Reducing Transmission of Location Updates Based on Loitering

• US 20100262579A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kalu, Kalu O., Kolwicz Hemiczek, Peter Jan, Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert A., Klassen, Gerhard D.
• Application Number:
  US12/647,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262579A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

The mobile communications device may reduce the amount of location updates transmitted by applying algorithm-based filters. By setting a minimum distance threshold applied to a location update, the mobile communication device reduces the amount of location updates transmitted when the mobile communication device is “loitering” at a specific location. This disclosure describes a use of a minimum threshold used in loitering analysis and improvements to loitering calculations.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile communications device, comprising:

generating a new location update;

determining a distance threshold based on one or more previous location updates;

discarding the new location update when a calculated distance between the new location update and a most recently stored location update is less than the distance threshold; and

otherwise, storing the new location update in a memory of the mobile communications device as the most recently stored location update.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a moving average using the new location update and a plurality of previous location updates; and

wherein the calculated distance between the new location update and the most recently stored location update comprises a difference between the moving average and the most recently stored location update.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance threshold based on one or more previous location updates further comprises:

modifying the distance threshold if a predetermined number of consecutive previous location updates have been discarded.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the distance threshold comprises increasing the distance threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the most recently stored location update.

6. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a location module for generating a location update;

a filter module, comprising a threshold determination module for determining a distance threshold based on one or more previous location updates, wherein the filter module is operable to discard the location update if a calculated distance between the location update and a most recently stored location update is less than the distance threshold.

7. The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the comparison value is a difference between the most recently stored location update and an average calculated with the current location update and a plurality of previous location updates.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the threshold determination module is configured to increase the minimum threshold when if each previous comparison value associated with each of a predetermined number of previous location updates is less than the minimum threshold.

9. A system for filtering location updates, comprising :

a location determination system that generates a new location update; and

a processor configured to;

determine a distance threshold based on one or more previous location updates;

discard the new location update when a calculated distance between the new location update and a most recently stored location update is less than the distance threshold; and

otherwise, store the new location update in the memory as the most recently stored location update.