MONITORING GEOSPATIAL CONTEXT OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20140011520A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Inventors: Chan, Mandy, Wright, Andrew S., Geyer, John J., Williams, Stephen J., Featherstone, Peter S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, methods and interfaces are disclosed for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device. Mobile communication devices process environmental inputs and transmit mobile communication device context information to a communication management system. The context information may, for example, reflect the motion and/or geographic location of the mobile device, and may reflect the risk associated with using the device to handle a call or other communications session. The communication management system uses the context information, optionally in combination with communication device profiles, to determine how to manage incoming and/or ongoing calls or other communication sessions. Mobile device users may also be inhibited from initiating communication sessions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of assessing whether a mobile device is in a geospatial area, the method comprising:

causing storage of a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone in a memory of the mobile device;

determining, based at least in part on the geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the geospatial zone and a maximum radius;

determining, based at least in part on the geospatial zone, an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the geospatial zone, wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the geospatial zone and a minimum radius;

computing a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the computed current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilizing the geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

computing an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determining that the mobile device is within the geospatial zone.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, where no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the geospatial zone:

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

computing an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determining that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 further comprising transmitting a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone:

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein management of requests for communication including the mobile device is defined in terms of a transmitted context state.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on sensor-based location data of the mobile device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the sensor-based location data corresponds to global positioning system data.

9. A system comprising:

a data store including a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone;

a processor associated with a mobile device and configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine, based at least in part on the geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the geospatial zone and a maximum radius;

determine based at least in part on the geospatial zone, an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the geospatial zone, wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the geospatial zone and a minimum radius;

compute a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone;

in response to a determination that the current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilize the geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

10. The system claim 9, wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on sensor-based location data of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor-based location data corresponds to location data previously associated with a known location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the known location is a wireless node, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

detect a signal from a transmitter, wherein the signal includes a transmitter identifier; and

recall previously stored location information according to the transmitter identifier; and

wherein the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone is computed based at least in part on the previously stored location information

13. The system claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determine that the mobile device is within the geospatial zone.

14. The system claim 13, where no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the geospatial zone:

15. The system claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determine that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising transmitting a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone:

17. The system of claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to modify a length of time until the mobile device reassesses whether it is located in the geospatial zone, and wherein the length of time is based at least partially on the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein said mobile device is associated with a bearing and a velocity and wherein the length of time is further based at least partially upon a determination, based on the bearing and velocity, of whether a future position associated with the mobile device will intersect an outer boundary of the geospatial zone.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions comprising:

first computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to maintain within a memory of the mobile device a representation of a non-circular geospatial zone;

second computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to determine, based at least in part on the geospatial zone, an outer circular boundary entirely encompassing the geospatial zone and an inner circular boundary entirely encompassed within the geospatial zone, wherein the outer circular boundary is defined by at least a centroid of the geospatial zone and a maximum radius, and wherein the inner circular boundary is defined by at least the centroid of the geospatial zone and a minimum radius; and

third computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the mobile device, cause the mobile device to compute a current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone and, in response to a determination that the current distance both exceeds the minimum radius and does not exceed the maximum radius, utilize the geospatial zone to determine a context of the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance does not exceed the minimum radius, determine that the mobile device is within the geospatial zone.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 20, where no context notification is transmitted from the mobile device while the mobile device remains within the geospatial zone:

22. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to:

compute an updated current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone; and

in response to a determination that the updated current distance exceeds the maximum radius, determine that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone.

23. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 22, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to transmit a context notification to a call processing entity reflecting that the mobile device is outside of the geospatial zone.

24. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium claim 19, wherein the third computer-executable instructions further cause the mobile device to modify a length of time until the mobile device reassesses whether it is located in the geospatial zone, and wherein the length of time is based at least partially on the current distance of the mobile device from the centroid of the geospatial zone.