Method for constructing geo-fences for a spatial recommendation and discovery system

• US 8,924,147 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Vellaikal, Asha, Akinchan, Anant, Geller, Chai
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US13/538,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701400-541
• US Class Current: 701/426
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system, method, device, computer program, user interface, and apparatus to associate an object of interest of a map in a location database with a geo-fence. The method includes selecting a first time interval; selecting a mode of transportation; determining terrestrial routes starting from the object of interest; for each determined terrestrial route, determining an end point that can be reach on the terrestrial route within the first time interval using the selected mode of transportation; and storing a geo-fence for the first time interval and mode of transportation in associating with the determined end points.

Claims

1. A method to associate an object of interest in a location database with a geo-fence, said method comprising:

a) selecting a first time interval;

b) selecting a mode of transportation;

c) determining terrestrial routes starting from the object of interest placed on a map;

d) for each determined terrestrial route, determining an end point that can be reach on said terrestrial route within the first time interval using the selected mode of transportation; and

e) storing in the location database a geo-fence for the object of interest in association with the first time interval, the mode of transportation and the determined end points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object of interest is a location enabled user equipment, the act b) further comprising:

b1) capturing location information from the user equipment;

b2) determining the mode of transportation based on the captured location information.

3. The method claim of claim 2, the first time interval being a window time provided through the user equipment, the method further comprising for the duration of the time window:

f) determining the user equipment current location using the location information; and

g) repeating acts b1, c) to e) using the time left from the window time as the first time interval.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the act of:

c1) determining a direction of travel for the user equipment based on the captured location information;

the act d) further comprising the act;

d1) discarding the terrestrial routes that do not match the determined direction within a confidence test.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the object of interest, the first time interval and the mode of transportation is selected from a user equipment, the method further comprising after the act of storing a geo-fence determined according to acts c) and d) using the first interval, mode of transportation and object of interest, a further act of:

f) rendering the geo-fence on a GUI of the user equipment.

6. A location server to associate an object of interest in a location database with a geo-fence, location server being configured to:

a) select a first time interval;

b) select a mode of transportation;

c) determine terrestrial routes starting from the object of interest placed on a map;

d) for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reach on said terrestrial route within the first time interval using the selected mode of transportation; and

e) store a geo-fence for the first time interval and mode of transportation in associating with the determined end points.

7. The location server of claim 6, wherein the object of interest is a location enabled user equipment, the server being further configured to:

b1) capture location information from the user equipment; and

b2) determine the mode of transportation based on the captured location information.

8. The location server of claim 7, the first time interval being a window time provided through the user equipment, the server being further configured to, for the duration of the time window:

f) determine the user equipment current location using the location information; and

g) repeat b1, c) to e) using the time left from the window time as the first time interval.

9. The location server of claim 8, further configured to:

c1) determine a direction of travel for the user equipment based on the captured location information; and

d1) discard the terrestrial routes that do not match the determined direction within a confidence test.

10. The location server of claim 6, wherein at least one of the object of interest, the first time interval and the mode of transportation is selected from a user equipment, the server being further arranged to:

f) determine a geo-fence according to c) and d) using the first interval, mode of transportation and object of interest, a further act of;

g) render the geo-fence on a GUI of the user equipment.

11. A computer readable non-transitory memory medium comprising a computer program stored thereon and being configured to associate an object of interest in a location database with a geo-fence, the computer program comprising instructions to:

a) select a first time interval;

b) select a mode of transportation;

c) determine terrestrial routes starting from the object of interest placed on a map;

d) for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reach on said terrestrial route within the first time interval using the selected mode of transportation; and

e) store a geo-fence for the first time interval and mode of transportation in associating with the determined end points.

12. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the object of interest is a location enabled user equipment, the computer program comprising further instructions to:

b1) capture location information from the user equipment; and

b2) determine the mode of transportation based on the captured location information.

13. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 12, the first time interval being a window time provided through the user equipment, the computer program comprising further instructions to:

f) determine the user equipment current location using the location information; and

g) repeat instructions b1, c) to e) using the time left from the window time as the first time interval.

14. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 13, the computer program comprising further instructions to:

c1) determine a direction of travel for the user equipment based on the captured location information; and

d1) discard the terrestrial routes that do not match the determined direction within a confidence test.

15. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, the computer program further comprising instructions to receive at least one of the object of interest, the first time interval and the mode of transportation from a user equipment, the computer program further comprising instructions to:

f) determine a geo-fence according to c) and d) using the first interval, mode of transportation and object of interest, a further act of;

g) render the geo-fence on a GUI of the user equipment.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a location enabled user equipment for providing location information to the location server;

the location server being further configured to;

b1) capture the location information from the user equipment; and

b2) determining the mode of transportation based on the captured location information.

16. A system comprising:

a location database; and

a location server to associate an object of interest in a location database with a geo-fence, location server being configured to;

a) select a first time interval;

b) select a mode of transportation;

c) determine terrestrial routes starting from the object of interest placed on a map;

d) for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reach on said terrestrial route within the first time interval using the selected mode of transportation; and

e) store a geo-fence for the first time interval and mode of transportation in associating with the determined end points.