Apparatus and method for identifying radio locations relative to a geo-fence

• US 9,913,088 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Fei, Xun, Chen, Da-Jun, Feng, Wen, Gong, Ya-Hui, Tian, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US15/506,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554562, 4554563, 4554566, 455457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A communication device receives coordinates for an inner area and an outer area associated with a geo-fence. The communication device determines its current location coordinate and determines how the current location coordinate relates to the coordinates for the inner area and the outer area. The communication device discovers, using the current location coordinate and the coordinates for the inner area and the outer area, that the communication device is located outside of the inner area and inside of the outer area. Responsive to the discovering, the communication device sends a query to a network equipment to determine the current location of the communication device relative to the geo-fence. The communication device receives information associated with an intermediate area and uses the information associated with the intermediate area to determine the current location of the communication device relative to the geo-fence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a communication device, coordinates for a regularly-shaped inner area that is fully enclosed within an associated irregularly-shaped geofence and a regularly-shaped outer area that fully encloses the associated irregularly-shaped geo-fence;

determining, by the communication device, a current location coordinate for the communication device and determining, as a function of the current location coordinate and the received coordinates for the inner area and the outer area, where the communication device is located relative to the inner and outer areas and thus to the irregularly-shaped geofence;

when the communication device determines that the communication device is located outside of the inner area but inside of the outer area, and is thus located within an intermediate area only a portion of which is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence, the communication device responsively transmitting a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area;

the communication device receiving the further information further defining a portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area that includes the current location coordinate of the communication device; and

the communication device determining, as a function of the further information, whether the communication device is located within the irregularly-shaped geofence within the intermediate area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location coordinate for the communication device is within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence, and the further information further defines a largest regularly-shaped area inside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence that is outside the inner area and inside the outer area and includes the current location coordinate for the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location coordinate for the communication device is outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and the further information further defines a largest regularly-shaped area outside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and that is outside the inner area and inside the outer area and includes the current location coordinate for the communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a second communication device with a current location coordinate located outside of the inner area and inside of the outer area also receives the further information and uses the further information to determine whether the second communication device is inside of or outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence in the intermediate area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving, by the communication device, from the portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area further defined by the further information;

discovering, by the communication device, using a new current location coordinate for the communication device and the coordinates for the inner area and the outer area, that the communication device is located outside of the inner area, inside of the outer area, and outside the portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area further defined by the further information; and

responsive to the discovering, sending a second request, by the communication device, to the network equipment requesting still further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein when the communication device determines that the communication device is located outside of the inner area and outside of the outer area, the communication device determining that it is operating outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and the communication device refraining from transmitting a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when the communication device determines that the communication device is located inside the inner area, the communication device determining that it is operating inside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and the communication device refraining from transmitting a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner area is a region located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and wherein a first region in the outer area is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and a second region in the outer area is located outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence.

9. A communication device, comprises:

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer-executable instructions;

a transceiver configured to receive coordinates for coordinates for a regularly-shaped inner area that is fully enclosed within an associated irregularly-shaped geo-fence and a regularly-shaped outer area that fully encloses the associated irregularly-shaped geo-fence;

a processor configured to perform a set of functions including;

determine a current location coordinate for the communication device and determine, as a function of the current location coordinate and coordinates for the inner area and the outer area, where the communication device is located relative to the inner and outer areas and thus to the irregularly-shaped geo-fence;

when the determination of where the communication device is located relative to the inner and outer areas is that the communication device is located outside of the inner area but inside of the outer area, and is thus located within an intermediate area only a portion of which is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence, transmit a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area;

receive the further information further defining a portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area that includes the current location coordinate; and

determine, as a function of the further information, whether the communication device is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the current location coordinate for the communication device is within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence, and the further information further defines a largest regularly-shaped area inside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence that is outside the inner area and inside the outer area and includes the current location coordinate for the communication device.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the current location coordinate for the communication device is outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and the further information further defines a largest regularly-shaped area outside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and that is outside the inner area and inside the outer area and includes the current location coordinate for the communication device.

12. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect movement from the portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area further defined by the further information;

discover, using a new current location coordinate for the communication device and the coordinates for the inner area and the outer area, that the communication device is located outside of the inner area, inside of the outer area, and outside the portion of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area further defined by the further information; and

responsive to the discovering, send a second request, by the communication device, to the network equipment requesting still further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

13. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the determination is that the communication device is located outside of the inner area and outside of the outer area, determine that it is operating outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and refrain from transmitting a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

14. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the determination is that the communication device is located inside the inner area, determine that it is operating inside the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and refrain from transmitting a request to network equipment requesting further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.

15. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the inner area is a region located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and wherein a first region in the outer area is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and a second region in the outer area is located outside of the irregularly-shaped geo-fence.

16. A network equipment, comprises:

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer-executable instructions;

a transceiver configured to receive location coordinates for a communication device;

a processor configured to perform a set of functions including;

define an irregularly-shaped geo-fence definition defining a region, generating, from the irregularly-shaped geo-fence definition, a regularly-shaped inner area definition that is fully enclosed within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence and a regularly-shaped outer area definition that fully encloses the irregularly-shaped geo-fence;

broadcast coordinates for the inner area definition and the outer area definition for the associated irregularly-shaped geo-fence definition to the communication device;

receive a query from the communication device responsive to the communication device determining that the communication device is located outside of the inner area but inside of the outer area, and is thus located within an intermediate area only a portion of which is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence;

use current location coordinates for the communication device to generate further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area that includes the current location coordinates; and

broadcast the further information further defining the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area to the communication device for the communication device to use in determining whether the communication device is located within the irregularly-shaped geo-fence within the intermediate area.