# US 2013/0045753 A1 · Geo-Fence Entry and Exit Notification System

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2013/0045753 A1
- Document ID: US20130045753A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/586,140
- Filed: 2012-08-15
- Published: 2013-02-21
- Earliest claimed: 2011-08-19
- Assignees: 30 Second Software, Inc.
- Inventors: Lance Obermeyer; Andrew Oliver; Kyle Miller; Prashant Shetty; Aditya Rustgi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130045753A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
- G08B 21/0277: {Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth®, piconet, Zigbee®, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]}
- G08B 21/0283: {via a telephone network, e.g. cellular GSM}
- G08B 21/0288: {Attachment of child unit to child/article}
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS

## Abstract

A method is provided for determining when a mobile communications device has crossed a geo-fence. The method comprises (a) providing a mobile communications device (209) equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a server (211) over a network (203), and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database (213); (b) receiving, from the operating system, a notification that (i) the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (ii) that a period of time has passed; (c) querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy; (d) transmitting the data set to the server; and (e) receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the data set, a set of geo-fences (205) proximal to the general location.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining the location of a mobile communications device with respect to a geo-fence, comprising:
ascertaining, at a first resolution, the proximity p=p1 of the mobile communications device to a first geo-fence; and
if |p1|<k, wherein kεR, then ascertaining, at a second resolution, the proximity p=p2 of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using GPS.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using cell tower triangulation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using Wi-Fi triangulation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, whereinp is the shortest distance between the location of the mobile communications device and the nearest boundary of the nearest geo-fence.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, whereinp is less than 1000 meters.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, whereinp is less than 500 meters.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, whereinp is less than 200 meters.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications device is equipped with an operating system and has a location detection application resident thereon.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a server over a network, and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving, from the operating system, a notification that (a) the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold, or (b) that a period of time has passed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
transmitting the data set to the server.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the data set, a set of geo-fences proximal to the general location.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein, if the location defined in the data set is within a predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence in the set of geo-fences, then:
ascertaining the GPS location of the mobile communications device, and
comparing the GPS location to the nearest geo-fence defined by the data set.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein, if the GPS location is within a geo-fence that was previously not entered, then:
marking the geo-fence as entered, and
sending a message to the server indicating entry of the geo-fence.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 wherein, if the GPS location is not within the predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence in the first set of geo-fences, then using the location defined in the data set as the location of the mobile communications device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein, if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence
distinct from the geo-fence indicated by the data set, then:
marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein, if the GPS location is not within the geo-fence indicated by the data set, then:
sending a message to the server indicating that the geo-fence defined in the data set has been exited.

### Claim 21 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile communications device has a software client installed thereon which communicates with said server.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21 wherein, if p2 is less than or equal to a threshold amount, then sending marketing content to the software client for display on the mobile communications device.

### Claim at position 23

23-40. (canceled)

### Claim 41

A mobile communications device, comprising:
a tangible medium; and
a software program disposed in the tangible medium and containing suitable programming instructions which, when executed, cause the mobile communications device to ascertain, at a first resolution, the proximity p=p1 of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence and, if |p1|<k, wherein kεR, to ascertain, at a second resolution, the proximity p =p2 of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, wherein ascertaining at the second resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using GPS.

### Claim 43 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using cell tower triangulation.

### Claim 44 (depends on 41)

The method of claim 41, wherein ascertaining at the first resolution involves determining the proximity of the mobile communications device to the first geo-fence using Wi-Fi triangulation.