Passive dynamic geofencing for mobile devices

• US 9,769,604 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Lyman, Nate, Russo, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bassett, Daniel G
• Application Number:
  US13/952,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0602 using antenna switching H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Systems and methods for passive dynamic geofencing on a mobile device are discussed. For example, a method for passive dynamic geofencing can include operations such as monitoring a first parent geofence and a first plurality of child geofences; detecting crossing a boundary of the first parent geofence into a second parent geofence; loading the second parent geofence and a second plurality of child geofences encompassed by the second parent geofence; and monitoring the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, first location data and user account data associated with a user of the mobile device, at a geofence paging system, the first location data including at least a first location authentication factor that includes a first image data;

determining a first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor that includes the first image data;

loading a first parent geofence and a first plurality of child geofences to a memory of the mobile device, in response to the determining the first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor, the first plurality of child geofences geographically encompassed by the first parent geofence;

receiving, from the mobile device, second location data at the geofence paging system, wherein the second location data includes at least a second location authentication factor that includes a second image data;

determining a second location of the mobile device based on the second location authentication factor that includes the second image data, wherein the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

unloading the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences from the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining that the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

loading a second parent geofence and a second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining the second location of the mobile device based on the second location authentication factor, the second plurality of child geofences geographically encompassed by the second parent geofence;

monitoring, on the mobile device, the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences; and

triggering, on the mobile device based on the loading the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device, a pre-defined operation, the pre-defined operation including at least causing display of a notification on the mobile device, sending a message from the mobile device, and activating an application associated with the one of the second plurality of child geofences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined operation further includes displaying content relevant to the one of the second plurality of child geofences, and changing a function of the application associated with the one of the second plurality of child geofences.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unloading of the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences occurs prior to loading the second parent geofence or the second plurality of child geofences.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, on the mobile device over a network, the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences, wherein the first plurality of child geofences correspond to one or more physical locations of interest to a user of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting, from the mobile device over the network to a service provider, a list of physical locations of interest to the user of the mobile device.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, over a network from a mobile device, a first geofence page request that includes user account data associated with a user of the mobile device and first location data, wherein the first location data includes at least a first location authentication factor that includes a first image data;

determining a first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor that includes the first image data;

loading a first parent geofence and a first plurality of child geofences to a memory of the mobile device in response to the determining the first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor, the first plurality of child geofences geographically encompassed by the first parent geofence;

receiving, over the network from the mobile device;

a second geofence page request, the second geofence page request including second location wherein the second location data includes at least a second location authentication factor that includes a second image data;

determining a second location of the mobile device based on the second location authentication factor that includes the second image data, wherein the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

unloading the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences from the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining that the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

loading a second parent geofence and a second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining the second location of the mobile device; and

triggering, on the mobile device based on the loading the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device, a pre-defined operation, the pre-defined operation including at least causing display of a notification on the mobile device, sending a message from the mobile device, and activating an application associated with the one of the second plurality of child geofences.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the first parent geofence includes accessing a database of parent geofences based on the current location associated with the mobile device received in the first geofence page request.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first geofence page request and the second geofence page request each include an application ID or service ID that is used in generating parent and child geofences, wherein the application ID or service ID identify a mobile application or service requesting geofence data.

9. The method of claim 6, further including:

pre-generating a plurality of parent geofences and associated child geofences to cover a defined geographical area; and

storing the plurality of parent geofences and associated child geofences as a plurality of geofence pages indexed according to geographic boundaries of each parent geofence of the plurality of parent geofences; and

wherein generating the first parent geofence and first plurality of child geofences includes selecting one of the plurality of geofence pages based at least in part on location data within the first geofence page request, and wherein generating the second parent geofence and second plurality of child geofences includes selecting one of the plurality of geofence pages based at least in part on location data within the second geofence page request.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, first location data and user account data associated with a user of the mobile device, at a geofence paging system, the first location data including at least a first location authentication factor that includes a first image data;

determining a first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor that includes the first image data;

loading a first parent geofence and a first plurality of child geofences to a memory of the mobile device, in response to the determining the first location of the mobile device based on the first location authentication factor, the first plurality of child geofences geographically encompassed by the first parent geofence;

receiving, from the mobile device, second location data at the geofence paging system, wherein the second location data includes at least a second location authentication factor that includes a second image data;

determining a second location of the mobile device based on the second location authentication factor that includes the second image data, wherein the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

unloading the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences from the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining that the second location is outside of the first parent geofence;

loading a second parent geofence and a second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device in response to the determining the second location of the mobile device based on the second location authentication factor, the second plurality of child geofences geographically encompassed by the second parent geofence;

monitoring, on the mobile device, the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences; and

triggering, on the mobile device based on the loading the second parent geofence and the second plurality of child geofences to the memory of the mobile device, a pre-defined operation, the pre-defined operation including at least causing display of a notification on the mobile device, sending a message from the mobile device, and activating an application associated with the one of the second plurality of child geofences.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the predefined operation further includes displaying content relevant to the one of the second plurality of child geofences, and changing a function of the application associated with the one of the second plurality of child geofences.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise causing the mobile device to unload, based at least in part on detection of crossing the boundary, the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the mobile device to unload the first parent geofence and the first plurality of child geofences execute prior to instructions for loading the second parent geofence or the second plurality of child geofences.