Clustering geofence-based alerts for mobile devices

• US 9,049,555 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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:
  US14/329,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/456, 709/242, 709/238, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 to provide combined alert notifications, comprising:

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a relationship among two or more points of interest;

associating, by the one or more computing devices, the two or more points of interest in response to determining the relationship among the two or more of the points of interest;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a geofence boundary of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary comprises a defined region between a user computing device and the two or more associated points of interest, the user computing device being separate and distinct from the one or more computing devices;

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, geofence boundary data to the user computing device for the geofence boundary;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the user computing device has entered the geofence boundary; and

providing, by the one or more computing devices and in response to determining that the user device has entered the geofence boundary encompassing the two or more points of interest, a combined alert on the user computing device regarding the associated points of interest when the user device is determined to be in the geofence boundary.

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, wherein determining that the user device has entered the geofence boundary comprises receiving an indication from the user device that the user device has entered the geofence boundary.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a planned route or destination from the user computing device.

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

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

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;

associate two or more points of interest;

determine a geofence boundary of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary comprises a defined region between a user computing device and the two or more associated points of interest, the user computing device being separate and distinct from the one or more computing devices;

communicate geofence boundary data to the user computing device for the geofence boundary encompassing the two or more associated points of interest;

determine that the user device has crossed the geofence boundary; and

,

provide, in response to determining that the user device has entered the geofence boundary encompassing the two or more points of interest, a combined alert on the user computing device regarding one or more of the associated points of interest when the user device is determined to be in the geofence boundary.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining that the user device has crossed the geofence boundary comprises receiving an indication from the user device that the user device as crossed the geofence boundary.

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

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the two or more points of interest are affiliated with a central location.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the defined region of the geofence boundary comprises a defined length.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the defined region of the geofence boundary further comprises a defined width.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

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

computer-executable program instructions to determine a relationship among two or more points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions to associate the two or more points of interest in response to determining the relationship among the two or more of the points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions to determine a geofence boundary of a geofence, wherein the geofence boundary comprises a defined region between a user computing device and the two or more associated points of interest, the user computing device being separate and distinct from the one or more computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to communicate geofence boundary data to the user computing device for the geofence boundary encompassing the two or more associated points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions to determine that the user device has entered the geofence boundary; and

,

computer-executable program instructions to provide, in response to determining that the user device has entered the geofence boundary encompassing the two or more points of interest, a combined alert on the user computing device regarding one or more of the associated points of interest when the user device has entered the geofence boundary.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining that the user device has entered the geofence boundary comprises receiving an indication from the user device that the user device as entered the geofence boundary.

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

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

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

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising receiving a planned route or destination of the user computing device, wherein the two or more points of interest are associated based on a relationship with the planned route or destination.