Enhanced system and method for mobile device-based geo-fencing solutions

• US 9,473,890 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nair, Riya B, Liu, Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Sivji, Nizar
• Application Number:
  US14/869,211
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, wireless device and computer program product provides geo-fence based services in a wireless communications network. The wireless device (i) determines a current location; (ii) retrieves first settings of a first geo-fence; (iii) implements a geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the first geo-fence; and (iv) in response to determining that the current location is not within the first geo-fence: (a) accesses data associated with one of an activity at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence; (b) associates with the first geo-fence at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence; (c) expands the first settings of the first geo-fence to second settings to include the at least one past location; and (d) implements the geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the first geo-fence based on the second settings.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a current location of a wireless device;

retrieving, from a memory, first settings of a first geo-fence, wherein the first settings of the first geo-fence comprise a geographic location and a default radius;

implementing a geo-fencing policy in response to determining, based on the first settings, that the current location is within the first geo-fence; and

in response to determining that the current location is not within the first geo-fence;

accessing data associated with an activity of the wireless device at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence;

associating with the first geo-fence at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence, based on the activity;

expanding the first settings of the first geo-fence to provide second settings that include the at least one past location, such that the geo-fencing policy extends to an expanded first geo-fence, wherein the radius increases to at least a distance from the geographic location to the at least one past location; and

implementing the geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the expanded first geo-fence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating with the first geo-fence at least one past location comprises:

accessing data associated with the activity of the wireless device at a plurality of locations within and outside of the first geo-fence;

executing a data cluster algorithm to select at least a subset of the plurality of locations as affiliated past locations to a geographic location associated with the first settings; and

selecting the at least one past location from the affiliated past locations based on a clustering of the at least one past location with other locations within the first geo-fence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the data cluster algorithm comprises performing a density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the current location of the wireless device comprises sensing a relative location to one or more communication nodes;

implementing the geo-fencing policy comprises disabling a location utility of the device that receives one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals; and

associating with the first geo-fence the at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence based on the first settings comprises executing a data cluster algorithm to select a subset of locations inside and outside the first geo-fence as substantially equivalent locations to compensate for inaccuracy in determining the current location using the relative location to one or more communication nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing data associated with an activity of the wireless device at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence comprises detecting by at least one of an on-device sensor and an off-device sensor one or more signals identified with a known location proximate to the first geo-fence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing data associated with an activity of the wireless device at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence comprises identifying use of at least one of an on-device application and an off-device application at a time window associated with the first geo-fence.

7. A wireless device comprising:

a receiver that detects information corresponding to a current location of the device;

a processor in communication with the receiver; and

at least one memory device that contains an application and that is configured to store a set of instructions that are executed by the processor, and wherein;

the processor determines a current location of a wireless device, based in part on the information detected by the receiver;

the processor retrieves, from a memory, first settings of a first geo-fence, wherein the first settings of the first geo-fence comprise a geographic location and a default radius;

the processor implements a geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the first geo-fence based on the first settings; and

in response to the processor determining, based on the first settings, that the current location is not within the first geo-fence;

the processor accesses data associated with an activity of the wireless device at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence from the memory device;

the processor associates at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence with the first geo-fence based on the activity;

the processor expands the first settings of the first geo-fence to provide second settings that include the at least one past location such that the geo-fencing policy extends to an expanded first geo-fence, wherein the processor increases the radius to at least a distance from the geographic location to the at least one past location; and

the processor implements the geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the expanded first geo-fence.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the processor associating with the first geo-fence at least one past location comprises:

the processor accessing, from the memory device, data associated with the activity of the wireless device at a plurality of locations within and outside of the first geo-fence;

the processor executing a data cluster algorithm to select a subset of the plurality of locations as affiliated past locations to a geographic location associated with the first settings; and

the processor selecting the at least one past location based on a clustering of the at least one past location with other locations within the first geo-fence.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the data cluster algorithm comprises a density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm.

10. The wireless device of claim 7, further comprising a location utility that receives one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, wherein:

the processor implements the geo-fencing policy by disabling the location utility;

a receiver senses a relative location to one or more communication nodes;

the processor determines the current location of the wireless device based on the relative location; and

the processor associates the first geo-fence with the at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence based on the first settings by executing a data cluster algorithm to select a subset of locations within and without the first geo-fence as substantially equivalent locations to compensate for inaccuracy in determining the current location using the relative location to one or more communication nodes.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device having stored thereon program code that, when executed, configures a device having a processor to perform executable operations comprising;

determining a current location of a wireless device;

retrieving, from a memory, first settings of a first geo-fence, wherein the first settings of the first geo-fence comprise a geographic location and a default radius;

implementing a geo-fencing policy in response to determining based on the first settings, that the current location is within the first geo-fence; and

in response to determining that the current location is not within the first geo-fence;

accessing data associated with an activity of the wireless device at past locations inside and outside of the first geo-fence;

associating with the first geo-fence at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence based on the activity;

expanding the first settings of the first geo-fence to provide second settings that include the at least one past location such that the geo-fencing policy extends to an expanded first geo-fence, wherein the radius increases to at least a distance from the geographic location to the at least one past location; and

implementing the geo-fencing policy in response to determining that the current location is within the expanded first geo-fence.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the program code for associating with the first geo-fence at least one past location comprises program code for:

accessing data associated with the activity of the wireless device at a plurality of locations within and outside of the first geo-fence;

executing a data cluster algorithm to select at least a subset of the plurality of locations as affiliated past locations to a geographic location associated with the first settings; and

selecting the at least one past location based on a clustering of the at least one past location with other locations within the first geo-fence.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the data cluster algorithm comprises a density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DBSCAN) algorithm.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the program code for implementing the geo-fencing policy comprises code for disabling a location utility that receives one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals;

the program code for determining the current location of the wireless device comprises code for sensing a relative location to one or more communication nodes; and

the program code for associating with the first geo-fence the at least one past location that is outside of the first geo-fence based on the first settings comprises code for executing a data cluster algorithm to select a subset of locations within and without the first geo-fence as substantially equivalent locations to compensate for inaccuracy in determining the current location using the relative location to one or more communication nodes.