Managing use of location-identification services

• US 9,307,514 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Starenky, Victor, Kennberg, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/474,891
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 701/410, 370/311, 370/324, 370/350, 370/338, 342/442, 342/387, 342/394, 342/450
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0252 Radio frequency fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification is embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying a location of a mobile computing device. A first location estimate of a mobile computing device and an accuracy of the first location estimate is determined at a mobile computing device based on wireless signals received from one or more beacons. A time period based on the accuracy of the first location estimate is determined. One or more subsequent location estimates of the mobile computing device and respective accuracies are determined. The determination of the subsequent location estimates is stopped at an end of the time period. A preferred location estimate from the determined location estimates is determined at the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more radios;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by at least some of the processors effectuates operations comprising;

receiving, in the mobile device, a request from an application executing on the mobile device for a geolocation of the mobile device;

after receiving the request, obtaining, based on wireless signals received by at least some of the one or more radios, an initial estimated geolocation of the mobile device and an accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation;

providing the initial estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation to the application;

determining that the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation is less accurate than a threshold accuracy specified by the application;

in response to the determination, configuring one or more geolocation estimation routines;

obtaining, based on wireless signals received by at least some of the one or more radios, with the configured one or more geolocation estimation routines, an updated estimated geolocation of the mobile device and an accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation; and

providing the updated estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation to the application.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more geolocation estimation routines comprises:

obtaining an amount of subsequent times to estimate geolocation.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein obtaining the amount of subsequent times to estimate geolocation comprises:

determining the amount of subsequent times based on the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation, the determination yielding a greater number of times in response to lesser accuracy relative to determinations in response to greater accuracy.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein configuring the one or more geolocation estimation routines comprises:

obtaining a subsequent duration of time over which to estimate geolocation.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein obtaining the subsequent duration of time over which to estimate geolocation comprises:

determining the duration of time based on the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the wireless signals include signals selected from at least two of the following:

satellite navigation signals;

cellular base station signals;

local area network wireless access point signals; and

Bluetooth signals.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the wireless signals encode an identifier of a transmitter and wherein the initial estimated or the updated estimated location is estimated, at least in part, by requesting a geolocation associated with the identifier from a remote server.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the initial estimated or the updated estimated location is estimated, at least in part, based on a wireless beacon signal from a Bluetooth beacon.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining that the accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation satisfies a termination threshold accuracy specified by the application and, in response, ceasing to provide further updated estimated geolocation of the current location of the mobile device to the application.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein providing the updated estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation to the application comprises:

determining that an amount of time specified by the application in the request has elapsed; and

in response to determining that an amount of time specified by the application has elapsed, providing the updated estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation to the application.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

sending a request to a remote server for a venue corresponding to the initial estimated or the updated estimated location; and

receiving from the remote server an identifier of the venue.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

re-determining the location in response to launching of the application.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

re-determining the location in response to the mobile computing device awaking from a sleep state.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

re-determining the location in response to the mobile computing device awaking from a hibernate state.

15. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

re-determining the location in response to the mobile computing device awaking from a state where the screen was turned off.

16. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

sending a request to a remote location server to identify venues based on the initial estimated or the updated estimated location;

receiving a collection of responsive venues; and

displaying at least some of the responsive venues.

17. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

sending instructions to update a social network webpage based on the initial estimated or the updated estimated location.

18. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operation comprise:

requesting personalized content from a remote server based on the initial estimated or the updated estimated location.

19. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

requesting an advertisement from a remote advertisement server;

receiving the advertisement; and

displaying the advertisement.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a mobile device, a request from an application executing on the mobile device for a geolocation of the mobile device;

after receiving the request, obtaining, based on wireless signals received by at least some of one or more radios of the mobile device, an initial estimated geolocation of the mobile device and an accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation;

providing the initial estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation to the application;

determining, with one or more processors of the mobile device, that the accuracy of the initial estimated geolocation is less accurate than a threshold accuracy specified by the application;

in response to the determination, configuring one or more geolocation estimation routines;

obtaining, based on wireless signals received by at least some of the one or more radios, with the configured one or more geolocation estimation routines, an updated

estimated geolocation of the mobile device and an accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation; and

providing the updated estimated geolocation of the mobile device and the accuracy of the updated estimated geolocation to the application.