and a second location of the user device; and

determine the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when a difference between the gap distance and at least one of the minimum distances is less than or equal to zero.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

confirm the second location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receive or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the second location is confirmed to be within the at least one geographic boundary.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

confirm the second location is outside at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

determine updated minimum distances between the second location and the one or more geographic boundaries;

determine another gap distance between the second location and a third location of the user device; and

determine the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when a difference between the other gap distance and at least one of the updated minimum distances is less than or equal to zero;

confirm the third location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the third location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receive or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the user device is confirmed to be located within the at least one geographic boundary.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the gap distance comprises a horizontal distance between the first location and the second location.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein each of the minimum distances comprise a horizontal distance between the first location and each of the nearest points of the one or more geographic boundaries to the first location.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the gap distance the each of the minimum distances are determined independent of the orientation between the first location, second location or geographic boundaries.

21. A method, comprising:

determining, using the at least one computer processor, a minimum distance between a first location of a user device and one or more geographic boundaries, the user device receives or sends information related to the geographic boundary when the user device is located within the geographic boundary;

determining a gap distance between the first location and a second location of the user device; and

determining the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the gap distance is greater than or equal to at least one of the minimum distances.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

confirming the second location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receiving or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the second location is confirmed to be within the at least one geographic boundary.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

confirming the second location is outside at least one of the geographic boundaries when the second location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

determining updated minimum distances between the second location and the one or more geographic boundaries;

determining another gap distance between the second location and a third location of the user device;

determining the second location of the user device is likely within at least one of the geographic boundaries when a difference between the other gap distance and at least one of the updated minimum distances is less than or equal to zero;

confirming the third location is within at least one of the geographic boundaries when the third location is likely within the at least one geographic boundary; and

receiving or sending information assigned to the at least one geographic boundary when the user device is confirmed to be located within the at least one geographic boundary.