System and method for defining zones for location-based services

• US 10,034,132 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Greenberger, Jeremy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US15/183,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for defining zones used in location-based services. A mobile device with administrative privileges is moved in a path within a venue. The path is recorded and the interior of the path forms a zone. Additionally, embodiments provide for modification of existing zones based on a recorded path from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for defining a zone within a location detection system at a venue, comprising:

obtaining local position data of a mobile device within the venue;

determining a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiating a path start for a first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, tracking locations of the mobile device as it is moved along the first path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiating a path end for the first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correcting lines of the first path based on a best-fit analysis;

defining a region bounded by the corrected lines of the first path of the mobile device as the first zone within the location detection system at the venue;

receiving, from a user, a selection of the zone and a split option;

tracking locations of the mobile device, as the user moves the mobile device along a second path within the first zone; and

splitting the first zone into a second zone and a third zone separated from one another by lines corresponding to the second path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the location information of the first path to a data server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position is substantially identical to the first position, whereby the first path forms a closed shape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second position is different than the first position, whereby the first path forms an open shape;

and wherein initiating the path end further comprises synthesizing a line segment between the first position and the second position to form a closed shape that defines the zone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying an existing zone based on the location information of the first path.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the existing zone based on the location information of the path includes expanding the existing zone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the existing zone based on the location information of the first path includes contracting the existing zone.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

establishing a zone valid period; and

reverting the existing zone to a previous boundary upon the end of the zone valid period.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a representation of the zone on a display associated with the mobile device.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor;

a local receiver coupled to the processor;

wherein the memory contains instructions, which when executed by the processor, perform the steps of;

obtaining local position data of a mobile device within the venue;

determining a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiating a path start for a first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, tracking locations of the mobile device as it is moved along the first path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiating a path end for the first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correcting lines of the first path based on a best-fit analysis;

defining a region bounded by the corrected lines of the first path of the mobile device as the first zone within the location detection system at the venue;

receiving, from a user, a selection of the zone and a split option;

tracking locations of the mobile device, as the user moves the mobile device along a second path within the first zone; and

splitting the first zone into a second zone and a third zone separated from one another by lines corresponding to the second path.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a WiFi transceiver.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising a Bluetooth transceiver.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the memory further contains instructions, which when executed by the processor, perform the step of synthesizing a line segment between the first position and the second position to form a closed shape that defines the zone.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the step of modifying the zone based on the location information of the path includes expanding the zone.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the step of contracting the zone.

16. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the memory further contains instructions, that when executed by the processor, perform the steps of:

establishing a zone valid period; and

reverting the zone to a previous boundary upon the end of the zone valid period.

17. A computer program product for adjustment of an electronic display of an electronic device, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the electronic device to:

obtaining local position data of a mobile device within the venue;

determining a first position of the mobile device within the venue;

initiating a path start for a first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device, wherein the path start is a location corresponding to the first position of the mobile device;

after the path start is initiated, tracking locations of the mobile device as it is moved along the first path from the first position to a second position, while recording location information of the path;

after the moving of the mobile device, initiating a path end for the first path based on user input through a screen of the mobile device;

correcting lines of the first path based on a best-fit analysis;

defining a region bounded by the corrected lines of the first path of the mobile device as the first zone within the location detection system at the venue;

receiving, from a user, a selection of the zone and a split option;

tracking locations of the mobile device, as the user moves the mobile device along a second path within the first zone; and

splitting the first zone into a second zone and a third zone separated from one another by lines corresponding to the second path.