Apparatus and method for increasing accuracy of location determination of mobile devices within a location-based group

• US 9,906,915 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Life360 Incorporated
• Inventors: Haro, Alexander, Hulls, Christopher, Borsuk, Michael, Hood, Michael, Cackovic, Ajna
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Minjung
• Application Number:
  US15/684,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 188 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of increasing accuracy of location determination of mobile devices within a location-based subgroup starts with processor receiving location data and proximity information from each of the mobile devices. Location data received from first mobile device includes first mobile device'"'"'s fixed location. Proximity information received from first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices within a proximity sensitivity radius of first mobile device'"'"'s location. Selecting at least one mobile device that has provided proximity information that identifies first mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device. Processor refining fixed location of first mobile device to generate refined location of first mobile device by identifying an intersection of proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method of increasing accuracy of a location determination of mobile devices within a location-based subgroup comprising:

receiving, by a processor, location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensor accuracy limit of the first mobile device, wherein the proximity sensor accuracy limit is an area defined by a proximity sensor having a proximity sensitivity radius included in the first mobile device, wherein the plurality of mobile devices includes the first mobile device;

selecting at least one mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices that has provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device; and

refining, by the processor, the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the refining the fixed location of the first mobile device further comprises:

determining by the processor, if a database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection; and

if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the refining, by the processor, the location of the first mobile device further comprises:

triangulating based on the location data from the selected at least one mobile device to obtain the refined location of the first mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the refined location of the first mobile device to a display device to be displayed on a display device.

7. An apparatus for increasing accuracy of a location determination of mobile devices within a location-based subgroup comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface to;

receive a location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensor accuracy limit of the first mobile device, wherein the proximity sensor accuracy limit is an area defined by a proximity sensor having a proximity sensitivity radius included in the first mobile device, wherein the plurality of mobile devices includes the first mobile device; and

a memory storage storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive the location data and the proximity information from the communication interface,

selecting at least one mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices that has provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device, and

refine the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a database storing data associated with a plurality of mobile devices, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor refines the fixed location of the first mobile device by;

determining if the database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection, and if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor refines the fixed location of the first mobile device by:

triangulating based on the location data from the selected at least one mobile device to obtain the refined location of the first mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor further:

update a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, when the processor executes the instructions stored in memory, the processor further:

signals to the communication interface to transmit the refined location of the mobile device to a display device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method of increasing accuracy of a location determination of mobile devices within a location-based subgroup comprising:

receiving location data and proximity information from each of a plurality of mobile devices, respectively, wherein the location data received from a first mobile device includes a fixed location of the first mobile device and the proximity information received from the first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensor accuracy limit of the first mobile device, wherein the proximity sensor accuracy limit is an area defined by a proximity sensor having a proximity sensitivity radius included in the first mobile device, wherein the plurality of mobile devices includes the first mobile device;

selecting at least one mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices that has provided proximity information that identifies the first mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device; and

refining the fixed location of the first mobile device to generate a refined location of the first mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the refining the fixed location of the first mobile device further comprises:

determining by the processor, if a database includes a location associated with the first mobile device that is within the intersection or within a predetermined distance from the intersection; and

if the database includes the location associated with the first device that is within the intersection or within the predetermined distance from the intersection, setting the location associated with the first device as the refined location of the first mobile.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the location associated with the first device includes at least one of (i) an explicit group location that is associated with an explicit group that includes the first mobile device, (ii) an implicit group location that is associated with an implicit group that includes the first mobile device, and (iii) a historic location that is associated with the first mobile device, wherein the historic location is a location previously frequented by the first mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the refining, by the processor, the location of the first mobile device further comprises:

triangulating based on the location data from the selected at least one mobile device to obtain the refined location of the first mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising updating a database to associate the refined location of the first mobile device with the first mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the refined location of the first mobile device to a display device to be displayed on a display device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein receiving location data and proximity information from each of the plurality of mobile devices, respectively, includes receiving location data and proximity data from a second mobile device, wherein the plurality of mobile devices includes the second mobile device, wherein the second mobile device is different from the first mobile device, wherein the location data received from the second mobile device includes a fixed location of the second mobile device and the proximity information received from the second mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices that are within a proximity sensor accuracy limit of the second mobile device, wherein the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the second mobile device is an area defined by a proximity sensor having a proximity sensitivity radius included in the second mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

selecting at least one mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices that has provided proximity information that identifies the second mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device; and

refining the fixed location of the second mobile device to generate a refined location of the second mobile device, wherein refining the fixed location includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device that has provided proximity information that identifies the second mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

for each of the mobile devices,

choosing a mobile device included in the plurality of mobile for location refining,

selecting at least one mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices that has provided proximity information that identifies the chosen mobile device as being within the proximity sensor accuracy limit of the selected at least one mobile device, and

refining a fixed location of the chosen mobile device to generate a refined location of the chosen mobile device.