MONITORING GEOFENCE EXIT

• US 20120309409A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Grosman, Yefim, Marti, Lukas M., Grainger, Morgan, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems for monitoring geofence exits using wireless access points are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can detect one or more entry gateways that are wireless access points selected for monitoring a geofence. The mobile device can determine that the mobile device is located in the geofence based on the detection. The mobile device can monitor the entry gateways and one or more exit gateways, which can be wireless access points observable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the geofence. When the mobile device determines, after a number of scans using a wireless processor, that the entry gateways and exit gateways are unobservable, the mobile device can use an application processor to determine whether the mobile device has exited from the geofence.

Claims

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

determining that the mobile device is inside of a geofence;

designating one or more wireless access points observable when the mobile device is in the geofence as exit gateways for monitoring an exit from the geofence; and

detecting an exit of the mobile device from the geofence based at least in part on monitoring the exit gateways.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using a wireless processor of the mobile device, one or more entry gateways, the one or more entry gateways being one or more wireless access points selected for monitoring an entry into the geofence; and

determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence upon detecting, by the wireless processor, at least one of the one or more entry gateways.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using the wireless processor, a combined collection of wireless access points including the one or more entry gateways and the one or more exit gateways;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans by the wireless processor, none of the combined collection of wireless access points is observable by the wireless processor; and

then

determining whether the mobile device exited the geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geofence is a first geofence, and the method comprises detecting an exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or an exit of the mobile device from a second geofence.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second geofence intersects the first geofence.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising:

creating a temporary geofence around a current location of the mobile device;

monitoring the temporary geofence; and

detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence upon detecting an exit from the temporary geofence.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein creating the temporary geofence comprises:

defining the temporary geofence using a fence location and a fence dimension, the fence location corresponding to the current location of the mobile device; and

identifying one or more common gateways for monitoring the temporary geofence, the common gateways including one or more wireless access points that are observable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the first geofence and the second geofence.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence comprises:

detecting an exit from the temporary geofence; and

then

determining whether the mobile device is inside of the first geofence and whether the mobile device is inside of the second geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.

9. A computer program product configured to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

determining that the mobile device is inside of a geofence;

designating one or more wireless access points observable when the mobile device is in the geofence as exit gateways for monitoring an exit from the geofence; and

detecting an exit of the mobile device from the geofence based at least in part on monitoring the exit gateways.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using a wireless processor of the mobile device, one or more entry gateways, the one or more entry gateways being one or more wireless access points selected for monitoring an entry into the geofence; and

determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence upon detecting, by the wireless processor, at least one of the one or more entry gateways.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using the wireless processor, a combined collection of wireless access points including the one or more entry gateways and the one or more exit gateways;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans by the wireless processor, none of the combined collection of wireless access points is observable by the wireless processor; and

then

determining whether the mobile device exited the geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.

12. The product of claim 9, wherein the geofence is a first geofence, and the method comprises detecting an exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or an exit of the mobile device from a second geofence.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein the second geofence intersects the first geofence.

14. The product of claim 12, the operations comprising:

creating a temporary geofence around a current location of the mobile device;

monitoring the temporary geofence; and

detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence upon detecting an exit from the temporary geofence.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein creating the temporary geofence comprises:

defining the temporary geofence using a fence location and a fence dimension, the fence location corresponding to the current location of the mobile device; and

identifying one or more common gateways for monitoring the temporary geofence, the common gateways including one or more wireless access points that are observable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the first geofence and the second geofence.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence comprises:

detecting an exit from the temporary geofence; and

then

determining whether the mobile device is inside of the first geofence and whether the mobile device is inside of the second geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.

17. A system, comprising:

a mobile device configured to perform operations comprising;

determining that the mobile device is inside of a geofence;

designating one or more wireless access points observable when the mobile device is in the geofence as exit gateways for monitoring an exit from the geofence; and

detecting an exit of the mobile device from the geofence based at least in part on monitoring the exit gateways.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using a wireless processor of the mobile device, one or more entry gateways, the one or more entry gateways being one or more wireless access points selected for monitoring an entry into the geofence; and

determining that the mobile device is inside of the geofence upon detecting, by the wireless processor, at least one of the one or more entry gateways.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the geofence comprises:

monitoring, using the wireless processor, a combined collection of wireless access points including the one or more entry gateways and the one or more exit gateways;

determining that, for at least a threshold number of scans by the wireless processor, none of the combined collection of wireless access points is observable by the wireless processor; and

then

determining whether the mobile device exited the geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the geofence is a first geofence, and the method comprises detecting an exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or an exit of the mobile device from a second geofence.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second geofence intersects the first geofence.

22. The system of claim 20, the operations comprising:

creating a temporary geofence around a current location of the mobile device;

monitoring the temporary geofence; and

detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence upon detecting an exit from the temporary geofence.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein creating the temporary geofence comprises:

defining the temporary geofence using a fence location and a fence dimension, the fence location corresponding to the current location of the mobile device; and

identifying one or more common gateways for monitoring the temporary geofence, the common gateways including one or more wireless access points that are observable by the mobile device when the mobile device is in the first geofence and the second geofence.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein detecting the exit of the mobile device from the first geofence or the exit of the mobile device from the second geofence comprises:

detecting an exit from the temporary geofence; and

then

determining whether the mobile device is inside of the first geofence and whether the mobile device is inside of the second geofence using an application processor of the mobile device.