Systems and methods for approximating geo-fencing locations

• US 9,544,728 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Carmel, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US13/839,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for determining whether a user device is within a geo-fenced region using lower powered location tracking techniques. In one instance, the user device may generate simplified versions of the geo-fenced regions to reduce the complexity for determining whether the user device is located within the geo-fenced regions.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the computer-executable instructions to;

determine a perimeter for at least one localized region that when a user device associated with the system is within the at least one localized region the user device receives or sends information related to the at least one localized region, the at least one localized region associated with a representation of a geographic area, wherein the localized region comprises a high degree of non-linearity;

determine a vertical maximum point and a vertical minimum point on the perimeter of the localized region;

determine a horizontal maximum point and a horizontal minimum point on the perimeter of the localized region;

determine an enclosure region for each of the at least one localized regions, the enclosure region comprising an enclosure perimeter around the at least one localized region, the enclosure perimeter comprising the vertical maximum point, the vertical minimum point, the horizontal maximum point, and the horizontal minimum point;

determine the user device is located within the enclosure region and outside of the localized region enclosed by the enclosure region;

implement protocols to receive or send the information related to the localized region when the user device is determined to be within the enclosure region and outside of the localized region enclosed by the enclosure region; and

cause to generate a map on the user device, wherein the map comprises;

a first image associated with the user device,

a second image associated with the localized region, and

a third image associated with the enclosure region.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine the user device is located outside of the enclosure region; and

cease the implementation of the protocols in response to determining the user device is determined to be outside of the enclosure region.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine the user device is located inside of the enclosure region; and

implement the protocols in response to determining the user device is determined to be inside of the enclosure region.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the representation of the geographic area comprises a two dimensional representation, and the two dimensional representation comprises a vertical axis and a horizontal axis and the vertical maximum point comprises a first location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region, wherein any portion of the at least one localized region within the perimeter does not extend beyond the first location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the horizontal maximum point comprises a second location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region, wherein any portion of the at least one localized region within the perimeter does not extend beyond the second location of the perimeter of the at least one localized region.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the vertical minimum point comprises a third location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region, wherein any portion of the at least one localized region within the perimeter does not extend below the third location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the horizontal minimum point comprises a fourth location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region, wherein any portion of the at least one localized region within the perimeter that does not extend below the fourth location on the perimeter of the at least one localized region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure perimeter of the enclosure region comprises four orthogonal sides, and the four orthogonal sides form a square or a rectangle that encloses the localized region.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the localized region comprises an area including a business, a school, a retailer, a neighborhood, or a commercial zone.

10. One or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement a method comprising:

determining, using the at least one computer processor, one or more geographic regions that are used to enable a user device to receive or send information when the user device is located within at least one of the geographic regions, wherein the one or more geographic regions comprise a high degree of non-linearity;

determining a multi-sided boundary that surrounds each of the one or more geographic regions, the multi-sided boundary comprising sides that are substantially perpendicular or substantially parallel to each other;

determining a user device is located within the multi-sided boundary and outside of the geographic region enclosed by the multi-sided boundary;

receiving or sending information at or from the user device when the user device is located within the multi-sided boundary and outside of the geographic region enclosed by the multi-sided boundary, the information being related to the geographic region; and

cause to generate a map on the user device, wherein the map comprises;

a first image associated with the user device,

a second image associated with the localized region, and

a third image associated with the enclosure region.

11. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the user device is located outside of the multi-sided boundary that surrounds the geographic region; and

ceasing the sending, from the user device, of the information related to the geographic region when the user device is detected outside of the multi-sided boundary.

12. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the user device is located inside of the geographic region; and

maintaining the receiving or sending of the information when the user device is detected inside of the geographic region.

13. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 10, wherein the multi-sided boundary forms a four or more sided feature that encloses the geographic region.

14. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13, wherein the four or more sided feature comprises a square or a rectangle.

15. The one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 10, wherein the geographic region comprises a designated area for a remote device to provide information to the user device when the user device is located within the designated area.

16. A device, comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

at least one radio;

one or more antennas; and

at least one computer processor that executes the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the at least one computer processor, one or more geographic regions that are used to enable a user device to receive or send information when the user device is located within at least one of the geographic regions, wherein the one or more geographic regions comprise a high degree of non-linearity;

determine a multi-sided boundary that surrounds each of the one or more geographic regions;

determine a user device is located within the multi-sided boundary and outside of the geographic region enclosed by the multi-sided boundary;

receive or send information at or from the user device when the user device is located within the multi-sided boundary and outside of the geographic region enclosed by the multi-sided boundary, the information being related to the geographic region; and

cause to display a map on the user device, wherein the map comprises;

a first image associated with the user device,

a second image associated with the localized region, and

a third image associated with the enclosure region.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine the user device is located outside of the multi-sided boundary that surrounds the geographic region; and

cease the sending, from the user device, of the information related to the geographic region when the user device is detected outside of the multi-sided boundary.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the determining of the multi-sided boundary further comprises computer-executable instructions to:

determine at least four coordinate points that each indicate a maximum vertical displacement, a maximum horizontal displacement, a minimum vertical displacement, or a minimum horizontal displacement of the geographic region within at least a two dimensional plane; and

determine intersections between lines extended from the four coordinate points along a vertical or a horizontal axis, the multi-sided boundary being formed, at least in part, on the intersections and the lines that form a perimeter around the geographic region.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the intersections of the lines form a square or rectangle around the geographic region.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the information comprises information to a business that has a physical presence within the geographic area.