Methods, systems, and apparatus for a geo-fence system

• US 9,967,706 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Cheung, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US15/070,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 455445, 455436, 707609, 342450, 705 16, 370325, 370315
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for defining, generating, utilizing, and/or detecting a geo-fence are described. A definition of a geo-fence is obtained, the geo-fence being defined based on a first geo-fence criterion of a plurality of geo-fence criteria. A trigger is obtained, the trigger generated in response to a change in the geo-fence criterion. One or more boundaries of the geo-fence based on the changed first geo-fence criteria are redefined in response to obtaining the trigger.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a definition of a geo-fence, the geo-fence being defined based on a first geo-fence criterion of a plurality of geo-fence criteria;

obtaining a trigger generated in response to a change in the first geo-fence criterion; and

redefining one or more boundaries of the geo-fence based on the changed first geo-fence criterion in response to obtaining the trigger, wherein the geo-fence is activated at a first specified time of day and is deactivated at a second specified time of day.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the redefining modifies one or more existing geo-fence boundaries.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trigger is one or more of:

a density of electronic commerce listings being within a defined listing density range;

a density of geo-fences being within a defined geo-fence density range;

a reception of revised demographic information;

a reception of revised user characteristics; and

a time-of-day alarm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the geo-fence criteria is selected from the group consisting of:

a human population;

a density of human population;

a density of establishments;

a count of establishments;

a density of electronic commerce listings;

a count of electronic commerce listings;

an item value;

a popularity of an item based on a number of online searches for the item;

a popularity of an item based on a number of online views of an item;

a popularity of an item based on a number of sales of the item;

one or more item characteristics;

demographics of human population;

a travel time;

one or more characteristics of a user;

an itinerary of a user; and

a time of day.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the redefining is based on an amount of storage on a geo-fence device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a shape of the geo-fence is a circle and a radius of the circle is based on the first geo-fence criterion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a shape of the geo-fence is based on demographic information.

8. A method comprising:

obtaining a definition of a geo-fence, the geo-fence being defined based on a first geo-fence criterion of a plurality of geo-fence criteria;

obtaining a trigger generated in response to a change in the first geo-fence criterion; and

redefining one or more boundaries of the geo-fence based on the changed first geo-fence criterion in response to obtaining the trigger, wherein the geo-fence is activated at a first specified time of day and is deactivated at a second specified time of day.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the redefining modifies one or more existing geo-fence boundaries.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the trigger is one or more of:

a density of electronic commerce listings being within a defined listing density range;

a density of geo-fences being within a defined geo-fence density range;

a reception of revised demographic information;

a reception of revised user characteristics; and

a time-of-day alarm.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the redefining is based on an amount of storage on a geo-fence device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a shape of the geo-fence is a circle and a radius of the circle is based on the first geo-fence criterion.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a shape of the geo-fence is based on demographic information.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a definition of a geo-fence, the geo-fence being defined based on a first geo-fence criterion of a plurality of geo-fence criteria;

obtaining a trigger, the trigger generated in response to a change in the first geo-fence criterion; and

redefining one or more boundaries of the geo-fence based on the changed first geo-fence criterion in response to obtaining the trigger, wherein the geo-fence is activated at a first specified time of day and is deactivated at a second specified time of day.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the redefining modifies one or more existing geo-fence boundaries.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the redefining is based on an amount of storage on a geo-fence device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein a shape of the geo-fence is based on demographic information.