METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING A MOBILE USER

摘要

A method, system, and/or apparatus for automatically tracking a mobile user using the user's mobile device. This invention is particularly useful in the field of social media, such as for detecting and tracking the location and activity of a user and her community. The method or implementing software application uses or relies upon location information available on the mobile device from any source, such as cell phone usage and/or other device applications. The method provides a tracking functionality that uses less battery power than a GPS system. The method includes a location module configured to receive location transmissions, places the location module into a sleep mode when possible, awakens the location module upon receipt of a location transmission, and determines a location with the location module and the location transmission. These steps are desirably repeated to continually and automatically track the mobile user. The location transmission can be provided by WiFi triangulation and/or a cellular phone system upon crossing a boundary between antennae cells and/or a boundary between a plurality of established and contiguous geofences.

主权项

1. A method of tracking a mobile user, the method comprising:
determining a location of the mobile user; establishing a first geofence around the location; establishing a plurality of additional geofences around the first geofence, each including a boundary; and obtaining a location transmission upon crossing a boundary of the first geofence or any of the plurality of additional geofences.