Method and system to confirm co-location of multiple devices within a geographic area

• US 9,554,170 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Wilson, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOMERA, CAROLINE J R
• Application Number:
  US14/361,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/48, 725/25, 725/71, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method and system to confirm co-location of multiple devices within a geographic area, while filtering spurious alarms, is provided. An example method comprises processing first GPS data obtained from a first GPS sensor and second GPS data obtained from a second GPS sensor. A sensing data evaluator compares a sensing error from the first GPS data and a sensing error from the second GPS data. Based on the result of the comparing, the sensing data evaluator determines whether the sensing errors are to be ignored. An approach where an alarm that otherwise would be generated is disabled or canceled may be termed as filtering spurious alarms.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring co-location of electronic devices in a geographical zone, the method comprising:

processing first global positioning system (GPS) data obtained using a first GPS sensor of a first electronic device;

processing second GPS data obtained using a second GPS sensor of a second electronic device;

comparing a sensing error from the first GPS data and a sensing error from the second GPS data; and

triggering an alarm unless the sensing errors from the first and second GPS data are substantially the same.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first GPS data identifies a geographic location of the first electronic device and the second GPS data identifies a geographic location of the second electronic device, said method further comprising:

comparing at least one of the geographic location of the first electronic device and the geographic location of the second electronic device with reference location data associated with the geographical zone; and

based on a result of this comparison, generating said alarm when at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is external to the geographical zone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the first GPS data and the second GPS data to a co-location management system via a communication network; and

wherein the processing of the first GPS data and the second GPS data is at said co-location management system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the processing of the first GPS data is at the first device; and

the processing of the second GPS data is at a the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor is provided at a first set top box, the first set top box being in communication with a television headend; and

the second sensor is provided at a second set top box, the second set top box being in communication with a television headend.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographical zone is defined by a reference distance around a reference location.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising providing metadata to a system hosting any or both of said sensors, the metadata comprising GPS lock duration to be utilized by any or both of said sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising providing metadata to a system hosting any or both of said sensors, the metadata comprising a predetermined geographic area associated with any or both of said sensors.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second GPS sensors are given hours to lock.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second GPS sensors are given days to lock.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first GPS data identifies a geographic location of the first electronic device and the second GPS data identifies a geographic location of the second electronic device, said method further comprising:

determining a distance between the geographic location of the first electronic device and the geographic location of the second device; and

triggering the alarm if the distance exceeds a permitted distance.

9. A computer-implemented system for monitoring co-location of electronic devices in a geographical zone, the system comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory;

a communications module configured to;

receive, at a co-location management system, first GPS data obtained using a first GPS sensor of a first electronic device; and

receive, at the co-location management system, second GPS data obtained from a second sensor obtained using a second GPS sensor of a second electronic device;

wherein the processor is configured to;

compare a sensing error from the first GPS data and a sensing error for the second GPS data; and

trigger an alarm unless the sensing errors from the first and second GPS data are substantially the same.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first GPS data identifies a geographic location of the first electronic device and the second GPS data identifies a geographic location of the second electronic device, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare at least one of the geographic location of the first electronic device and the geographic location of the second electronic device with reference location data associated with the geographical zone; and

based on a result of this comparison, generate said alarm when at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is external to the geographical zone.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is located at a co-location management system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the co-location management system is associated with a television headend.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first sensor is provided at a first set top box, the first set top box being in communication with the television headend; and

the second sensor is provided at a second set top box, the second set top box being in communication with the television headend.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the geographical zone is defined by a reference distance around a reference location.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications module is configured to provide metadata to a system hosting any or both of said sensors, the metadata comprising GPS lock duration to be utilized by any or both of said sensors.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications module is to provide metadata to a system hosting any or both of said sensors, the metadata comprising a predetermined geographic area associated with any or both of said sensors.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the first GPS data identifies a geographic location of the first electronic device and the second GPS data identifies a geographic location of the second electronic device, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determining a distance between the geographic location of the first electronic device and the second geographic location of the device; and

triggering the alarm if the distance exceeds a permitted distance.

17. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium having instruction data to cause a machine to:

receive, at a co-location management system, first GPS data obtained using a first GPS sensor of a first electronic device;

receive, at the co-location management system, second GPS data obtained from a second sensor obtained using a second GPS sensor of a second electronic device;

compare a sensing error from the first GPS data and a sensing error from the second GPS data; and

trigger an alarm unless the sensing errors from the first and second GPS data are substantially the same.