Multi-tiered detection of a geofence

• US 9,363,637 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald K., Grainger, Morgan, Dere, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Loo, Juvena
• Application Number:
  US14/673,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2628 using code-division multiple access [CDMA] or spread spectrum multiple access [SSMA] H04B7/2618 takes precedence
• 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 60/02 by periodical registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for multi-tier detection of a geofence are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can be configured to perform a task when the mobile device enters a geographic region. The mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tiered approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using a CDMA system identifier, a CDMA network identifier, a CDMA zone identifier, or a CDMA base station identifier, in that order, as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. The baseband subsystem can notify an application subsystem when the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region. The application subsystem can perform the task upon notification.

Claims

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

receiving a request to perform a task, the request specifying that the mobile device shall perform the task when the mobile device is located in a specified geographic region;

determining whether the geographic region intersects a current country in which the mobile device is located, including determining whether the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country;

upon determining that the geographic region intersects the current country, registering a first identifier for monitoring a location of the mobile device, the first identifier being an identifier used in a mobile data communications network with which the mobile device is configured to communicate, the first identifier being associated with a first location that intersects the specified geographic region;

determining that the mobile device is inside of the first location upon detecting the first identifier;

upon determining that the mobile device is inside of the first location, registering a second identifier for monitoring the location of the mobile device, the second identifier being associated with a second location that intersects the specified geographic region, the second location being inside the first location and having finer granularity than that of the first location, wherein the second identifier is used in the mobile data communications network and is different from the first identifier; and

performing the task upon detecting the second identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier includes at least one of a system identifier, a network identifier, or a zone identifier of the mobile data communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second identifier includes a base station identifier of the mobile data communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more polygons corresponding to the current country include a bounding box of the current country.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bounding box of the current country includes a convex hull of the current country.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the first identifier and the second identifier includes storing the respective identifiers in a baseband subsystem of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes determining a current location of the mobile device, including invoking an application program that triangulates the current location based on locations of one or more wireless access gateways, the application program executing in an application subsystem of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless access gateways include wireless access points of a wireless local area network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the task includes causing, by a baseband subsystem of the mobile device, an application subsystem to invoke an application program.

10. A mobile device configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task, the request specifying that the mobile device shall perform the task when the mobile device is located in a specified geographic region;

determining whether the geographic region intersects a current country in which the mobile device is located, including determining whether the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country;

upon determining that the geographic region intersects the current country, registering a first identifier for monitoring a location of the mobile device, the first identifier being an identifier used in a mobile data communications network with which the mobile device is configured to communicate, the first identifier being associated with a first location that intersects the specified geographic region;

determining that the mobile device is inside of the first location upon detecting the first identifier;

upon determining that the mobile device is inside of the first location registering a second identifier for monitoring the location of the mobile device, the second identifier being associated with a second location that intersects the specified geographic region, the second location being inside the first location and having finer granularity than that of the first location, wherein the second identifier is used in the mobile data communications network and is different from the first identifier; and

performing the task upon detecting the second identifier.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the first identifier includes at least one of a system identifier, a network identifier, or a zone identifier of the mobile data communications network.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the second identifier includes a base station identifier of the mobile data communications network.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein registering the first identifier and the second identifier includes storing the first identifier and the second identifier in a baseband subsystem of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein performing the task includes causing, by a baseband subsystem of the mobile device, an application subsystem to invoke an application program.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory storage device storing instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request from a mobile device, the request indicating that a task is to be triggered upon entry into a specified geographic region by the mobile device;

determining a country in which the geographic region is located, wherein determining the country includes determining a country code of the country and a bounding box of the country, the bounding box being defined by extreme geographical points of the country;

determining a first identifier for monitoring location of the mobile device, the first identifier being associated with a first location that intersects the specified geographic region, wherein the first location is determined using historical data, and the first identifier is an identifier used in a mobile data communications network with which the mobile device is configured to communicate;

determining a second identifier for monitoring location of the mobile device, the second identifier being associated with a second location that intersects the specified geographic region, the second location being inside of the first location and having finer granularity than that of the first location, wherein the second identifier is used in the mobile data communications network and is different from the first identifier; and

providing geographic coordinates of the bounding box, the country code, the first identifier, and the second identifier to the mobile device in response to the request.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first identifier includes at least one of a system identifier, a network identifier, or a zone identifier; and

the second identifier includes a base station identifier.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the extreme geographical points of the country includes at least one of a easternmost point of the country, a westernmost point of the country, a northernmost point of the country, or a southernmost point of the country.

18. The system of claim 17, the operations further comprising determining the first location and second location based on the first identifier and the second identifier from a plurality of location-aware mobile devices and a location of each location-aware mobile device, each location being transmitted in association with a respective first identifier and second identifier by a location-aware mobile device to the one or more processors.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the bounding box of the country includes one or more convex hulls of the country.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the historical data includes historical locations associated with the first identifier provided by one or more location-aware mobile devices.