Geo-Fence Entry and Exit Notification System

A method for determining the location of a mobile communications device with respect to a geo-fence, comprising:

• providing a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon;
• providing a server which is in communication with the local detection application over a network, and which maintains a geo-fence database;
• querying the operating system for a first data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;
• transmitting the first data set to the server;
• receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the first data set, a first set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location;
• receiving, from the operating system, a notification that the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold;
• querying the operating system for a second data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;
• transmitting the second data set to the server;
• receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the second data set, a second set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location;
• if the location defined in the second data set is within a predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then
• (a) using the GPS location detection to obtain a third data set comprising the GPS location of the mobile communications device,
• (b) comparing the GPS location to the second set of geo-fences, and
• (c)(i) if the GPS location is not within the predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then using the location defined in the second data set as the location of the mobile communications device,
• (ii) if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence distinct from the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then
• (1) marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and
• (2) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence,
• (iii) if the GPS location is not within the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then sending a message to the server indicating that the geo-fence defined in the second data set has been exited.

A method for determining when a mobile communications device has crossed a geo-fence, comprising:

• providing a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a server over a network, and wherein the server maintains a geo-fence database;
• 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;
• querying the operating system for a data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;
• transmitting the data set to the server;
• receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the data set, a set of geo-fences proximal to the general location;
• 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
• (a) ascertaining the GPS location of the mobile communications device, and
• (b) comparing the GPS location to the nearest geo-fence defined by the data set;
• wherein, if the GPS location is within a geo-fence that was previously not entered, then
• (a) marking the geo-fence as entered, and
• (b) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the geo-fence;
• 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;
• and
• wherein, if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence distinct from the geo-fence indicated by the data set, then
• (1) marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and
• (2) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence, and
• (iii) 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.

A system, comprising:

• a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon;
• and
• a server, in communication with the local detection application over a network, which maintains a geo-fence database;
• wherein the location detection application queries the operating system for a first data set containing the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy;
• wherein the location detection application transmits the first data set to the server;
• wherein the server responds to the transmission of the first data set with a first set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location;
• wherein the operating system notifies the location detection application when the mobile communications device has moved beyond a threshold amount;
• and
• wherein the location detection application retrieves a second data set containing the current general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding current location accuracy from the operating system.