Method and system for determining location of mobile device

• US 9,226,110 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Woo, Geoffrey H., Zhang, Jonathan R., Chang, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/835,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20130260789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 4554561-457, 370/310.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Provided herein are system, methods and computer readable storage media in facilitating the determination of a location of at least one mobile device. In providing such functionality, the system may be configured to, for example, receive contextual data corresponding to a contextual state of a mobile device, determine the location of a mobile device, and transmit the location of the mobile device to at least one other mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a location of at least one mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving mobile device contextual data, wherein receiving the mobile device contextual data comprises at least one of;

receiving mobile device audio data;

receiving mobile device video data;

receiving mobile device velocity data; and

receiving mobile device acceleration data;

determining a velocity and acceleration of the mobile device;

predicting a future location of the mobile device;

determining a new location of the mobile device, wherein determining the new location of the mobile device comprises;

determining the predicted future location of the mobile device has not met an accuracy threshold;

receiving data corresponding to a location of at least one device in communication with the mobile device; and

determining the new location of the mobile device based at least upon the data corresponding to the location of the at least one device in communication with the mobile device; and

transmitting data corresponding to the new location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to maintain an open socket connection with a mobile device locating system with a VoIP protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the new location of the mobile device is based at least in part on the predicted future location of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting a future location of the mobile device further comprises predicting the future location based at least on one Kalman filter and Markov chain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a new location of the mobile device further comprises:

transmitting a signal to the mobile device corresponding to a request for the new location of the mobile device; and

receiving data corresponding to a current location of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a signal from a first mobile device corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the signals corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device; and

determining whether any duplication exists between any of the location requests for any of the at least one other mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to remain in a low powered state while maintaining the open socket connection.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the memory including computer program instructions which when executed, in conjunction with the at least one processor, are configured to cause the apparatus to;

receive mobile device contextual data, wherein the computer program instructions configured to receive the mobile device contextual data includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to at least one of;

receive mobile device audio data;

receive mobile device video data;

receive mobile device velocity data; and

receive mobile device acceleration data;

determine a velocity and acceleration of the mobile device;

predict a future location of the mobile device;

determine a new location of the mobile device, wherein the computer program instructions configured to cause the apparatus to determine the new location of the mobile device includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to;

determine the predicted future location of the mobile device has not met an accuracy threshold;

receive data corresponding to a location of at least one device in communication with the mobile device; and

determine the new location location of the mobile device based at least upon the data corresponding to the location of the at least one device in communication with the mobile device; and

transmit data corresponding to the new location of the mobile device, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to maintain an open socket connection with a mobile device locating system with a VoIP protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the new location of the mobile device is determined based at least in part on the predicted future location of the mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions configured to cause the apparatus to predict a future location of the mobile device includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to predict the future location based at least on one Kalman filter and Markov chain.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions configured to cause the apparatus to determine a new location of the mobile device includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to:

transmit a signal to the mobile device corresponding to a request for the new location of the mobile device; and

receive data corresponding to a current location of the mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to receive a signal from a first mobile device corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the signals corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device; and

determine whether any duplication exists between any of the location requests for any of the at least one other mobile device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to maintain an open socket connection in a low powered state while maintaining the open socket connection.

15. A method for tracking a location of at least one mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving mobile device contextual data, wherein receiving the mobile device contextual data comprises at least one of;

receiving mobile device audio data;

receiving mobile device video data;

receiving mobile device velocity data; and

receiving mobile device acceleration data;

determining a velocity and acceleration of the mobile device;

predicting a future location of the mobile device;

determining a new location of the mobile device, wherein determining the new location of the mobile device comprises;

determining the predicted future location of the mobile device has not met an accuracy threshold;

transmitting a signal to the mobile device corresponding to a request for the new location of the mobile device; and

receiving data corresponding to a current location of the mobile device; and

transmitting data corresponding to the new location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to maintain an open socket connection with a mobile device locating system with a VoIP protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the new location of the mobile device is based at least in part on the predicted future location of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein predicting a future location of the mobile device further comprises predicting the future location based at least on one Kalman filter and Markov chain.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving a signal from a first mobile device corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the signals corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device; and

determining whether any duplication exists between any of the location requests for any of the at least one other mobile device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is configured to remain in a low powered state while maintaining the open socket connection.

21. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, the memory including computer program instructions which when executed, in conjunction with the at least one processor, are configured to cause the apparatus to;

receive mobile device contextual data, wherein the computer program instructions configured to receive the mobile device contextual data includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to at least one of;

receive mobile device audio data;

receive mobile device video data;

receive mobile device velocity data; and

receive mobile device acceleration data;

determine a velocity and acceleration of the mobile device;

predict a future location of the mobile device;

determine a new location of the mobile device, wherein the computer program instructions configured to cause the apparatus to determine the new location of the mobile device includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to;

determine the predicted future location of the mobile device has not met an accuracy threshold;

transmit a signal to the mobile device corresponding to a request for the new location of the mobile device; and

receive data corresponding to a current location of the mobile device; and

transmit data corresponding to the new location of the mobile device, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to maintain an open socket connection with a mobile device locating system with a VoIP protocol.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the new location of the mobile device is determined based at least in part on the predicted future location of the mobile device.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer program instructions configured to cause the apparatus to predict a future location of the mobile device includes the computer program instructions being configured to cause the apparatus to predict the future location based at least on one Kalman filter and Markov chain.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to receive a signal from a first mobile device corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive a plurality of signals from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the signals corresponding to a location request of at least one other mobile device; and

determine whether any duplication exists between any of the location requests for any of the at least one other mobile device.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer program instructions are further configured to cause the apparatus to maintain an open socket connection in a low powered state while maintaining the open socket connection.