Wireless network with adaptive autonomous location push

Abstract

A method of providing location-based services includes transmitting a first location criterion from a wireless network server to a wireless device. The method also includes evaluating whether a physical location of the wireless device satisfies the first location criterion. The process of evaluating is performed in part using the wireless device. When the first location criteria is satisfied, the method further includes transmitting an indication from the wireless device to the server that the first location criterion has been satisfied.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of providing location-based services, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a wireless telephony device, a location criterion; and   evaluating, at the wireless telephony device, whether a physical location of the wireless telephony device satisfies the location criterion;   wherein the location criterion comprises a location and a boundary associated with the location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location is defined at least in part by coordinates and the boundary associated with the location is defined at least in part by a radius around the coordinates. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location criterion is satisfied when the wireless telephony device leaves the boundary around the location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location criterion is satisfied when the wireless telephony device is within the boundary around the location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating is repeated by the wireless telephony device at a first frequency and wherein the frequency of the evaluation is changed to a second frequency in response to at least one of a temporal criterion and a spatial criterion, wherein each of the first frequency and the second frequency defines a number of evaluations per unit time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the temporal criterion is a time of day. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the spatial criterion is at least one of a velocity of the wireless telephony device or a position of the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the evaluating comprises using an adaptive algorithm resident on the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising monitoring an identifier corresponding to a cell tower with which the wireless telephony device is in communication; and wherein the evaluating is carried out responsive to a determination that the identifier has changed. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving at least part of the location criterion from a server. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprising receiving at least part of the location criterion from a user of the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, when the location criterion is satisfied, transmitting, by the wireless telephony device, an indication to a server that the location criterion has been satisfied. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving, at the wireless telephony device, a message transmitted from the server to the wireless telephony device after transmitting the indication to the server that the location criterion has been satisfied. 
     
     
         14 . A wireless telephony device comprising:
 at least one processor, and   at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory comprises non-transitory computer program instructions that configure the at least one processor to:   receive a location criterion;   store the location criterion; and   evaluate whether a physical location of the wireless telephony device satisfies the location criterion;   wherein the location criterion comprises a location and a boundary associated with the location.   
     
     
         15 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the location is defined at least in part by coordinates and the boundary associated with the location is defined at least in part by a radius around the coordinates. 
     
     
         16 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the location criterion is satisfied when the wireless telephony device leaves the boundary around the location. 
     
     
         17 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the location criterion is satisfied when the wireless telephony device is within the boundary around the location. 
     
     
         18 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to repeat the evaluation at a first frequency and wherein the first frequency is changed to a second frequency in response to at least one of a temporal criterion and a spatial criterion, wherein each of the first frequency and the second frequency defines a number of evaluations per unit time. 
     
     
         19 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 18 , wherein the temporal criterion is a time of day. 
     
     
         20 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 18 , wherein the spatial criterion is at least one of a velocity of the wireless telephony device or a position of the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         21 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the evaluating comprises using an adaptive algorithm resident on the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         22 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to monitor an identifier corresponding to a cell tower with which the wireless telephony device is in communication and to evaluate whether a physical location of the wireless telephony device satisfies the location criterion responsive to a determination that the identifier has changed. 
     
     
         23 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least part of the location criterion from a server. 
     
     
         24 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive at least part of the location criterion from a user of the wireless telephony device. 
     
     
         25 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured, when the location criterion is satisfied, to transmit, from the wireless telephony device, an indication to a server that the location criterion has been satisfied. 
     
     
         26 . The wireless telephony device of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a message transmitted from the server to the wireless telephony device after transmitting the indication to the server that the location criterion has been satisfied. 
     
     
         27 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions executable by a processor of a wireless telephony device to perform a method of providing location-based services, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the wireless telephony device, a location criterion; and   evaluating, at the wireless telephony device, whether a physical location of the wireless telephony device satisfies the location criterion;   wherein the location criterion comprises a location and a boundary associated with the location.