Detecting geo-fence events using varying confidence levels

A computing device comprising:

• a data store configured to store geo-fence data for multiple geo-fences, the geo-fence data for each geo-fence identifying an area of the geo-fence;
• one or more location determination modules implemented at least in part in hardware each configured to provide a location of the computing device, the location of the computing device having an associated position uncertainty area;
• and
• a geo-fence event detection module to detect occurrence of one or more geo-fence events for at least one of the multiple geo-fences based on a confidence level that varies based at least in part on a size of at least one of the multiple geo-fences and on the size of the position uncertainty area.

A method comprising:

• identifying a size of a geo-fence;
• selecting, based on the size of the geo-fence, one of multiple location determination modules to use;
• identifying a size of a position uncertainty area for the selected location determination module, the position uncertainty area being based on an amount of uncertainty in the accuracy of a location for a computing device provided by the location determination module;
• determining a confidence value that a geo-fence has been breached using the position uncertainty area as well as an area of overlap between the position uncertainty area and the geo-fence;
• determining a threshold confidence value to indicate a geo-fence breach condition using a formula based on the size of the geo-fence area and the size of the position uncertainty area of a current location of the computing device;
• and
• determining that the computing device is inside the geo-fence when the confidence value satisfies the threshold confidence value, otherwise determining that the computing device may not be inside the geo-fence.