Dynamic location tracking

• US 9,788,160 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NortonLifeLock Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Gu, Lei, Raipally, Abhilash, Ganesh, Dinesh Ramaswamy, Emerson, Andrew Davis, Elumalai, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US15/469,390
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Dynamic location tracking may be performed by a mobile app executing on a mobile computing device. A first geo-fence of a predefined size is set on a mobile operating system of a mobile computing device to notify a mobile app when the first geo-fence is crossed by the mobile computing device. The notification occurs even when the mobile app is suspended or not running. Notification is received from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the first geo-fence. A location of the mobile computing device is received. A second geo-fence is set on a mobile operating system of the mobile computing device based on the location of the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for dynamically tracking location, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising the steps of:

setting, with a mobile application (“

app”

) executing on a mobile computing device, a first geo-fence of a first predefined size on a mobile operating system of the mobile computing device to notify the mobile app when the first geo-fence is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the first predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device;

receiving, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the first geo-fence, wherein prior to receiving notification from the mobile operating system the mobile app is stopped, terminated, suspended, or otherwise not running to preserve battery life on the mobile computing device;

receiving, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a location of the mobile computing device;

setting, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a second geo-fence of a second predefined size on the mobile operating system of the mobile computing device based on the received location of the mobile computing device, to notify the mobile app when the second geo-fence based on the received location is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the second predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device;

detecting, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an action taken with the mobile computing device; and

sending, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an alert message to notify a responsible party based on the detected action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile operating system is iOS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein subsequent to setting a geo-fence the mobile app is woken up, relaunched, or started by the mobile operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the second geo-fence, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running;

receiving, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a second location of the mobile computing device; and

setting, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a third geo-fence on a mobile operating system of the mobile computing device based on the second location of the mobile computing device; and

receiving, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the third geo-fence, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a velocity of the mobile computing device based on a first time receiving a first location, and a second time receiving a second location; and

determining a geo-fence size based on the velocity, wherein a geo-fence is based on the geo-fence size.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a geo-fence size based on a time of day, wherein a geo-fence is based on the geo-fence size.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a geo-fence size based on a predefined place associated with the location of the mobile computing device, wherein a geo-fence is based on the geo-fence size.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a geo-fence size based on a battery preservation setting, wherein a geo-fence is based on the geo-fence size.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a map based on a plurality of locations of the mobile computing device over a period of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the map comprises a route and velocity indicator of the mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the map comprises a location and duration indicator of the mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a map interface parameters defining a geographical area;

setting a static geo-fence associated with the geographical area on the mobile operating system to notify the mobile app when the static geo-fence is crossed by the mobile computing device;

receiving notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the static geo-fence; and

sending an alert message to notify a responsible party.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of historical locations of the mobile computing device over a period of time;

determining patterns associated with the stored historical locations;

receiving one or more recent locations of the mobile computing device;

detecting an anomaly based on the one or more recent locations and the determined patterns of the mobile computing device; and

sending an alert message to notify a responsible party.

14. A computer system for performing dynamic location tracking, the computer system comprising:

system memory;

a geo-fence module residing in the system memory, the geo-fence module being programmed to set, with a mobile application (“

app”

) executing on a mobile computing device, a first geo-fence of a first predefined size on a mobile operating system of the mobile computing device to notify the mobile app when the first geo-fence is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the first predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device, the geo-fence module being further programmed to set, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a second geo-fence of a second predefined size on the mobile operating system of the mobile computing device based on a received location of the mobile computing device, to notify the mobile app when the second geo-fence based on the received location is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the second predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device;

a notification module residing in the system memory, the notification module being programmed to receive, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the first geo-fence, wherein prior to receiving notification from the mobile operating system the mobile app is stopped, terminated, suspended, or otherwise not running to preserve battery life on the mobile computing device;

a location module residing in the system memory, the location module being programmed to receive, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, the location of the mobile computing device;

a detection module residing in the system memory, the detection module being programmed to detect, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an action taken with the mobile computing device; and

a sending module residing in the system memory, the sending module being programmed to send, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an alert message to notify a responsible party based on the detected action; and

at least one processor configured to execute the modules.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the mobile operating system is iOS.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein prior to receiving notification from the mobile operating system the mobile app is stopped, terminated, suspended, or otherwise not running.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein subsequent to setting a geo-fence the mobile app is woken up, relaunched or started by the mobile operating system.

18. At least one non-transitory computer readable-storage medium for dynamic location tracking, the at least one non-transitory computer readable-storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when loaded into computer memory and executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

set, with a mobile application (“

app”

) executing on a mobile computing device, a first geo-fence of a first predefined size on a mobile operating system of the mobile computing device to notify the mobile app when the first geo-fence is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the first predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device;

receive, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, notification from the mobile operating system that the mobile computing device has crossed the first geo-fence, wherein prior to receiving notification from the mobile operating system the mobile app is stopped, terminated, suspended, or otherwise not running to preserve battery life on the mobile computing device;

receive, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a location of the mobile computing device;

set, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, a second geo-fence of a second predefined size on the mobile operating system of the mobile computing device based on the received location of the mobile computing device, to notify the mobile app when the second geo-fence based on the received location is crossed by the mobile computing device, even where the mobile app is suspended or not running, wherein the second predefined size comprises a center location and a radius, and is based on at least one of;

a current velocity of the mobile computing device, a current time of day, a current battery preservation setting of the mobile computing device, and a current location of the mobile computing device;

detect, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an action taken with the mobile computing device; and

send, with the mobile app executing on the mobile computing device, an alert message to notify a responsible party based on the detected action.