Operating geographic location systems

• US 9,253,728 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: MacGougan, Glenn Donald, Bruins, Jay N., Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald K., Rhee, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US13/460,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 370/252, 370/331, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, a method includes receiving, on a mobile device, an indication that an application executing on the mobile device has entered a background state, determining, based on data received from a location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has remained within a geographic area during a time interval, the geographic area being defined by a radius determined according to an application type of the application, and disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, on a mobile device, an indication that an application executing on the mobile device has entered a background state;

receiving data stored in association with the application and representing a type of the application executing on the mobile device;

based on the data representing the type of the application executing on the mobile device, selecting a radius chosen from a plurality of radii, wherein the respective sizes of the radii vary based on an associated type of application;

determining, based on data received from a location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has remained within a geographic area during a time interval, the geographic area being defined by the radius chosen from a plurality of radii; and

disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising

receiving an application type from the application executing on the mobile device, and

determining the radius defining the geographic area based on the received application type.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising

determining that the application executing on the mobile device is not assigned an application type applicable to determining the radius defining the geographic area;

and

determining an application type of the application executing on the mobile device based on second data received from the location system of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of acceleration of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of speed of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising

determining, based on data received from the location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has exited a second geographic area, the geographic area being defined by a second radius determined according to an application type of the application;

and

enabling the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising

receiving, on the mobile device, an indication that the application executing on the mobile device has entered a foreground state;

and

enabling the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a wireless mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising

determining, based on an absence of data received by the location system, that the mobile device is in a location of a type other than a type of location associated with the application executing on the mobile device, and

disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device comprises determining an activity of a user of the mobile device based on data indicative of movement patterns of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location system of the mobile device comprises an accelerometer, and the data received from the accelerometer indicates that the device has remained stationary during the time interval.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device while the mobile device is in motion within the geographic area.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the application type represents an activity associated with the application.

14. A system comprising:

a mobile device configured to

receive an indication that an application executing on the mobile device has entered a background state;

receive data stored in association with the application and representing a type of the application executing on the mobile device;

based on the data representing the type of the application executing on the mobile device, select a radius chosen from a plurality of radii, wherein the respective sizes of the radii vary based on an associated type of application;

determine, based on data received from a location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has remained within a geographic area during a time interval, the geographic area being defined by the radius chosen from a plurality of radii; and

disable at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to

receive an application type from the application executing on the mobile device, and

determine the radius defining the geographic area based on the received application type.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to

determine that the application executing on the mobile device is not assigned an application type applicable to determining the radius defining the geographic area;

and

determine an application type of the application executing on the mobile device based on second data received from the location system of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of acceleration of the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of speed of the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to

determine, based on data received from the location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has exited a second geographic area, the geographic area being defined by a second radius determined according to an application type of the application;

and

enable the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to

receive an indication that the application executing on the mobile device has entered a foreground state;

and

enable the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is a wireless mobile device.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is configured to

determine, based on an absence of data received by the location system, that the mobile device is in a location of a type other than a type of location associated with the application executing on the mobile device, and

disable at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device comprises determining an activity of a user of the mobile device based on data indicative of movement patterns of the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the location system of the mobile device comprises an accelerometer, and the data received from the accelerometer indicates that the device has remained stationary during the time interval.

25. A computer program product stored on a storage device and configured to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, on a mobile device, an indication that an application executing on the mobile device has entered a background state;

receiving data stored in association with the application and representing a type of the application executing on the mobile device;

based on the data representing the type of the application executing on the mobile device, selecting a radius chosen from a plurality of radii, wherein the respective sizes of the radii vary based on an associated type of application;

determining, based on data received from a location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has remained within a geographic area during a time interval, the geographic area being defined by the radius chosen from a plurality of radii; and

disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, the operations comprising

receiving an application type from the application executing on the mobile device, and

determining the radius defining the geographic area based on the received application type.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, the operations comprising

determining that the application executing on the mobile device is not assigned an application type applicable to determining the radius defining the geographic area;

and

determining an application type of the application executing on the mobile device based on second data received from the location system of the mobile device.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of acceleration of the mobile device.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the second data received from the location system of the mobile device comprises data indicative of speed of the mobile device.

30. The computer program product of claim 25, the operations comprising

determining, based on data received from the location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has exited a second geographic area, the geographic area being defined by a second radius determined according to an application type of the application;

and

enabling the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

31. The computer program product of claim 25, the operations comprising

receiving, on the mobile device, an indication that the application executing on the mobile device has entered a foreground state;

and

enabling the portion of the location system of the mobile device.

32. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the mobile device is a wireless mobile device.

33. The computer program product of claim 25, the operations comprising

determining, based on an absence of data received by the location system, that the mobile device is in a location of a type other than a type of location associated with the application executing on the mobile device, and

disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

34. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device comprises determining an activity of a user of the mobile device based on data indicative of movement patterns of the mobile device.

35. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the location system of the mobile device comprises an accelerometer, and the data received from the accelerometer indicates that the device has remained stationary during the time interval.