Monitoring geospatial context of a mobile device

• US 8,948,784 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Inventors: Chan, Mandy, Wright, Andrew S., Featherstone, Peter A., Geyer, John J., Williams, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US14/021,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, methods and interfaces are disclosed for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device. Mobile communication devices process environmental inputs and transmit mobile communication device context information to a communication management system. The context information may, for example, reflect the motion and/or geographic location of the mobile device, and may reflect the risk associated with using the device to handle a call or other communications session. The communication management system uses the context information, optionally in combination with communication device profiles, to determine how to manage incoming and/or ongoing calls or other communication sessions. Mobile device users may also be inhibited from initiating communication sessions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of assessing whether a mobile device is in a geospatial area, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone;

causing storage of the representation of the non-circular geospatial zone in a memory of the mobile device;

determining, based at least in part on the non-circular geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the non-circular geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a maximum radius;

determining, based at least in part on the non-circular geospatial zone, an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the non-circular geospatial zone, wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a minimum radius;

computing a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the computed current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilizing the non-circular geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

computing an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determining that the mobile device is within the geospatial zone.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, where no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the geospatial zone.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

computing an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determining that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the non-circular geospatial zone.

6. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1, wherein management of requests for communication including the mobile device is defined in terms of a transmitted context state.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on sensor-based location data of the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the sensor-based location data corresponds to global positioning system data.

9. A system comprising:

a data store including a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone;

a processor associated with a mobile device and configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

retrieve the representation of the non-circular geospatial zone;

determine, based at least in part on the non-circular geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the non-circular geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a maximum radius;

determine based at least in part on the non-circular geospatial zone, an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the non-circular geospatial zone, wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a minimum radius;

compute a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone;

in response to a determination that the current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilize the non-circular geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

10. The system claim 9, wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on sensor-based location data of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor-based location data corresponds to location data previously associated with a known location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the known location is a wireless node, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

detect a signal from a transmitter, wherein the signal includes a transmitter identifier; and

recall previously stored location information according to the transmitter identifier; and

wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on the previously stored location information.

13. The system claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determine that the mobile device is within the non-circular geospatial zone.

14. The system claim 13, where no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the non-circular geospatial zone.

15. The system claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determine that the mobile device is outside of the non-circular geospatial zone.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising transmitting a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the non-circular geospatial zone.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to modify a length of time until the mobile device reassesses whether it is located in the non-circular geospatial zone, and wherein the length of time is based at least partially on the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein said mobile device is associated with a bearing and a velocity and wherein the length of time is further based at least partially upon a determination, based on the bearing and velocity, of whether a future position associated with the mobile device will intersect an outer boundary of the non-circular geospatial zone.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising:

first computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to receive a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone and to maintain within a memory of the mobile device the representation of the non-circular geospatial zone;

second computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to determine, based at least in part on the non-circular geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the non-circular geospatial zone and an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the non-circular geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a maximum radius, and wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and a minimum radius; and

third computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to compute a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone and, in response to a determination that the current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilize the non-circular geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determine that the mobile device is within the non-circular geospatial zone.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 20, wherein no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the non-circular geospatial zone.

22. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determine that the mobile device is outside of the non-circular geospatial zone.

23. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 22, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to transmit a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the non-circular geospatial zone.

24. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to modify a length of time until the mobile device reassesses whether it is located in the non-circular geospatial zone, and wherein the length of time is based at least partially on the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the non-circular geospatial zone.