Geofencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939231-B2
Application number	US-201916457815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining a geofence has been crossed are provided. Exemplary methods include: configuring a plurality of services of a mobile operating system using respective application programming interfaces; receiving a wake up from the mobile operating system; getting a notification from a service of the plurality of services; confirming the geofence has been crossed; and notifying a backend that the geofence has been crossed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a geofence has been crossed, the method comprising:
configuring a plurality of services of a mobile operating system using respective application programming interfaces to determine when a geofence has likely been crossed by a mobile device running the mobile operating system;
receiving a wake up of a mobile application from the mobile operating system, wherein the wake up results from a response generated by a backend server as a result of the backend server receiving a communication from a device within the geofence;
getting a notification from a service of the plurality of services;
confirming the geofence has been crossed using a Global Positioning System service to determine an accurate location;
using the Global Positioning System service until the notifying a backend service data center is completed and thereby keeping the mobile operating system from putting the mobile application asleep;
notifying the backend service data center associated with at least one of the plurality of services that the geofence has been crossed; and
sleeping the mobile application after the notifying is complete.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a geofence service; and
configuring the geofence service includes defining an area about an address associated with the geofence.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a push notification service; and
the notification is a push notification received from a data center associated with a provider of the mobile operating system, the data center receiving a request from the backend server, the backend server sending the request in response to a sensor within the geofence being triggered.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a network change service; and
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes checking that a network connection is to a Wi-Fi network registered with a location, the location being associated with the geofence.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a beacon service;
the notification includes a signal from a Bluetooth beacon; and
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes checking the Bluetooth beacon is registered with a location associated with the geofence.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a significant-change location service.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes using an accelerometer to determine that there is movement.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the backend service data center changes a notification mode in response to the geofence being crossed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the mobile operating system is at least one of Apple iOS and Google Android.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device within the geofence is a hub.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device within the geofence is a motion sensor or door alarm.

12. A system for determining a geofence has been crossed, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising:
configuring a plurality of services of a mobile operating system using respective application programming interfaces to determine when a geofence has likely been crossed by a mobile device running the mobile operating system;
receiving a wake up of a mobile application from the mobile operating system, wherein the wake up results from a response generated by a backend server as a result of the backend server receiving a communication from a device within the geofence;
getting a notification from a service of the plurality of services;
confirming the geofence has been crossed using a Global Positioning System service to determine an accurate location;
using the Global Positioning System service until the notifying is completed and thereby keeping the mobile operating system from putting the service asleep;
sleeping the service after the notifying is complete; and
notifying a backend service data center associated with at least one of the plurality of services that the geofence has been crossed.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a geofence service; and
configuring the geofence service includes defining an area about an address associated with the geofence.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a push notification service; and
the notification is a push notification received from a data center associated with a provider of the mobile operating system, the data center receiving a request from the backend server, the backend server sending the request in response to a sensor within the geofence being triggered.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a network change service; and
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes checking that a network connection is to a Wi-Fi network registered with a location, the location being associated with the geofence.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a beacon service;
the notification includes a signal from a Bluetooth beacon; and
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes checking the Bluetooth beacon is registered with a location associated with the geofence.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the plurality of services includes a significant-change location service.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
confirming the geofence has been crossed includes using an accelerometer to determine that there is movement.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the backend service data center changes a notification mode in response to the geofence being crossed.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the device within the geofence is a hub.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the device within the geofence is a motion sensor or door alarm.

22. A system for determining a geofence has been crossed, the system comprising:
means for configuring a plurality of services of a mobile operating system using respective application programming interfaces to determine when a geofence has likely been crossed by a mobile device running the mobile operating system;
means for receiving the wake up from the mobile operating system, wherein the means for receiving the wake up is in response to a backend server notification or message as a result of the backend server receiving a communication from a device within the geofence;
means for getting a notification from a service of the plurality of services;
means for confirming the geofence has been crossed using a Global Positioning System service to determine an accurate location;
means for using the Global Positioning System service until the notifying of a backend service data center is completed; and
means for notifying the backend service data center associated with at least one of the plurality of services that the geofence has been crossed; and
means for sleeping the mobile application after the notifying is complete.

Assignees

• Ooma Inc

Inventors

• Gharachedaghi Afshin
• White Thaddeus
• Ilin Alexander
• Rusin Alexander
• Hizon Anthony
• Mines Robert

Classifications

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title