Geo-fencing in a building automation system

• US 9,967,391 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Frenz, Jonathan, Swanson, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US14/668,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/248 Connectivity information update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A mobile device having location services may store information pertaining to a geo-fence that is associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a location. The mobile device may identify a current location of the mobile device and store data pertaining to the location of the mobile device. The mobile device determines a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data in response to an internal stimuli or an external stimuli. The geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence. The mobile device may notify a remote server of the current geo-fence state.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a smart phone having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the smart phone and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the smart phone via the location services of the smart phone;

store location data of the smart phone, the location data including at least one of the current location of the smart phone and/or one or more past locations of the smart phone;

determining a current geo-fence state of the smart phone based on the location data, wherein determining the current geo-fence state is triggered by;

(1) a restoration of an ability of the mobile device to communicate with a remote server;

(2) receiving a predetermined user input at a user interface of the smart phone;

or

(3) receiving a predetermined signal from a remote location;

wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the smart phone is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the smart phone is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify the remote server of the current geo-fence state.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the restoration of the ability to communicate with the remote server comprises one or more of:

a restoration of a cellular service to the smart phone; and

a restoration of an internet service to the smart phone.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the predetermined user input at the user interface of the smart phone comprises one or more of:

the user logging into the executable program on the smart phone;

the user restarting the executable program after a force close of the executable program;

the user turning off an airplane mode of the smart phone; and

the user turning on geo-fencing;

the user providing information pertaining to an updated geo-fence; and

the user providing information pertaining to a new location and associated geo-fence.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the predetermined signal from the remote location comprises one or more of:

the smart phone being informed that a suspend mode of the geo-fence has been turned off at the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that the geo-fence has been modified at the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that another user has crossed the geo-fence;

the smart phone being informed that the geo-fence state of another user has changed;

the executable program of the smart phone being activated from the remote location;

the smart phone being informed that geo-fencing was turned on; and

the smart phone receiving a request for the current geo-fence state from the remote location.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the predetermined signal from the remote location comprises one or more of:

receiving information pertaining to an updated geo-fence from the remote location; and

receiving information pertaining to a new location and associated geo-fence from the remote location.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable program instructs the smart phone to further perform the following:

determine if the smart phone has crossed the geo-fence by referencing the geo-fence state over time; and

notify the remote server if it is determined that the smart phone has crossed the geo-fence.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the internal stimuli comprises detecting the smart phone exiting an airplane mode.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

store location data of the mobile device, the location data including at least one of the current location of the mobile device and/or one or more past locations of the mobile device;

determining a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data triggered by the mobile device detecting activation of a mobile device function, where activation of the mobile device function comprises one or more of a restoration of an ability of the mobile device to communicate with a remote server, a user taking action via a user interface of the mobile device or receiving a signal from a remote location, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify the remote server of the current geo-fence state.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the restoration of the ability of the mobile device to communicate with the remote server comprises a restoration of a cellular service to the mobile device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the restoration of the ability of the mobile device to communicate with the remote server comprises a restoration of an internet service to the mobile device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein detecting restoration of an ability to communicate with a remote server comprises detecting a restoration of the location services of the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises detecting a user logging into the executable program on the mobile device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user restarting the executable program after a force close of the executable program on the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user turning off an airplane mode of the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user turning on geo-fencing.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user taking action via the user interface of the mobile device comprises the user powering on the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program instructs a mobile device having location services to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence associated with a user of the mobile device and assigned to a fixed location of a building;

identify a current location of the mobile device via the location services of the mobile device;

store location data of the mobile device, the location data including at least one of the current location of the mobile device and/or one or more past locations of the mobile device;

determine a current geo-fence state of the mobile device based on the location data triggered by the mobile device receiving a request for the current geo-fence state of the mobile device from a remote device, wherein the geo-fence state is selected from at least an inside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be inside the geo-fence and an outside geo-fence state in which the mobile device is deemed to be outside of the geo-fence; and

notify a remote server of the current geo-fence state.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.