Automatic geofence determination

• US 9,341,487 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Bonhomme, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/336,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20160003627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A system for automatic geofence determination comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive data for one or more trips. A processor is configured to determine a set of nodes for each trip, determine a set of clusters using the set of nodes for each trip, and determine a set of geofences based at least in part on the set of clusters. A node of the set of nodes is determined based at least in part on the data. A cluster is a group of nodes separate from another group of nodes.

Claims

1. A system for automatic geofence determination, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a plurality of data samples collected during one or more trips; and

a processor configured to;

determine a set of nodes for the one or more trips, wherein members of the set of nodes are those data samples of the plurality of data samples sharing a characteristic;

determine a cluster, wherein members of the cluster are nodes within a threshold distance of each other;

determine a geofence, wherein a location and a size of the geofence is defined based on a location and a size of the cluster; and

output the determined geofence for display on a display device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic includes stopping at a stop location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the stop location is determined based at least in part on event data, the event data indicating a state of a vehicle.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the stopping occurs other than at a required traffic stopping location.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the required traffic stopping location comprises a location associated with a stop sign.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the required traffic stopping location comprises a location associated with a stop light.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the required traffic stopping location comprises a region characterized by traffic above a first threshold.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a trip of the one or more trips comprises a loop of travel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a trip of the one or more trips comprises travel from vehicle ignition on to vehicle ignition off.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a trip of the one or more trips comprises travel within a pre-definable period of time.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a trip of the one or more trips comprises travel within a driver'"'"'s shift.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic shared by the members of the set of nodes is a distance between members of the set of nodes and nodes outside the set of nodes being above a second threshold.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the geofence includes placing a boundary region around each node in the cluster and determining the union of the set of boundary regions.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic shared by the members of the set of nodes is the node density drops below a third threshold around the set of nodes.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristic shared by the members of the set of nodes is the node density forms an inflection point around the set of nodes.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data samples collected during the one or more trips includes at least one of:

global positioning system data and vehicle event data.

14. A method for automatic geofence determination, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data samples collected during one or more trips;

determining, using a processor, a set of nodes for the one or more trips, wherein members of the set of nodes are those data samples of the plurality of data samples sharing a characteristic;

determining, using the processor, a cluster, wherein members of the cluster are nodes within a threshold distance of each other;

determining, using the processor, a geofence, wherein a location and a size of the geofence is defined based on a location and a size of the cluster; and

outputting, using the processor, the determined geofence for display on a display device.

15. A computer program product for automatic geofence determination, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a plurality of data samples collected during one or more trips;

determining, using a processor, a set of nodes for the one or more trips, wherein members of the set of nodes are those data samples of the plurality of data samples sharing a characteristic;

determining, using the processor, a cluster, wherein members of the cluster are nodes within a threshold distance of each other;

determining, using the processor, a geofence, wherein a location and a size of the geofence is defined based on a location and a size of the cluster; and

outputting, using the processor, the determined geofence for display on a display device.

16. A system for automatic geofence determination, comprising:

an interface configured to receive position data for one or more trips; and

a processor configured to;

add each trip to a perimeter;

extend the perimeter by a boundary region to include an area traveled during the trip;

determine a geofence based at least in part on the perimeter; and

output the determined geofence for display on a display device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more trips comprise one or more of the following:

trips selected by a person, trips selected by a computer, trips selected to only be within an appropriate perimeter, or trips selected to cover a desired area.