Adding geo-fences based on time

• US 9,602,966 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dave, Swapnil R., Rao, Kaustubh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US14/970,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20160105769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

The method includes receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with a class of goods or services that is associated with a first type of location including one or more locations associated with the first identifier and a second type of location including one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier, wherein the alert is restricted to a route constraint parameter. In response to receiving the request, (i) in accordance with a determination, based on a predicted route of the device, that the device is predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, preparing to trigger a first alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier, (ii) in accordance with a determination, based on the predicted route of the device, that the device is not predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, preparing to trigger a second alert when the device is near a location associated with the class of goods or services without regard to whether or not the location matches the first identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more output devices and one or more input devices, comprising;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with a class of goods or services that is associated with a first type of location including one or more locations associated with the first identifier and a second type of location including one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier, wherein the alert is restricted to a route constraint parameter; and

in response to receiving the request;

in accordance with a determination, based on a predicted route of the device and the request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier, that the device is predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, preparing to trigger a first alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier without triggering an alert when the device is near a location that is associated with the class of goods or services but is not associated with the first identifier; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the predicted route of the device and the request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier, that the device is not predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, preparing to trigger a second alert when the device is near a location associated with the class of goods or services without regard to whether or not the location matches the first identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the route constraint parameter includes a time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing to trigger the first alert comprises:

identifying at least one geographic area based on the one or more locations associated with the first identifier; and

alerting the user when the device has crossed the boundary of the at least one geographic location within the route constraint parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing to trigger the second alert comprises:

identifying at least one geographic area based on the first type of location including the one or more locations associated with the first identifier;

identifying at least one additional geographic area based on the second type of location including the one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier; and

alerting the user when the device has crossed the boundary of the at least one geographic location or the at least one additional geographic area within the route constraint parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is near the location that associated with the first identifier when the device is within a proximity threshold of distance from the location that matches the first identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is near the location associated with the class of goods or services without regard to whether or not the location matches the first identifier when the device is within a proximity threshold of distance from the location associated with the class of goods of services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of location including the one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier are identified based on the category of goods or services associated with the first identifier.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with one or more input devices and one or more output devices, cause the device to:

receive, via the one or more input devices, a request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with a class of goods or services that is associated with a first type of location including one or more locations associated with the first identifier and a second type of location including one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier, wherein the alert is restricted to a route constraint parameter; and

in response to receiving the request;

in accordance with a determination, used on a predicted route of the device and the request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier, that the device is predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, prepare to trigger a first alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier without triggering an alert when the device is near a location that is associated with the class of goods or services but is not associated with first identifier; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the predicted route of the device and the request to generate an alert when the device is near a location associated with the first identifier, that the device is not predicted to arrive at the first type of location within the route constraint parameter, prepare to trigger a second alert when the device is near a location associated with the class of goods or services without regard to whether or not the location matches the first identifier.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the route constraint parameter includes a time period.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein preparing to trigger the first alert comprises:

identifying at least one geographic area based on the one or more locations associated with the first identifier; and

alerting the user when the device has crossed the boundary of the at least one geographic location within the route constraint parameter.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein preparing to trigger the second alert comprises:

identifying at least one geographic area based on the first type of location including the one or more locations associated with the first identifier;

identifying at least one additional geographic area based on the second type of location including the one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier; and

alerting the user when the device has crossed the boundary of the at least one geographic location or the at least one additional geographic area within the route constraint parameter.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the device is near the location that associated with the first identifier when the device is within a proximity threshold of distance from the location that matches the first identifier.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the device is near the location associated with the class of goods or services without regard to whether or not the location matches the first identifier when the device is within a proximity threshold of distance from the location associated with the class of goods of services.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the second type of location including the one or more locations that are not associated with the first identifier are identified based on the category of goods or services associated with the first identifier.

15. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more output devices and one or more input devices, comprising;

receiving, via the one or more input devices, a request to alert a user when the electronic device is near a location associated with an identifier, where the identifier is associated with a category of goods or services and at least one geographic area;

predicting a location of the electronic device within a predetermined time period;

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is predicted to be near the at least one geographic area within the predetermined time period, setting a monitored area to the at least one geographic area;

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is not predicted to be near the at least one geographic area within the predetermined time period, setting the monitored area to the geographic area and at least one additional geographic area associated with the category of goods or services;

monitoring the location of the electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device has crossed the boundary of the monitored area, alerting the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request includes the predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the monitored area to the at least one geographic area and the at least one additional geographic area associated with the category of goods or services further comprises:

identifying a set of locations that matches the identifier; and

setting the at least one additional geographic area based on similar locations to the set of locations.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the monitored area to the at least one geographic area and the at least one additional geographic area associated with the category of goods or services further comprises setting the at least one additional geographic area based on the category of goods or services.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein setting the monitored area to the at least one geographic area and the at least one additional geographic area associated with the category of goods or services further comprises setting the at least one additional geographic area based on paths recently traveled by the user.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one additional geographical area is established automatically without human intervention.