User or automated selection of enhanced geo-fencing

• US 9,560,482 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Frenz, Jonathan Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilgrami, Asghar
• Application Number:
  US14/964,349
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a mobile device that is suitable for detect geofence crossing events. In some instances, the mobile device can detect geofence crossing events using a lower power algorithm or a higher power algorithm. The mobile device may allow a user of the mobile device to specify whether a lower power algorithm or a higher power algorithm is to be used when detecting geofence crossing events. In some instances, the mobile device may automatically change from a lower power algorithm to a higher power algorithm if a predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events. In some instances, the user may be prompted to confirm automatically changing from a lower power algorithm to a higher power algorithm if a predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program is configured to instruct a mobile device, having a user interface with a display, and location services that include cell tower triangulation and a Global Position System (GPS), to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence defined by a size about a location;

with the aid of the location services of the mobile device, detect a geofence crossing when the mobile device crosses the geo-fence, and if a geofence crossing is detected, transmit a geofence crossing event to a remote location via a transmitter of the mobile device;

wherein the detection of the geofence crossing uses either a lower power algorithm or a higher power algorithm, wherein the lower power algorithm consumes less power from the mobile device than the higher power algorithm;

wherein the lower power algorithm uses cell tower triangulation of the location services of the mobile device, and the higher power algorithm uses the GPS of the location services of the mobile device;

allowing a user to specify via the user interface of the mobile device whether the lower power algorithm or the higher power algorithm is to be used when detecting for geofence crossings;

using the user specified lower power or higher power algorithm when detecting geofence crossings.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the higher power algorithm uses cell tower triangulation and the GPS of the location services of the mobile device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the lower power algorithm uses the GPS of the location services of the mobile device, where the GPS is turned on and sampled at a first rate, and the higher power algorithm uses the GPS of the location services of the mobile device, where the GPS is turned on and sampled at a second higher rate.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the lower power algorithm and the higher power algorithm both use the GPS of the location services of the mobile device, wherein the lower power algorithm turns the GPS on less often than the higher power algorithm.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the lower power algorithm and the higher power algorithm both use the GPS of the location services of the mobile device, wherein the lower power algorithm obtains a less precise GPS location than the higher power algorithm.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile device displays on the display a slider button, and the user specifies whether the lower power algorithm or the higher power algorithm is to be used by sliding the slider button to a desired setting.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile device displays on the display a first user selectable option that corresponds to the lower power algorithm and a second user selectable option that corresponds to the higher power algorithm, and the user specifies whether the lower power algorithm or the higher power algorithm is to be used by selecting either the first user selectable option or the second user selectable option.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the detection of the geofence crossing uses either the lower power algorithm, the higher power algorithm, or an intermediate power algorithm, wherein the intermediate power algorithm consumes more power from the mobile device than the lower power algorithm and less power from the mobile device than the higher power algorithm, and wherein the user is allowed to specify via the user interface of the mobile device whether the lower power algorithm, the intermediate power algorithm or the higher power algorithm is to be used when detecting geofence crossings.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the executable program is configured to instruct a mobile device, having a user interface with a display, and location services that include cell tower triangulation and a Global Position System (GPS), to perform the following:

store information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence defined by a size about a location;

with the aid of the location services of the mobile device, detect a geofence crossing when the mobile device crosses the geo-fence, and if a geofence crossing is detected, transmit a geofence crossing event to a remote location via a transmitter of the mobile device;

wherein the detection of the geofence crossing uses either a lower power algorithm or a higher power algorithm, wherein the lower power algorithm consumes less power from the mobile device than the higher power algorithm, and wherein the lower power algorithm uses cell tower triangulation of the location services of the mobile device, and the higher power algorithm uses the GPS of the location services of the mobile device; and

change from the lower power algorithm to the higher power algorithm if a predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the predetermined abnormality comprises more than a threshold number of detected geofence crossing events even while the mobile device remains in the user'"'"'s home.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the predetermined abnormality comprises not detecting one or more geofence crossings.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the executable program instructs the mobile device to determine if the predetermined abnormality is present in the detected geofence crossing events.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the executable program instructs the mobile device to receive via a receiver of the mobile device if the predetermined abnormality is present in the detected geofence crossing events.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the executable program instructs the mobile device to automatically change from the lower power algorithm to the higher power algorithm if the predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein if the predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events, the executable program instructs the mobile device to gain permission from a user via the user interface of the mobile device before changing from the lower power algorithm to the higher power algorithm.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface with a display;

a location service that can determine a location of the mobile device using each of cell tower triangulation and GPS;

a memory for storing information pertaining to a geo-fence, the geo-fence defined by a size about a geo-fenced location;

a transmitter;

a battery;

a controller operatively coupled to the user interface, the location service, the memory, the transmitter, and the battery, the controller configured to;

with the aid of the location service of the mobile device, detect a geofence crossing when the mobile device crosses the geo-fence, and if a geofence crossing is detected, transmit a geofence crossing event to a remote location via the transmitter of the mobile device;

wherein the detection of the geofence crossing uses either a lower power algorithm or a higher power algorithm, wherein the lower power algorithm consumes less power from the battery than the higher power algorithm, and wherein the lower power algorithm uses cell tower triangulation and the higher power algorithm uses GPS; and

change from the lower power algorithm to the higher power algorithm if a predetermined abnormality is found to be present in the detected geofence crossing events.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the predetermine abnormality comprises detecting too many geofence crossings and/or detecting too few geofence crossings.