Devices and methods for geo fencing

• US 9,609,477 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rotstein, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JOSHUA L
• Application Number:
  US14/575,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20160183049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4565
• 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

Generally discussed herein are systems and apparatuses for determining a location of a device. Also discussed herein are methods of using the systems and apparatuses. According to an example a mobile device may include processing circuitry including a Measurement Engine (ME) and a Position Engine (PE), wherein the PE is configured to provide a location estimate of the device using a location function, generate an estimate location function that approximates the location function to within a specified error, and provide the estimate location function to the ME, and wherein the ME is configured to receive a geo fence boundary defining a boundary of a geographical region, determine a plurality of pseudo ranges between the device and a plurality of navigation satellites, and determine, using the estimate location function and the plurality of pseudo ranges, whether the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

processing circuitry including a Measurement Engine (ME) and a Position Engine (PE), the PE to;

provide a location estimate of the device using a location function, the location estimate estimating the location of the device to within a first error,

determine the PE is going into a sleep mode,

in response to a determination that the PE is going into the sleep mode, generate an estimate location function that approximates the location function to within a specified error and generate a corresponding expiration time that indicates a time at which the estimate location function is no longer valid, the location of the device as determined by the estimate location function including a second error, the first error less than the second error, and

provide the estimate location function to the ME, and

the ME to;

receive a geo fence boundary defining a boundary of a geographical region,

determine a plurality of pseudo ranges between the device and a plurality of navigation satellites,

determine, while the PE is in the sleep mode and using the estimate location function and the plurality of pseudo ranges, whether the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary and whether the specified time has elapsed, and

in response to determining at least one of (1) the device is not within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary and (2) the expiration time has elapsed, provide a signal that causes the PE to wake up and provide an updated estimate location function to the ME.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the ME is further to, in response to determining the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary, wake up the PE and command the PE to determine, using the location function, whether the device is within the geo fence boundary.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the PE generates the estimate location function using orbital information of the plurality of satellites, an environmental state including a multipath or shading, and a time.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further to produce an alert including a communication indicating that the device has crossed the geo fence boundary in response to the PE determining the device is within the geo fence boundary.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the ME is further to wake up the PE and command the PE to update the estimate location function in response to a specified period of time lapsing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the ME is to wake up periodically to determine whether the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more radios electrically coupled to the processing circuitry; and

one or more memories electrically coupled to the processing circuitry.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising one or more antennas electrically coupled to the one or more radios.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the PE generates the estimate location function using a polynomial estimate or a range matrix estimate technique.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the ME is in the Physical (PHY) layer of the device and the PE is in a higher layer of the device.

11. A method of performing operations performed by processing circuitry of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

providing, using a Position Engine (PE), a location estimate of the device using a location function, the location estimate of the device estimating the location to within a first error;

determining the PE is going into a sleep mode,

in response to a determination that the PE is going into the sleep mode, generating, using the PE, an estimate location function that approximates the location function to within a specified error;

generating a corresponding expiration time that indicates a time at which the estimate location function is no longer valid, the location of the device as determined by the estimate location function including a second error, the first error less than the second error;

providing the estimate location function to a Measurement Engine (ME);

determining, using the ME, a plurality of pseudo ranges between the device and a plurality of navigation satellites;

determining while the PE is in the sleep mode, and using the ME, the estimate location function, and the plurality of pseudo ranges, whether the device is within a geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary and whether the specified time has elapsed; and

in response to determining at least one of (1) the device is not within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary and (2) the expiration time has elapsed, provide a signal that causes the PE to wake up and provide an updated estimate location function to the ME.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising in response to determining the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary, waking up the PE and commanding the PE to determine, using the location function, whether the device is within the geo fence boundary.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, generating, using the PE and in response to the PE determining the device is within the geo fence boundary, an updated estimate location function that approximates the location function implemented by the PE and provide the updated estimate location function to the ME.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a wireless communication device to configure the device to perform operations to:

provide a location estimate of the device using a location function, the location estimate of the device estimating the location to within a first error;

determine a Position Engine (PE) is going into a sleep mode;

in response to a determination that the PE is going into the sleep mode, generate an estimate location function that approximates the location function to within a specified error;

generate a corresponding expiration time that indicates a time at which the estimate location function is no longer valid, the location of the device as determined by the estimate location function including a second error, the first error less than the second error;

determine a plurality of pseudo ranges between the device and a plurality of navigation satellites;

determine, while the PE is in the sleep mode, and using the estimate location function and the plurality of pseudo ranges, whether the device is within a geographical region defined by a geo fence boundary and whether the specified time has elapsed; and

in response to a determination that at least one of (1) the device is not within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary and (2) the expiration time has elapsed, provide a signal that causes the PE to wake up and provide an updated estimate location function to the ME.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for execution by the one or more processors to configure the device to perform operations to, in response to determining the device is within the geographical region defined by the geo fence boundary, wake up the PE and commanding the PE to determine, using the location function, whether the device is within the geo fence boundary.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions for generating the estimate location function include instructions for execution by the one or more processors to configure the device to perform operations comprising generating the estimate location function using orbital information of the plurality of satellites, an environmental state including a multipath or shading, and a time and generating the estimate location function using a polynomial estimate or a range matrix estimate technique.