Sending geofence-related heuristics to multiple separate hardware components of mobile devices

• US 9,363,636 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ganesh, Jaikumar, Kadous, Mohammed Waleed, Sun, Zhentao, Tu, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US14/019,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/404.2, 455/456.3, 455/404.1, 340/989, 340/992, 340/993
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are directed to geofencing-related heuristics for computing devices. A computing device with a plurality of sensors can receive a plurality of heuristics. Each heuristic can be configured to generate command(s) for the sensors based on one or more heuristic inputs. The heuristic input(s) can include an input related to a geofence. The computing device can receive a plurality of signals from the sensors. The computing device can determine, based on the plurality of signals, an activity class for the computing device. The activity class can specify an activity associated with the computing device. The computing device can select a heuristic from the plurality of heuristics at least based on the activity class. The computing device can execute the selected heuristic to generate the command(s) for the sensors.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of heuristics at a computing device having a plurality of sensors that include a location sensor and a network-signal receiver, wherein each heuristic of the plurality of heuristics is configured to receive one or more heuristic inputs;

receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors of the computing device;

determining, based on the plurality of signals, an activity class using the computing device, wherein the activity class specifies an activity associated with the computing device;

selecting a heuristic from the plurality of heuristics at least based on the activity class using the computing device; and

executing, by the computing device, the selected heuristic to generate one or more commands to one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors using the one or more heuristic inputs, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs comprise an input related to a geofence and one or more signal-strength values associated with the computing device received as input from the network-signal receiver, wherein the one or more commands comprise a command to deactivate the location sensor, and wherein the selected heuristic determines an output specifying a frequency for determining a location of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected heuristic further determines an output specifying an accuracy of a sensor used to in determining the location of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs further comprise one or more locations associated with the computing device received as input from the location sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs comprise one or more locations associated with the computing device, and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining the activity class for the computing device based on the one or more locations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs further comprise one or more velocities associated with the computing device, and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining the activity class for the computing device based on the one or more locations and the one or more velocities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more locations associated with the computing device comprise a first location and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining that the activity class for the computing device is a stationary activity class when each of one or more locations differs from the first location by less than a first predetermined distance for at least a first duration of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the activity class for the computing device further comprises determining that the activity class for the computing device is a walking activity class when at least some of one or more locations differ from the first location by more than the first predetermined distance but less than a second predetermined distance during at least the first duration of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the selected heuristic to generate the one or more commands to the one or more sensors comprises:

determining whether the activity class is the stationary activity class; and

after determining that the activity class is the stationary activity class, generating the command to deactivate the location sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein executing the selected heuristic to generate the one or more commands to the one or more sensors comprises:

determining whether the activity class is the walking activity class; and

after determining that the activity class is the walking activity class, generating a command to activate the location sensor.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more velocities associated with the computing device comprise a first velocity and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining that the activity class for the computing device is a stationary activity class when an absolute value of each of the one or more velocities is less than a first predetermined velocity for at least a first duration of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining that the activity class for the computing device is a walking activity class when at least one of the one or more velocities is greater than the first predetermined velocity and less than a second predetermined velocity during the first duration of time and wherein the second predetermined velocity exceeds the first predetermined velocity.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, comprising a location sensor and a network-signal receiver;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving a plurality of heuristics, wherein each heuristic of the plurality of heuristics is configured to generate one or more commands to receive one or more heuristic inputs,

receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors,

determining, based on the plurality of signals, an activity class, wherein the activity class specifies an activity associated with the computing device,

selecting a heuristic from the plurality of heuristics at least based on the activity class, and

executing the selected heuristic to generate one or more commands to one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors using the one or more heuristic inputs, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs comprise an input related to a geofence and one or more signal-strength values associated with the computing device received as input from the network-signal receiver, wherein the one or more commands comprise a command to deactivate the location sensor, and wherein the selected heuristic determines an output specifying a frequency for determining a location of the computing device.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs further comprise one or more locations associated with the computing device received as input from the location sensor.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining the activity class for the computing device based on the one or more locations.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the one or more locations associated with the computing device comprise a first location and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining that the activity class for the computing device is a stationary activity class when each of one or more locations differs from the first location by less than a first predetermined distance for at least a first duration of time.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein executing the selected heuristic to generate the one or more commands to the one or more sensors comprises:

determining whether the activity class is the stationary activity class; and

after determining that the activity class is the stationary activity class, generating the command to deactivate the location sensor.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the processor comprises an application processor and a baseband processor, wherein the application processor is configured to execute at least a geofencing application, wherein the baseband processor is configured to manage the plurality of sensors, and wherein executing the selected heuristic to generate the one or more commands to the one or more sensors comprises executing the selected heuristic using the baseband processor.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein executing the selected heuristic to generate the one or more commands to the one or more sensors comprises executing the selected heuristic for the geofencing application using the application processor.

19. An apparatus, including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a computing device, cause the apparatus to perform functions comprising:

receiving a plurality of heuristics, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of sensors that include a location sensor and a network-signal receiver, wherein each heuristic of the plurality of heuristics is configured to receive one or more heuristic inputs;

receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of sensors;

determining, based on the plurality of signals, an activity class, wherein the activity class specifies an activity associated with the apparatus;

selecting a heuristic from the plurality of heuristics at least based on the activity class; and

executing the selected heuristic to generate one or more commands to one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors using the one or more heuristic inputs, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs comprise an input related to a geofence and one or more signal-strength values associated with the computing device received as input from the network-signal receiver, wherein the one or more commands comprise a command to deactivate the location sensor, and wherein the selected heuristic determines an output specifying a frequency for determining a location of the computing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more heuristic inputs comprise one or more locations associated with the computing device received as input from the location sensor, and wherein determining the activity class for the computing device comprises determining the activity class for the computing device based on the one or more locations.