User settlement detection

• US 9,807,561 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marti, Lukas M., Dal Santo, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIVJI, NIZAR N
• Application Number:
  US14/732,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for user settlement detection are disclosed. A mobile device configured to perform an action immediately upon entering or exiting a geofenced environment can delay performing the action until a user of the mobile device has settled into the environment. The mobile device can detect a settled user state by observing the environment of the mobile device, including measuring one or more environment variables using one or more sensors of the mobile device. The mobile device can detect a settled user state even when the mobile device is in motion. The mobile device can perform the action upon detecting a settled user state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile device, an entrance of the mobile device into a geofenced environment, the geofenced environment being associated with an action, the mobile device being configured to perform the action upon entering the geofenced environment;

in response to detecting the entrance, determining, by the mobile device, a context of the geofenced environment, wherein determining the context of the geofenced environment comprises;

taking multiple measurements of one or more environment variables using one or more sensors of the mobile device,

determining variations in the measurements,

determining that the variations satisfy threshold values including at least one of a sparsity threshold, a deviation threshold, or a duty cycle threshold, and

based upon the determination that the variations satisfy the threshold values, determining a user settled state indicating that a user of the mobile device is settled in the geofenced environment; and

triggering the action by the mobile device upon determining the context of the geofenced environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the measurements include measurements of wireless signals from observed signal sources including at least one of access points of a wireless local area network or devices of a personal area network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values comprises:

determining a measurement matrix having a first dimension corresponding to the observed signal sources and a second dimension corresponding to a series of measurement time periods, the measurement matrix having elements representing measurements of signals from the observed signal sources at respective measurement time periods; and

determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values upon determining at least one of;

that the matrix has a sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold;

that standard deviations of the measurements over the time periods satisfy the deviation threshold;

or

that duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold, wherein determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold comprises:

determining the deviation threshold, including determining standard deviations of the observed signals at a time when one or more motion sensor readings indicate that the mobile device is not moving; and

determining that the standard deviations of the observed signals over the time periods are less than the deviation threshold.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the matrix has the sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold, wherein the sparsity of the matrix indicates a frequency at which signal sources are observed and then lost by the mobile device, and the sparsity threshold is a pre-specified threshold stored on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that determining that the duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold, wherein the duty cycle threshold comprises a vector having a respective element corresponding to each signal source, each element specifying a respective ratio of active time of the corresponding signal source over a sum of the series of time periods.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein triggering the action comprises executing an application program or performing a system function, wherein each of executing the application program or performing the system function causes the mobile device to present a user interface for the user to interact with the mobile device.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting an entrance of a mobile device into a geofenced environment, the geofenced environment being associated with an action, the mobile device being configured to perform the action upon entering the geofenced environment;

in response to detecting the entrance, determining a context of the geofenced environment, wherein determining the context of the geofenced environment comprises;

taking multiple measurements of one or more environment variables using one or more sensors of the mobile device,

determining variations in the measurements,

determining that the variations satisfy threshold values including at least one of a sparsity threshold, a deviation threshold, or a duty cycle threshold, and

based upon the determination that the variations satisfy the threshold values, determining a user settled state indicating that a user of the mobile device is settled in the geofenced environment; and

triggering the action upon determining the context of the geofenced environment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the measurements include measurements of wireless signals from observed signal sources including at least one of access points of a wireless local area network or devices of a personal area network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values comprises:

determining a measurement matrix having a first dimension corresponding to the observed signal sources and a second dimension corresponding to a series of measurement time periods, the measurement matrix having elements representing measurements of signals from the observed signal sources at respective measurement time periods; and

determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values upon determining at least one of;

that the matrix has a sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold;

that standard deviations of the measurements over the time periods satisfy the deviation threshold;

or

that duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold, wherein determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold comprises:

determining the deviation threshold, including determining standard deviations of the observed signals at a time when one or more motion sensor readings indicate that the mobile device is not moving; and

determining that the standard deviations of the observed signals over the time periods are less than the deviation threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the matrix has the sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold, wherein the sparsity of the matrix indicates a frequency at which signal sources are observed and then lost by the mobile device, and the sparsity threshold is a pre-specified threshold stored on the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that determining that the duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold, wherein the duty cycle threshold comprises a vector having a respective element corresponding to each signal source, each element specifying a respective ratio of active time of the corresponding signal source over a sum of the series of time periods.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein triggering the action comprises executing an application program or performing a system function, wherein each of executing the application program or performing the system function causes the mobile device to present a user interface for the user to interact with the mobile device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting an entrance of a mobile device into a geofenced environment, the geofenced environment being associated with an action, the mobile device being configured to perform the action upon entering the geofenced environment;

in response to detecting the entrance, determining a context of the geofenced environment, wherein determining the context of the geofenced environment comprises;

taking multiple measurements of one or more environment variables using one or more sensors of the mobile device,

determining variations in the measurements,

determining that the variations satisfy threshold values including at least one of a sparsity threshold, a deviation threshold, or a duty cycle threshold, and

based upon the determination that the variations satisfy the threshold values, determining a user settled state indicating that a user of the mobile device is settled in the geofenced environment; and

triggering the action upon determining the context of the geofenced environment.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the measurements include measurements of wireless signals from observed signal sources including at least one of access points of a wireless local area network or devices of a personal area network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values comprises:

determining a measurement matrix having a first dimension corresponding to the observed signal sources and a second dimension corresponding to a series of measurement time periods, the measurement matrix having elements representing measurements of signals from the observed signal sources at respective measurement time periods; and

determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values upon determining at least one of;

that the matrix has a sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold;

that standard deviations of the measurements over the time periods satisfy the deviation threshold;

or

that duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold, wherein determining that the standard deviations of the measurements over the measurement time periods satisfy the deviation threshold comprises:

determining the deviation threshold, including determining standard deviations of the observed signals at a time when one or more motion sensor readings indicate that the mobile device is not moving; and

determining that the standard deviations of the observed signals over the time periods are less than the deviation threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that the matrix has the sparsity that is less than the sparsity threshold, wherein the sparsity of the matrix indicates a frequency at which signal sources are observed and then lost by the mobile device, and the sparsity threshold is a pre-specified threshold stored on the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining that the variations satisfy the threshold values is responsive to determining that determining that the duty cycles of the observed signal sources over the measurement time period are greater than the duty cycle threshold, wherein the duty cycle threshold comprises a vector having a respective element corresponding to each signal source, each element specifying a respective ratio of active time of the corresponding signal source over a sum of the series of time periods.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein triggering the action comprises executing an application program or performing a system function, wherein each of executing the application program or performing the system function causes the mobile device to present a user interface for the user to interact with the mobile device.