Substantially continuous location logging for geographic-positioning capable devices

• US 9,491,603 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Popov, Lev, Proctor, Iain Andrew Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US13/417,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0248 dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes recording a first location of a mobile device; determining, by one or more processors of a geographic-positioning component of the mobile device, on a periodic basis, a current location of the mobile device; determining, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, whether the current location is outside a geographic region defined at least in part by the first location; and if the current location is outside the geographic region, then transmitting, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, a message to one or more other processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the other processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a location of a place socially connected to a user associated with the mobile device, the place and the user socially connected through an on-line social network with which the user and the place are associated;

determining, by one or more processors of a geographic-positioning component of the mobile device, on a periodic basis, a current location of the mobile device;

determining, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, whether the current location is within a geographic region defined at least in part by the location of the place, wherein the geographic region is further defined at least in part by a radius associated with the mobile device, the radius being determined based at least in part on one or more of;

a time of day;

a power budget of the mobile device;

or

an error associated with the location of the place or the current location; and

if the current location is within the geographic region, then transmitting, by the processors of the geographic-positioning component, a message to one or more other processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the other processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

2. The method of claim 1, where in the radius is further determined based at least in part on a velocity of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message identifies the current location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the place or current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.

5. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media within a mobile device, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

receive a location of a place socially connected to a user associated with the mobile device, the place and the user socially connected through an on-line social network with which the user and the place are associated;

determine on a periodic basis a current location of the mobile device;

determine whether the current location is within a geographic region defined at least in part by the location of the place, wherein the geographic region is further defined at least in part by a radius associated with the mobile device, the radius being determined based at least in part on one or more of;

a time of day;

a power budget of the mobile device;

or

an error associated with the location of the place or the current location; and

if the current location is within the geographic region, then transmit a message to one or more processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the radius is further determined based at least in part on a velocity of the mobile device.

7. The media of claim 5, wherein the message identifies the current location.

8. The media of claim 5, wherein the location of the place or current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a location of a place socially connected to a user associated with the mobile device, the place and the user socially connected through an on-line social network with which the user and the place are associated;

determine on a periodic basis a current location of the mobile device;

determine whether the current location is within a geographic region defined at least in part by the location of the place, wherein the geographic region is further defined at least in part by a radius associated with the mobile device, the radius being determined based at least in part on one or more of;

a time of day;

a power budget of the mobile device;

or

an error associated with the location of the place or the current location; and

if the current location is within the geographic region, then transmit a message to one or more processors of the mobile device, the message causing one or more of the processors to transition from a sleep state to an active state.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the radius is further determined based at least in part on a velocity of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the message identifies the current location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the location of the place or current location is based at least in part on:

a global positioning system (GPS) signal;

a Wi-Fi signal;

or

a cellular radio signal.