Location tracking for mobile computing device

• US 9,097,544 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Dhanani, Adil, Srivastava, Neeta, Kumar, Nitin, Paulson, Janell, Fong, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/770,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.25, 342/357.46, 342/357.74, 342/419, 342/442, 342/451, 342/458, 342/465, 342/357.2, 701/465, 701/468
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0205 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A mobile computing device is disclosed. The mobile computing device includes a location determination circuit and a processing circuit. The processing circuit determines a current location of the mobile computing device and a destination location. The processing circuit determines an expected travel time from the current location to the destination location, and disables continuous location tracking for a duration of time. The duration is determined based on the expected travel time. Once the duration of time has elapsed, the processing circuit enables continuous location tracking.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

a location determination circuit; and

a processing circuit, coupled to the location determination circuit, to;

determine a current location of the mobile computing device and a destination location;

determine an expected travel time from the current location to the destination location;

disable continuous location tracking for a duration of time, the duration of time being determined based on the expected travel time;

once the duration of time has elapsed, enable continuous location tracking; and

generate a notification message in response to the processing circuit determining that the current location of the mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance of the destination location.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit determines that the current location of the mobile computing device is within the predetermined distance of the destination location by comparing a first latitude and a first longitude of the current location with a second latitude and a second longitude of the destination location.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the duration of time is equal to the expected travel time.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the duration of time is set to a fraction of the expected travel time.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit disables continuous location tracking for the duration of time in response to determining that the mobile computing device has begun moving toward the destination location.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit disables continuous location tracking by turning off a global positioning system (GPS) tracking function.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile computing device, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a current location of the mobile computing device and a destination location;

determine an expected travel time from the current location to the destination location;

disable continuous location tracking for a duration of time, the duration of time being determined based on the expected travel time;

once the duration of time has elapsed, enable continuous location tracking; and

generate a notification message in response to determining that the current location of the mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance of the destination location.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine that the current location of the mobile computing device is within the predetermined distance of the destination location by comparing a first latitude and a first longitude of the current location with a second latitude and a second longitude of the destination location.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the duration of time is equal to the expected travel time.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the duration of time is set to a fraction of the expected travel time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to disable continuous location tracking for the duration of time in response to determining that the mobile computing device has begun moving toward the destination location.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to disable continuous location tracking by turning off a global positioning system (GPS) tracking function.

13. A method of operating a mobile computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:

determining a current location of the mobile computing device and a destination location;

determining an expected travel time from the current location to the destination location;

disabling continuous location tracking for a duration of time, the duration of time being determined based on the expected travel time;

once the duration of time has elapsed, enabling continuous location tracking; and

generating a notification message in response to determining that the current location of the mobile computing device is within a predetermined distance of the destination location.