Category-based fence

• US 9,525,771 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marti, Lukas M., Ma, Shannon M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/942,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/404.2, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/00 Arrangements for software engineering testing or debugging G06F11/36; administrative, planning or organisation aspects of software project management G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Techniques of category-based fence are described. A category-based fence can correspond to a group of signal sources instead of a point location fixed to latitude and longitude coordinates. The group of signal sources can represent a category of entities, e.g., a particular business chain. The signal sources can be distributed to multiple discrete locations. A category-based fence associated with the group, accordingly, can correspond to multiple locations instead of a single point location and a radius. Each signal source in the group can be associated with a category identifier unique to the group and uniform among signal sources in the group. The category identifier can be programmed into each signal source. A mobile device can enter the category-based fence by entering any of the discrete locations when the mobile device detects the signal identifier. The mobile device can then execute an application program associated with the category-based fence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device located at a first venue, a first signal from a first signal source, the first signal including a first signal source identifier that matches a registered category identifier that is associated with a category-based fence that is based on a group of signal sources located at different venues;

in response to detecting the first signal from the first signal source, triggering an application program on the mobile device at the first venue, the application program being associated with the category-based fence and being pre-registered at the mobile device, wherein the association between the category identifier and the category-based fence and the association between the category-based fence and application program are received by the mobile device from a category-based fence manager;

detecting, by the mobile device located at a second venue that is different from the first venue, a second signal from a second signal source, the second signal including a second signal source identifier that matches the registered category identifier; and

in response to detecting the second signal from the second signal source, triggering the application program on the mobile device at the second venue, even though the first venue and second venue are located remotely from one another at different geographic locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each signal source of the signal source group is at least one of:

a low energy signal transmitter having a transmission power that is below a transmission power threshold, or

a wireless beacon based on IEEE 802.11u technical standard for mobile wireless communication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each signal source is a Bluetooth™

low energy (BLE) device or a near field communication (NFC) device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the category identifier is unique to the category-based fence, and wherein at least a portion of the first signal source identifier and at least a portion of the second signal identifier are identical to the category identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein triggering the application program comprises presenting a user interface on the mobile device that is unique to the category and uniform among the different venues.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, after triggering the application program:

scanning a plurality of communication channels for signal source broadcasts, including determining one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans, none of the one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan matches the category identifier;

determining that the mobile device has exited the category-based fence; and

then

exiting the application program.

7. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage device coupled to the one or more processors, the storage device storing computer instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting, by a mobile device located at a first venue, a first signal from a first signal source, the first signal including a first signal source identifier that matches a registered category identifier that is associated with a category-based fence that is based on a group of signal sources located at different venues;

in response to detecting the first signal from the first signal source, triggering an application program on the mobile device at the first venue, the application program being associated with the category-based fence and being pre-registered at the mobile device, wherein the association between the category identifier and the category-based fence and the association between the category-based fence and application program are received by the mobile device from a category-based fence manager;

detecting, by the mobile device located at a second venue that is different from the first venue, a second signal from a second signal source, the second signal including a second signal source identifier that matches the registered category identifier; and

in response to detecting the second signal from the second signal source, triggering the application program on the mobile device at the second venue, even though the first venue and second venue are located remotely from one another at different geographic locations.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each signal source of the signal source group is at least one of:

a low energy signal transmitter having a transmission power that is below a transmission power threshold, or

a wireless beacon based on IEEE 802.11u technical standard for mobile wireless communication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each signal source is a Bluetooth™

low energy (BLE) device or a near field communication (NFC) device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the category identifier is unique to the category-based fence, and wherein at least a portion of the first signal source identifier and at least a portion of the second signal identifier are identical to the category identifier.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein triggering the application program comprises presenting a user interface on the mobile device that is unique to the category and uniform among the different venues.

12. The system of claim 7, the operations comprising, after triggering the application program:

scanning a plurality of communication channels for signal source broadcasts, including determining one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans, none of the one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan matches the category identifier;

determining that the mobile device has exited the category-based fence; and

then

exiting the application program.

13. A non-transitory storage device coupled to one or more processors, the storage device storing computer instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device located at a first venue, a first signal from a first signal source, the first signal including a first signal source identifier that matches a registered category identifier that is associated with a category-based fence that is based on a group of signal sources located at different venues;

in response to detecting the first signal from the first signal source, triggering an application program on the mobile device at the first venue, the application program being associated with the category-based fence and being pre-registered at the mobile device, wherein the association between the category identifier and the category-based fence and the association between the category-based fence and application program are received by the mobile device from a category-based fence manager;

detecting, by the mobile device located at a second venue that is different from the first venue, a second signal from a second signal source, the second signal including a second signal source identifier that matches the registered category identifier; and

in response to detecting the second signal from the second signal source, triggering the application program on the mobile device at the second venue, even though the first venue and second venue are located remotely from one another at different geographic locations.

14. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein each signal source of the signal source group is at least one of:

a low energy signal transmitter having a transmission power that is below a transmission power threshold, or

a wireless beacon based on IEEE 802.11u technical standard for mobile wireless communication.

15. The non-transitory storage device of claim 14, wherein each signal source is a Bluetooth™

low energy (BLE) device or a near field communication (NFC) device.

16. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein the category identifier is unique to the category-based fence, and wherein at least a portion of the first signal source identifier and at least a portion of the second signal identifier are identical to the category identifier.

17. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein triggering the application program comprises presenting a user interface on the mobile device that is unique to the category and uniform among the different venues.

18. The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, the operations comprising, after triggering the application program:

scanning a plurality of communication channels for signal source broadcasts, including determining one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans, none of the one or more signal source identifiers received in each scan matches the category identifier;

determining that the mobile device has exited the category-based fence; and

then

exiting the application program.