Geofences based on RF fingerprints

• US 9,386,415 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Xintian, Ische, Marc Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US14/056,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/554.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02526 using non-dedicated equipment, e.g. user equipment or crowd-sourcing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems, apparatus and methods in a mobile device for creating and/or using a geofence are presented. When creating a geofence, a mobile device collects at least one RF fingerprint. Each RF fingerprint includes transmitter information from a plurality of transmitters. The transmitter information includes information identifying the transmitter (e.g., location or MAC address of the transmitter) referred to here as absolute information. The transmitter information may also include information indication a relative position of the mobile device with respect to the transmitter (e.g., RTT or RSSI) referred to here as relative information. The RF fingerprints are used to define a geofence. Granularity may further be used to define a geofence. A first mobile device creates the geofence and sends it to a second mobile device, which looks for the geofence. When using the geofence, a second mobile device may trigger an application when a breach of the geofence is detected.

Claims

1. A method in a first mobile device for communicating a geofence from the first mobile device, the method comprising:

defining a geofence with reference to absolute information for a plurality of transmitters that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters; and

sending the absolute information for the plurality of transmitters from the first mobile device to enable a second mobile device to determine a breach of the geofence by the second mobile device, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not sent with the absolute information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the geofence with further reference to the relative information; and

sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the relative information comprises distance information between the first mobile device and the plurality of transmitters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device comprises sending the relative information from the first mobile device to a location server for inclusion in assistance data sent to the second mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

sending the absolute information from the first mobile device comprises sending the absolute information from the first mobile device via a first path; and

sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device comprises sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via a second path different from the first path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geofence defines multiple disjointed areas.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to absolute information from the plurality of transmitters around at least one closed path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to absolute information from the plurality of transmitters along at least one open-loop path.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute information comprises a granularity value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the granularity value is any one of:

a city granularity;

a block granularity;

a building granularity;

a room granularity;

an arm granularity; and

a thumb granularity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute information comprises an NFC identifier (near-field communication identifier).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute information comprises information to uniquely identify each of the plurality of transmitters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the absolute information comprises a location of each of the plurality of transmitters.

14. A first mobile device for communicating a geofence, the first mobile device comprising:

a modem comprising a GNSS receiver and a WWAN transceiver;

an application processor coupled to the modem and comprising a user application;

a WLAN transceiver coupled to the application processor; and

memory comprising code, when executed on the application processor, to;

define a geofence with reference to absolute information for a plurality of transmitters that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters, the absolute information collected via at least one of the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver; and

send the absolute information for the plurality of transmitters through one of the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver of the first mobile device to enable a second mobile device to determine a breach of the geofence by the second mobile device, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not sent with the absolute information.

15. The first mobile device of claim 14, wherein the memory further comprises code to:

define the geofence with further reference to the relative information; and

send the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

16. A first mobile device for communicating a geofence, the first mobile device comprising:

means for defining a geofence with reference to absolute information for a plurality of transmitters that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters; and

means for sending the absolute information for the plurality of transmitters from the first mobile device to enable a second mobile device to determine a breach of the geofence by the second mobile device, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not sent with the absolute information.

17. The first mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

means for defining the geofence with further reference to the relative information; and

means for sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

18. The first mobile device of claim 16, wherein:

the means for sending the absolute information from the first mobile device comprises means for sending the absolute information from the first mobile device via a first path; and

the means for sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device comprises means for sending the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via a second path different from the first path.

19. The first mobile device of claim 16, wherein the absolute information comprises a granularity value.

20. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon for communicating a geofence from a first mobile device, comprising program code to:

define a geofence with reference to absolute information for a plurality of transmitters that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters; and

send the absolute information for the plurality of transmitters from the first mobile device to enable a second mobile device to determine a breach of the geofence by the second mobile device, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not sent with the absolute information.

21. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising program code to:

define the geofence with further reference to the relative information; and

send the relative information from the first mobile device to the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

22. A method in a second mobile device for using a geofence communicated by a first mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving absolute information for a plurality of transmitters, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to the absolute information that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not received with the absolute information;

determining if a breach of the geofence has occurred using the absolute information; and

waking an application in the second mobile device based on the breach occurring.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the geofence is further defined with reference to the relative information, the method further comprising:

receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device comprises receiving the relative information from a location server in assistance data from the location server.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein:

receiving the absolute information from the first mobile device comprises receiving the absolute information from the first mobile device via a first path; and

receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device comprises receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device via a second path different from the first path.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the absolute information comprises a granularity value.

27. A second mobile device for using a geofence communicated by a first mobile device, the second mobile device comprising:

a modem comprising a GNSS receiver and a WWAN transceiver;

an application processor coupled to the modem and comprising a user application;

a WLAN transceiver coupled to the application processor; and

memory comprising code, when executed on the application processor, to;

receive absolute information for a plurality of transmitters, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to the absolute information that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters, through one of the WWAN transceiver and the WLAN transceiver of the second mobile device, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not received with the absolute information;

determine if a breach of the geofence has occurred using the absolute information; and

wake an application in the application processor of the second mobile device based on the breach occurring.

28. The second mobile device of claim 27, wherein the geofence is further defined with reference to the relative information and wherein the memory further comprises code to

receive the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

29. The second mobile device of claim 28, wherein the code to:

receive the absolute information from the first mobile device comprises code to receive the absolute information from the first mobile device via a first path; and

receive the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device comprises code to receive the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device via a second path different from the first path.

30. A second mobile device for using a geofence communicated by a first mobile device, the second mobile device comprising:

means for receiving absolute information for a plurality of transmitters, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to the absolute information that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not received with the absolute information;

means for determining if a breach of the geofence has occurred using the absolute information; and

means for waking an application in the second mobile device based on the breach occurring.

31. The second mobile device of claim 30, wherein the geofence is further defined with reference to the relative information and further comprising

means for receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.

32. The second mobile device of claim 31, wherein:

the means for receiving the absolute information from the first mobile device receives the absolute information from the first mobile device via a first path; and

the means for receiving the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device receives the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device via a second path different from the first path.

33. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium including program code stored thereon for a second mobile device to use a geofence communicated by a first mobile device, comprising program code to:

receive absolute information for a plurality of transmitters, wherein the geofence is defined with reference to the absolute information that uniquely identifies the plurality of transmitters, wherein relative information that describes relationships between the plurality of transmitters and the first mobile device is not received with the absolute information;

determine if a breach of the geofence has occurred using the absolute information; and

wake an application in the second mobile device based on the breach occurring.

34. The non-transient computer-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the geofence is further defined with reference to the relative information and wherein the program code further comprises program code to:

receive the relative information from the first mobile device at the second mobile device separately from the absolute information.