Location-based application program management

• US 9,210,529 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald Keryuan, Grainger, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US14/137,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20140113613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for location-based application program management are described. A mobile device can receive a first application program to be executed in an application subsystem. The first application program can be configured to be invoked or notified when the mobile device is located at a defined location. The mobile device can register the first application program to a second application program that executes in a baseband subsystem. The mobile device can set the application subsystem to a power-saving operating mode. The second application program can monitor a current location of the mobile device. When the mobile device is currently located at the defined location, the second application program can set the application subsystem to an active operating mode, and invoke the first application program.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving, on the mobile device, a request for configuring a geographic region, the geographic region being associated with an application program of an application subsystem of the mobile device to be invoked when the mobile device determines that it has entered into the geographic region;

in response to the request, configuring the geographic region through an application programming interface, the configuring including specifying one or more first call parameters according to a first calling convention defined by the application programming interface, where at least one first call parameter specifies a center of the geographic region;

in response to configuring the geographic region, registering, on the mobile device, identifiers corresponding to one or more wireless access gateways with a location monitoring program on the mobile device;

in response to registering the identifiers, placing, by the mobile device, the application program in a standby mode and suspending components of the application subsystem;

monitoring, using a baseband subsystem of the mobile device and the location monitoring program, a current location of the mobile device with respect to the one or more wireless access gateways, the location monitoring program includes comparing the registered identifiers of the one or more wireless access gateways with a location of the mobile device via the baseband subsystem of the mobile device;

in response to the monitoring, determining, based upon the comparing the registered identifiers of the one or more wireless access gateways with a location of the mobile device via the baseband subsystem of the mobile device, that the mobile device has entered the geographic region;

in response to the determining that the mobile device has entered the geographic region, notifying the application subsystem, by the location monitoring program on the mobile device, that the application program is to be invoked; and

in response to notifying the application subsystem, invoking the application program by moving the application program from the standby mode to an active mode on the mobile device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the center is a centroid of the geographic region.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one first call parameter specifies a radius of the geographic region.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining that the mobile device has entered the geographic region includes determining that a current distance between the mobile device and the center is smaller than the radius.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one first call parameter specifies a description of the geographic region.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein configuring the geographic region further includes determining a monitoring threshold, including specifying at least one second call parameters according to a second calling convention defined by the application programming interface, where at least one second call parameter specifies a monitoring range of the mobile device.

7. A computer implemented method performed on a mobile device, comprising:

receiving, on the mobile device, a request for invoking an application program with an application subsystem on the mobile device, the request specifying that the application program is to be invoked by activated the application program from a standby mode to an active mode when the mobile device at least partially crosses a boundary into a geographic region;

responsive to the request, monitoring, with a baseband subsystem and a location monitoring program on the mobile device, a location of the mobile device through an application programming interface, the application program being in the standby mode during the monitoring, the monitoring including;

specifying one or more first call parameters according to a first calling convention defined by the application programming interface, where at least one first call parameter specifies the geographic region;

comparing identifiers of one or more wireless access gateways registered on the mobile device with a location of the mobile device via the baseband subsystem of the mobile device;

in response to the comparing, determining whether the mobile device has entered the geographic region;

in response to determining that the mobile device has entered the geographic region, notifying the application subsystem, by the location monitoring program on the mobile device, that the application is to be invoked; and

invoking the application program on the mobile device by moving the application program from the standby mode to the active mode through the application programming interface according to a second calling convention defined by the application programming interface, including specifying one or more second call parameters, where at least one second call parameter specifies the geographic region.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein at least one first call parameter specifies a tolerance distance, the mobile device crossing the boundary into the geographic region if the mobile device is at least the tolerance distance deep into the geographic region.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the mobile device has entered the geographic region includes determining whether the mobile device has entered the geographic region through the application programming interface, including specifying one or more third call parameters according to a third calling convention defined by the application programming interface, wherein at least one third call parameter specifies coordinates of a current location of the mobile device.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request for terminating the application program on the mobile device upon detecting that the mobile device has exited the geographic region;

responsive to the request for terminating the application, monitoring a further location of the mobile device through the application programming interface, the monitoring including specifying one or more fourth call parameters according to a fourth calling convention defined by the API, where at least one fourth call parameter specifies the geographic region; and

upon detecting that the mobile device has exited the geographic region based on the monitoring, terminating the application program on the mobile device.

11. A system comprising:

a mobile device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, on the mobile device, a request for configuring a geographic region, the geographic region being associated with an application program of an application subsystem of the mobile device to be invoked when the mobile device determines that it has entered into the geographic region;

in response to the request, configuring the geographic region through an application programming interface, the configuring including specifying one or more first call parameters according to a first calling convention defined by the application programming interface, where at least one first call parameter specifies a center of the geographic region;

in response to configuring the geographic region, registering, on the mobile device, identifiers corresponding to one or more wireless access gateways with a location monitoring program on the mobile device;

in response to registering the identifiers, placing, by the mobile device, the application program in a standby mode and suspending components of the application subsystem;

monitoring, using a baseband subsystem of the mobile device and the location monitoring program, a current location of the mobile device with respect to the one or more wireless access gateways, the location monitoring program includes comparing the registered identifiers of the one or more wireless access gateways with a location of the mobile device via the baseband subsystem of the mobile device;

in response to the monitoring, determining, based upon registered identifiers of the one or more wireless access gateways with a location of the mobile device via the baseband subsystem of the mobile device, that the mobile device has entered the geographic region;

in response to the determining that the mobile device has entered the geographic region, notifying the application subsystem, by the location monitoring program on the mobile device, that the application program is to be invoked; and

in response to notifying the application subsystem, invoking the application program by moving the application program from the standby mode to an active mode on the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the center is a centroid of the geographic region.