MULTI-TIER GEOFENCE DETECTION

• US 20110250901A1
• Filed: 04/07/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald K., Grainger, Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for multi-tier geofence detection are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can be configured to perform a task when the mobile device enters a geographic region. The mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tier approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using various course location parameters, such as a mobile country code (MCC), a location area code (LAC), or a cell identifier (cell ID), as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. Upon determining that the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region, the baseband subsystem can transfer the monitoring to the application subsystem. The task can be performed when the application subsystem determines that the mobile device is currently located in the geographic region.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task, the task to be performed when the mobile device is located in a geographic region;

monitoring a current cell of a cellular communications network, including determining a current cell identifier of the mobile device;

determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region;

upon determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region, monitoring a current location of the mobile device, including determining the current location using one or more wireless access gateways located within a communication range of the mobile device; and

performing the task upon determining that the current location of the mobile device is within the geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current location area of the mobile device, including determining a current location area code of the mobile device;

determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current country of the mobile device, including determining a current mobile country code of the mobile device;

determining that the current country intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current country intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the current country intersects the geographic region includes determining that the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current cell of the mobile device includes determining the current mobile country code using a baseband subsystem of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location includes invoking an application program that triangulates the current location based on locations of the one or more wireless access gateways, the application program executing in an application subsystem of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current location includes determining the current location using a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the current cell identifier is performed in a baseband subsystem; and

performing the task includes invoking an application program in an application subsystem from the baseband subsystem.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless access gateways include wireless access points of a wireless local area network.

10. A computer-implemented method performed by a mobile device, comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task, the request specifying that the task is to be performed when the mobile device is located in a pre-specified first geographic region, the first geographic region specified using a first location accuracy;

monitoring a location of the mobile device using a second location accuracy, the second location accuracy initially being less precise than the first location accuracy;

determining that the mobile device is located in a second geographic region, the second geographic region being specified using the second location accuracy and including at least a portion of the first geographic region;

refining the second location accuracy upon the determining;

repeating the monitoring, the determining, and the refining until an exit condition is satisfied; and

performing the task upon determining that the mobile device is located in the first geographic region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the exiting condition includes the second location accuracy being equivalent to the first location accuracy.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second geographic region is one of a country, a location area of a cellular network, and a cell of the cellular network.

13. A system comprising:

an interface configured for receiving a request to perform a task, the task to be performed when a mobile device is located in a geographic region;

a baseband processor coupled to the interface and configured for monitoring a current cell of a cellular communications network, including determining a current cell identifier of the mobile device;

an application processor coupled to the baseband processor and configured to perform operations comprising;

determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region;

upon determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region, monitoring a current location of the mobile device, including determining the current location using one or more wireless access gateways located within a communication range of the mobile device; and

performing the task when the baseband processor indicates that the current location of the mobile device is within the geographic region.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current location area of the mobile device, including determining a current location area code of the mobile device;

determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current country of the mobile device, including determining a current mobile country code of the mobile device;

determining that the current country intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current country intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

16. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a mobile device, operable to cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a task, the task to be performed when the mobile device is located in a geographic region;

monitoring a current cell of a cellular communications network, including determining a current cell identifier of the mobile device;

determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region;

upon determining that the current cell intersects the geographic region, monitoring a current location of the mobile device, including determining the current location using one or more wireless access gateways located within a communication range of the mobile device; and

performing the task upon determining that the current location of the mobile device is within the geographic region.

17. The product of claim 16, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current location area of the mobile device, including determining a current location area code of the mobile device;

determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current location area intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein monitoring the current cell of the mobile device further includes:

monitoring a current country of the mobile device, including determining a current mobile country code of the mobile device;

determining that the current country intersects the geographic region; and

upon determining that the current country intersects the geographic region, monitoring the current cell of the mobile device.

19. The product of claim 18, wherein determining that the current country intersects the geographic region includes determining that the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country.

20. The product of claim 16, wherein determining that the current country intersects the geographic region includes determining that the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country.

21. The product of claim 16, wherein determining that the current country intersects the geographic region includes determining that the geographic region intersects one or more polygons corresponding to the current country.