Geo-fence Grouping for Resource-Constrained Mobile Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

As the number of geo-fences increases on an electronic device, it reaches memory and hardware resource limits, leading to inefficient monitoring and potential failure to detect approaches to geo-fences far from the device's current location.

Innovation Solution

The electronic device groups and manages geo-fences by clustering them based on distance, latitude/longitude, or context-aware schemes, selectively monitoring only necessary geo-fences to conserve resources and reduce power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the number of registered geo-fences increases to provide more location-based services, then service coverage and user experience are improved, but memory and hardware resources are exhausted leading to monitoring failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice coverageVSAvoidmonitoring reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides geo-fences into multiple groups based on their geographic locations and monitoring priorities. Instead of monitoring all geo-fences uniformly, the system segments them into different monitoring sets, allowing comprehensive service coverage while managing resource consumption within hardware limits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If all geo-fences are monitored continuously, then detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption and resource usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic monitoring where the monitoring set of geo-fences is adjusted based on the device's current location and movement patterns. The system dynamically switches between different geo-fence groups, maintaining accurate detection for relevant areas while conserving power by not continuously monitoring all geo-fences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous monitoring of all geo-fences, the system employs periodic monitoring by switching between different geo-fence groups at different time intervals. This allows the device to maintain detection accuracy for active regions while reducing overall power consumption through scheduled monitoring cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the monitoring set is reduced to conserve resources, then power consumption is reduced, but the ability to detect distant geo-fences is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddetection range
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the monitoring set based on the device's current location, expanding the monitoring range to include distant geo-fences when the device is moving toward them, and contracting the monitoring set when resources are constrained or the device is stationary, thus balancing power consumption with detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3131316B1Method of managing geo-fence and electronic device thereof
Publication Date: 2017.12.20 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3131316B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3131316B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3131316B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are a method of managing geo-fences by an electronic device and an electronic device therefor. An operation of the electronic device may include: identifying a deletion of at least some geo-fences among a plurality of geo-fences stored in the electronic device or an addition of other geo-fences; identifying a number of remaining geo-fences among the plurality of geo-fences according to the deletion or the addition; and when the number of remaining geo-fences is larger than a number of geo-fences which can be allowed by hardware resources, grouping the remaining geo-fences as one or more geo-fence groups.