Geofence location detection

• US 9,820,097 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Greenberger, Jeremy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US15/399,221
• Time in Patent Office: 313 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A method and system for improving geofence location detection is provided. The method includes detecting a geofence and determining that a first set of users are traveling together. The first set of users comprises a first user and a second user. Sensors detect a first mobile device of the first user has triggered the geofence event and that a second mobile device of the second user has not triggered the geofence event. In response, it is determined that the second mobile device is currently unavailable and an action associated with the second user triggering the geofence event is automatically executed as if the second user had triggered the geofence event.

Claims

1. A geofence location detection improvement method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a hardware device, a first geofence;

determining, by said processor, that a first set of users are traveling together, wherein said first set of users comprises a first user and a second user;

detecting, by said processor via a plurality of sensors, that said first set of users trigger a geofence event;

first determining, by said processor, that a first mobile device of said first user has triggered said geofence event;

second determining, by said processor, that a second mobile device of said second user has not triggered said geofence event;

third determining, by said processor based on results of said first determining and said second determining, that said second mobile device is currently unavailable; and

automatically executing, by said processor based on said third determining, an action associated with the said second user triggering the geofence event as if the second user had triggered the geofence event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting, by said processor via said first mobile device and said second mobile device, that said first user is located within a specified proximity from said second user for a specified period of time exceeding a specified threshold time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting that said first user and said second user are currently traveling via a common mode of transportation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said geofence event comprises an event selected from the group consisting of a geofence entry event, a geofence dwell event, and a geofence exit event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said third determining that said second mobile device is currently unavailable indicates an unavailability event selected from the group consisting of said second mobile device being misplaced, said second mobile device being disabled from a power source, said second mobile device not being able to provide geolocation information, and said second mobile device not being able to access a network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said action comprises performing a task based on said geofence event or notifying a third user based on said geofence event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting, by said processor to a third user with a third mobile device, a warning in combination with completion of said task, wherein said warning indicates that said second mobile device has not triggered said geofence event and that said second user has triggered said geofence event based on results of said first determining.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in the hardware device, said code being executed by the computer processor to implement;

said determining said first geofence, said determining that said first set of users are traveling together, said detecting, said first determining, said second determining, said third determining, and said automatically executing.

9. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a processor of a hardware device implements a geofence location detection improvement method, said method comprising:

determining, by said processor, a first geofence;

determining, by said processor, that a first set of users are traveling together, wherein said first set of users comprises a first user and a second user;

detecting, by said processor via a plurality of sensors, that said first set of users trigger a geofence event;

first determining, by said processor, that a first mobile device of said first user has triggered said geofence event;

second determining, by said processor, that a second mobile device of said second user has not triggered said geofence event;

third determining, by said processor based on results of said first determining and said second determining, that said second mobile device is currently unavailable; and

automatically executing, by said processor based on said third determining, an action associated with the said second user triggering the geofence event as if the second user had triggered the geofence event.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting, by said processor via said first mobile device and said second mobile device, that said first user is located within a specified proximity from said second user for a specified period of time exceeding a specified threshold time.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting that said first user and said second user are currently traveling via a common mode of transportation.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said geofence event comprises an event selected from the group consisting of a geofence entry event, a geofence dwell event, and a geofence exit event.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said third determining that said second mobile device is currently unavailable indicates an unavailability event selected from the group consisting of said second mobile device being misplaced, said second mobile device being disabled from a power source, said second mobile device not being able to provide geolocation information, and said second mobile device not being able to access a network.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said action comprises performing a task based on said geofence event or notifying a third user based on said geofence event.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

transmitting, by said processor to a third user with a third mobile device, a warning in combination with completion of said task, wherein said warning indicates that said second mobile device has not triggered said geofence event and that said second user has triggered said geofence event based on results of said first determining.

16. A hardware device comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising instructions that when executed by the processor executes a geofence location detection improvement method comprising:

determining, by said processor, a first geofence;

determining, by said processor, that a first set of users are traveling together, wherein said first set of users comprises a first user and a second user;

detecting, by said processor via a plurality of sensors, that said first set of users trigger a geofence event;

first determining, by said processor, that a first mobile device of said first user has triggered said geofence event;

second determining, by said processor, that a second mobile device of said second user has not triggered said geofence event;

third determining, by said processor based on results of said first determining and said second determining, that said second mobile device is currently unavailable; and

automatically executing, by said processor based on said third determining, an action associated with the said second user triggering the geofence event as if the second user had triggered the geofence event.

17. The hardware device of claim 16, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting, by said processor via said first mobile device and said second mobile device, that said first user is located within a specified proximity from said second user for a specified period of time exceeding a specified threshold time.

18. The hardware device of claim 16, wherein said determining that said first set of users are traveling together comprises:

detecting that said first user and said second user are currently traveling via a common mode of transportation.

19. The hardware device of claim 16, wherein said geofence event comprises an event selected from the group consisting of a geofence entry event, a geofence dwell event, and a geofence exit event.

20. The hardware device of claim 16, wherein said third determining that said second mobile device is currently unavailable indicates an unavailability event selected from the group consisting of said second mobile device being misplaced, said second mobile device being disabled from a power source, said second mobile device not being able to provide geolocation information, and said second mobile device not being able to access a network.