HK1228153B - Method and system for identifying geo-fence, server and mobile terminal - Google Patents

Description

Method, system, server and mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of location-based service technology, and in particular to a method, system, server, and mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences.

Background Art

With the development of mobile communication technology and the popularization of computer technology, location-based services (LBS) are becoming increasingly commonplace. LBS technology allows mobile terminals to be located and their locations determined, providing them with services relevant to their locations. For example, LBS technology can be used to obtain the location of a mobile terminal using a positioning device such as GPS, and then search for the names and addresses of hotels, cinemas, shopping malls, gas stations, and other locations within a certain distance of that location, providing them to the mobile terminal for selection.

In recent years, with the rapid development of location-based services (LBS), new applications based on this technology have emerged in an endless stream. Geo-fencing technology, as a new application of LBS, is gaining increasing attention. Geo-fencing technology uses a virtual fence to enclose a geo-fenced area. When a mobile terminal is active within or near this geo-fenced area, it can receive notifications and alerts specific to that geo-fenced area. For example, when a mobile terminal enters a geo-fenced area, merchants within that area can send promotions, discounts, or new product information to the mobile terminal.

In the prior art, the geographical fence area to which the mobile terminal belongs is generally identified based on the GPS positioning device of the mobile terminal. In the prior art, the merchant can first be divided into a certain geographical fence area based on the longitude and latitude of the merchant. For example, a certain latitude and longitude area range can be divided into a geographical fence area. In this way, the merchants whose longitude and latitude are within the range belong to the geographical fence area. The mobile terminal can obtain its own longitude and latitude through the GPS positioning device and upload the longitude and latitude to the server; then, the server can query the geographical fence area to which the uploaded longitude and latitude of the mobile terminal belongs. After obtaining the geographical fence area where the mobile terminal is located, based on the merchants divided into the geographical fence area, the merchants corresponding to the geographical fence area where the mobile terminal is currently located can also be obtained.

This technology can be used to push information. For example, the server can establish a correspondence between geo-fenced areas and merchants and their associated information. Subsequently, the server can obtain the geo-fenced area to which the mobile terminal belongs and push information about the merchants in the geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal.

In the process of implementing this application, the inventors discovered that the prior art has at least the following problems:

Conventional technology requires that a mobile terminal be equipped with a positioning device, such as GPS, to identify the geofenced area it belongs to. These devices consume significant power during the positioning process and often fail to provide accurate positioning in indoor environments or buildings.

Summary of the Invention

The embodiments of the present application provide a method, system, server, and mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences without relying on positioning devices such as GPS.

The present invention provides a method, system, server, and mobile terminal for identifying geo-fences, which are implemented as follows:

A method for identifying a geofence, comprising:

The server establishes a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area;

The mobile terminal obtains an identification of at least one wireless device and uploads the identification to the server;

The server queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area.

A method for identifying a geofence, comprising:

The server establishes a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area;

The mobile terminal obtains the established correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area from the server;

The mobile terminal obtains an identifier of at least one wireless device and queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained identifier of the wireless device based on a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area.

A method for identifying a geofence, comprising:

The server establishes a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area;

The server receives the identification of the wireless device uploaded by the mobile terminal;

The server queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area.

A method for identifying a geofence, comprising:

The mobile terminal obtains the established correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area from the server;

The mobile terminal obtains an identification of at least one wireless device;

The mobile terminal queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area.

A system for identifying geographic fences includes a server and a mobile terminal, wherein:

The server is configured to establish a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area; query the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area; and push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal;

The mobile terminal is used to obtain the identification of at least one wireless device and upload the identification to the server; and receive push information corresponding to the queried geographical fence area.

A system for identifying geographic fences includes a server and a mobile terminal, wherein:

The server is used to establish a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area; and push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal;

The mobile terminal is used to obtain the correspondence between the identification of the established wireless device and the geo-fence area from the server; obtain the identification of at least one wireless device and query the geo-fence area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identification based on the correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fence area; send the queried geo-fence area to the server; and receive push information corresponding to the queried geo-fence area.

A server for identifying geo-fences, comprising:

a correspondence establishing unit, configured to establish a correspondence between an identifier of a wireless device and a geo-fenced area;

a geo-fence query unit, configured to query the geo-fence area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fence area;

The information push unit is used to push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geographical fence area to the mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences, comprising:

a correspondence obtaining unit, configured to obtain the established correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area from the server;

a wireless device identification acquisition unit, configured to acquire an identification of at least one wireless device;

a geo-fenced area query unit, configured to query the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area;

a geo-fence area sending unit, configured to send the queried geo-fence area to the server;

The information receiving unit is used to receive push information corresponding to the queried geographical fence area.

The present embodiment of the present invention divides and identifies geofences based on the location of a wireless device's identifier. When a mobile terminal searches for or connects to a wireless device's signal, it is considered to be in the vicinity of the wireless device. The present embodiment of the present invention identifies geofences by searching for wireless device signals, and can identify geofences without relying on positioning devices such as GPS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a flow chart of a method for identifying a geo-fence according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing the division of geographical locations within a preset range according to geohash values in an example of the present application;

FIG3 is a flow chart of a method for identifying a geo-fence according to another embodiment of the present application;

FIG4 is a system for identifying geographic fences provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG5 is a server for identifying geographic fences provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG6 is a mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG7 is a method for identifying geographic fences using a server as the main body provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG8 is a method for identifying geographic fences using a mobile terminal as the main body provided in an embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present application provide a method, system, server, and mobile terminal for identifying geographic fences. To help those skilled in the art better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

With the widespread adoption of smart mobile devices, communication via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth has become commonplace. Because the addresses of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices deployed at businesses to provide access rarely change, the geographic location of the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device can be used to reflect the location of the business. Typical Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals can cover a range of several meters to several hundred meters. When a mobile terminal is near a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device, it can search for the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signal or connect to it.

Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for identifying geographic fences provided in an embodiment of the present application. The wireless device providing access involved in the embodiment of the present application may be a WIFI device or a Bluetooth device or other short-range wireless communication device that can be set up at a merchant. Each such wireless device has a unique identifier, and such a unique identifier may be, for example, the MAC address of a WIFI device or a Bluetooth device. The following embodiments of the present application use WIFI devices and the MAC addresses of WIFI devices as examples to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. The technical solutions implemented using Bluetooth devices or other wireless devices are similar to those of WIFI devices and should all fall within the scope of protection of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the method includes:

S100: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area.

The wireless signal emitted by a wireless device generally has a certain coverage range. If it exceeds this range, the mobile terminal cannot detect the wireless device. In one embodiment of the present application, the server can divide the coverage range of the wireless device signal into a geo-fenced area corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device.

For example, the server can set the wireless signal coverage range of each wireless device as a separate geo-fenced area. The wireless device's identifier, such as its MAC address, can correspond to the set geo-fenced area. In this case, for example, if there are M wireless signal devices, the coverage range of each of the M different wireless signal devices can be set as a separate geo-fenced area, that is, corresponding to M different geo-fenced areas.

For another example, the server may set the total signal coverage range of at least one wireless device as a geo-fenced area. Specifically, for example, if multiple wireless devices are located in a close location, their wireless signals may overlap. The total coverage range of the wireless signals of these multiple wireless devices may be set as a geo-fenced area.

After the server divides the wireless device into the corresponding geo-fence area, it can establish a correspondence between the wireless device's identifier and the corresponding geo-fence area. Specifically, the server can store the wireless device's identifier and the corresponding geo-fence in the form of key-value. For example, the MAC address of the WIFI device is E0-9D-0B-9D-1C, and the MAC address of the WIFI device can be used as the value. Assuming that the geo-fence corresponding to the MAC address of the WIFI device is fence 1, then fence 1 can be used as the key corresponding to the above value. Through the value of the MAC address of the WIFI device, the key corresponding to the value can be found in the server, that is, the corresponding geo-fence can be found.

In another embodiment of the present application, the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area may be established according to the following method:

S101: The server divides the geographical location within a preset range into different geographical fence areas according to preset rules, and the different geographical fence areas correspond to different geographical location codes.

The server may divide the geographic locations within a preset range into different geo-fenced areas according to preset rules. Each of these divided geo-fenced areas may correspond to a unique geographic location code. In embodiments of the present application, the geographic locations within the preset range may be processed using a tail-removal algorithm or a geohash algorithm, thereby dividing the geographic locations within the preset range into different geo-fenced areas. The tail-removal algorithm or geohash algorithm may be one of the preset rules.

The following is an example of truncated longitude and latitude:

The latitude of a certain geographic location within the preset range is 39.928167, and the longitude is 116.389550. The server can truncate the longitude and latitude, for example, it can remove all the content after the second decimal point and beyond. The truncation longitude and latitude after processing in this way are 39.9 and 116.3 respectively. Obviously, two geographic locations that are close enough can obtain the same truncation longitude and latitude after truncation of the longitude and latitude. For example, the longitude and latitude of the first geographic location are (39.928167, 116.389550), and the longitude and latitude of the second geographic location close to the first geographic location are (39.925014, 116.3893215). After truncation, the truncation longitude and latitude are both (39.9, 116.3). Then, these similar geographic locations can be demarcated into the same geo-fenced area, and the truncation longitude and latitude of the geographic locations in the geo-fenced area are the same. The truncated longitude and latitude in the geo-fenced area can then be used as the geographic location code of the geo-fenced area. As can be seen from the above description, the accuracy of the truncated longitude and latitude determines the scope of the final geo-fenced area. For example, the higher the accuracy of the truncated longitude and latitude (the more digits after the decimal point), the smaller the scope of the final geo-fenced area will be; correspondingly, the lower the accuracy of the truncated longitude and latitude (the fewer digits after the decimal point), the larger the scope of the final geo-fenced area will be.

Let's take the geohash value as an example to illustrate:

The latitude of a certain geographic location within the preset range is 39.928167 and the longitude is 116.389550. The server can use the geohash algorithm to map the longitude and latitude to a geohash value. The specific steps for calculating the geohash value using the geohash algorithm are as follows:

The latitude of the geographic location 39.928167 is approximated by the following algorithm:

1) Divide the Earth's latitude interval [-90, 90] into two intervals: [-90, 0) and [0, 90].

The two intervals divided into one interval are called the left and right intervals. The left interval is the interval with the smaller value, and the right interval is the interval with the larger value. Furthermore, the latitude is marked using the following rules:

Those belonging to the right interval are marked as 1; those belonging to the left interval are marked as 0.

Thus, 39.928167 belongs to the right interval [0, 90] and is marked as 1 according to the above rules.

2) Divide the right interval [0, 90] where 39.928167 is located into two intervals, [0, 45) and [45, 90]. Determine that 39.928167 belongs to the left interval [0, 45] and mark it as 0.

3) The above steps 1) and 2) are repeated recursively according to Table 1 below until a predetermined number of bits are marked.

According to the above rules, the latitude 39.928167 can be marked as 1 when it belongs to the right interval of the binary partition, and marked as 0 when it belongs to the left interval.

As the interval shrinks with each iteration, the median of the interval (Mid value in Table 1) gets closer and closer to 39.928167;

After a certain number of binary divisions of an interval, the relationship between the latitude value and the interval after the binary division is determined and marked. This yields a sequence number consisting of 0s and 1s. The length of the sequence number is related to the number of binary divisions of the interval. Table 1 lists the interval iteration table for a latitude of 39.928167.

Table 1 Interval iteration table with latitude 39.928167

Bit Min Mid Max 1 -90.000 0.000 90,000 0 0.000 45,000 90,000 1 0.000 22.500 45,000 1 22.500 33.750 45,000 1 33.750 39.375 45,000 0 39.375 42.188 45,000 0 39.375 40.7815 42.188 0 39.375 40.07825 40.7815 1 39.375 39.726625 40.07825 1 39.726625 39.9024375 40.07825

As shown in Table 1, after 10 interval iterations, the sequence number corresponding to the latitude of 39.928167 is 1011100011 (the marked values are arranged from left to right in order), and the latitude interval has been narrowed to [39.9024375, 40.07825].

Using the same method, after 10 interval iterations, we can get the serial number 1101001011 corresponding to the longitude 116.389550, and the longitude interval has been narrowed to [116.3671875, 116.71875].

Furthermore, the serial numbers corresponding to the longitude and latitude can be encoded to generate the geohash values corresponding to the longitude and latitude. The encoding method is: the serial numbers corresponding to the longitude and latitude are interpolated with each other in sequence to generate a new serial number. The first digit of the newly generated serial number is the first digit of the serial number corresponding to the longitude. Continuing with the above example, we can explain:

For the case where the sequence number corresponding to the latitude is 10111 00011 and the sequence number corresponding to the longitude is 11010 01011, the first bit of the sequence number corresponding to the longitude is used as the first bit of the newly generated sequence number, and the sequence numbers corresponding to the longitude and latitude are interpolated in sequence to form a new sequence number such as 11100 11101 00100 01111. The odd bits of the newly generated sequence number from left to right are the sequence number corresponding to the longitude, and the even bits are the sequence number corresponding to the latitude. Furthermore, the newly generated sequence number can be base32 encoded using the 32 characters 0-9, b-z (excluding a, i, l, o). The correspondence between the 32 characters 0-9, b-z and decimal numbers is shown in Table 2.

Table 2 Correspondence between decimal numbers and Base32 codes

Dec 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 B32 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 b c d e f g Dec 16 17 18 19 20 twenty one twenty two twenty three twenty four 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 B32 h j k m n p q r s t u v w x y z

Note: Dec stands for Decimal, which means decimal number; B32 stands for Base32 code.

When encoding the new serial number, first convert every five digits in 11100 11101 00100 01111 into decimal, corresponding to 28, 29, 4, and 15. Then, encode these four decimal digits using the correspondence in Table 2. 28 corresponds to w, 29 to x, 4 to 4, and 15 to g, resulting in wx4g. Use wx4g as the geohash value for the longitude and latitude (39.928167, 116.389550).

The number of iterations in the geohash calculation process above determines the length of the generated serial number, and thus the length of the final geohash value. A longer geohash value indicates a greater number of iterations, and the final interval is closer to the actual longitude and latitude. In other words, the more digits in the geohash value, the more accurate its correspondence with the latitude and longitude.

Under a certain number of iterations, that is, under the premise of a certain length of geohash value, if two geographical locations are relatively close, the geohash values of the corresponding longitude and latitude will also be the same or relatively close. For geographical locations with the same geohash value, they can be divided into the same geofence area. The geohash value of the geofence area can be used as the geographical location code of the geofence area. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of dividing the geographical locations within a preset range according to the geohash value in an example of the present application. It can be seen from Figure 2 that the geographical locations within the preset range are divided into 9 rectangular areas, and the geographical location in each rectangular area has a unique geohash value. These 9 rectangular areas can be used as the divided geofence areas.

After dividing the geographic location within a preset range into different geo-fenced areas, the server can convert the geographic location of the wireless device into a geo-code according to the preset rules. By comparing the geographic location code of the wireless device with the geographic location codes of the geo-fenced areas, if the geographic location code of the wireless device matches the geographic location code of a geo-fenced area, it can be determined that the wireless device is in the geo-fenced area. The specific technical solution is as follows:

S102: The server obtains the identification of the wireless device and the corresponding location information.

The identification of the wireless device and the corresponding location information may be sent to the server by the holder of the wireless device, and the holder of the wireless device may be, for example, the merchant who deployed the wireless device. The identification of the wireless device and the corresponding location information may also be obtained by the server from a database. The database may be located on the server, or on other entities or logical entities, the latter of which may be, for example, an entity or logical entity accessible to the server. The database may pre-store the identification of the wireless device and the location information of the wireless device corresponding to the identification of the wireless device. These wireless device identifications and their corresponding location information may be pre-registered or entered by the merchant or server operator. The location information corresponding to the identification of the wireless device may include the longitude and latitude of the geographical location of the wireless device.

S103: The server generates a geographic location code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rule.

The server may perform the same processing on the location information of the wireless device as the detent algorithm or geohash algorithm in step S101. For example, if the server in step S101 uses the detent algorithm to geo-fence the geographic location within a preset range, then in this step, the server may also use the detent algorithm to process the location information of the wireless device to obtain the detent longitude and latitude of the geographic location of the wireless device. The detent longitude and latitude may then be used as the geographic location code of the geographic location of the wireless device.

S104: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area according to its corresponding geographic location code.

After the server generates a geographic location code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules, it can compare the geographic location code of the wireless device with the geographic location code of the geo-fence area that has been divided. If the geographic location code of the wireless device is the same as the geographic location code of a certain geo-fence area that has been divided, it can be known that the wireless device is in the geo-fence area. In this way, a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fence area can be established. Specifically, the server can store the identification of the wireless device and the corresponding geo-fence in the form of key-value. For example, the MAC address of the WIFI device is E0-9D-0B-9D-1C, and the MAC address of the WIFI device can be used as the value. Assuming that the geo-fence corresponding to the MAC address of the WIFI device is fence 1, then fence 1 can be used as the key corresponding to the above value. Through the value of the MAC address of the WIFI device, the key corresponding to the value can be found in the server, that is, the corresponding geo-fence can be found.

The server may establish a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fence area in response to instructions from a merchant that owns the wireless device or in response to instructions from a carrier that manages the wireless device. For example, the server may establish a correspondence between the Wi-Fi device and the geo-fence in response to instructions from a merchant that owns the Wi-Fi device, or the server may establish a correspondence between the Wi-Fi device and the geo-fence in response to instructions from a carrier that manages the Wi-Fi device.

S200: The mobile terminal obtains an identification of at least one wireless device and uploads the identification to the server.

Step S200 specifically includes:

The mobile terminal queries the identification of at least one wireless device among the searched wireless devices by a preset means;

or,

The mobile terminal queries the identification of at least one wireless device among the connected wireless devices through a preset means.

When the mobile terminal enters or approaches the geo-fenced area defined in step S100, a search for a Wi-Fi signal can be performed. After a Wi-Fi signal is found or a Wi-Fi device is connected, the mobile terminal can use the operating system's application programming interface (API) to query the MAC address of the Wi-Fi device corresponding to the found Wi-Fi signal or the MAC address of the connected Wi-Fi device. Using the operating system's API to query can be one of the pre-defined methods.

In actual application scenarios, the mobile terminal may search for signals of multiple WIFI devices at the same time or connect to multiple WIFI devices in succession. The mobile terminal can query the identification of at least one WIFI device among the searched or connected WIFI devices through the API of the operating system.

After the mobile terminal queries the MAC address of the Wi-Fi device, it can upload the MAC address of the Wi-Fi device to the server. The server can then query the corresponding geo-fence based on the MAC address of the Wi-Fi device uploaded by the mobile terminal.

S300: The server queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area.

After receiving the MAC address of the Wi-Fi device uploaded by the mobile terminal, the server can query the geo-fenced area to which the uploaded Wi-Fi device MAC address belongs based on the established correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the corresponding geo-fenced area. For example, if the wireless device identifier and the corresponding geo-fenced area are stored in the server as a key-value pair, the server can use the Wi-Fi device MAC address as the value to find the key corresponding to the value, that is, the geo-fence corresponding to the Wi-Fi device MAC address.

When the server queries the geo-fenced area to which the WIFI device's MAC address belongs, it can obtain the geo-fenced area where the mobile terminal is located. Furthermore, the server can push existing push information corresponding to the geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal. The existing push information corresponding to the geo-fenced area can be push information pre-registered/entered by the merchant on the server. The correspondence between the merchant's push information and the geo-fence can be determined based on the merchant's wireless device identifier and the correspondence with the geo-fenced area.

In another embodiment of the present application, the mobile terminal can also synchronize the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fence area established in the server to the mobile terminal. In this way, after the mobile terminal obtains the wireless device identifier, the geo-fence area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier can be directly queried in the mobile terminal without sending the wireless device identifier to the server for query. Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method for identifying geo-fences provided in another embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the method includes:

S110: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area.

The server can divide the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geo-fenced areas corresponding to the wireless device identifier, or it can pre-divide the geographic location within a preset range into different geo-fenced areas according to a preset rule, then generate a geo-location code from the wireless device's location information according to the preset rule, and establish a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area based on the generated geo-location code. The specific implementation scheme of this step is similar to step S100 and will not be repeated here.

S210: The mobile terminal obtains the established correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area from the server.

After the server establishes a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area, the mobile terminal can obtain the established correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area from the server. Specifically, the mobile terminal can be installed with a geo-fencing client that can automatically synchronize the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area from the server at a preset time period. The geo-fencing client can also synchronize the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area from the server in response to an operation instruction from the mobile terminal user.

S310: The mobile terminal obtains an identifier of at least one wireless device and queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained identifier of the wireless device based on the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area.

The mobile terminal can query the identifier of at least one of the searched wireless devices or query the identifier of at least one of the connected wireless devices by a preset means. Specifically, when the mobile terminal enters or approaches the geo-fenced area divided according to step S110, a search for a WIFI signal can be performed. After searching for a WIFI signal or connecting to a WIFI device, the mobile terminal can use the operating system's API (Application Programming Interface) to query the MAC address of the WIFI device corresponding to the searched WIFI signal or the MAC address of the connected WIFI device. The query using the operating system's API can be one of the preset means.

In actual application scenarios, the mobile terminal may search for signals of multiple WIFI devices at the same time or connect to multiple WIFI devices in succession. The mobile terminal can query the identification of at least one WIFI device among the searched or connected WIFI devices through the API of the operating system.

After the mobile terminal queries the MAC address of the WIFI device, it can query the geo-fenced area to which the MAC address of the WIFI device belongs through the correspondence between the identification of the wireless device in the mobile terminal and the geo-fenced area.

When a mobile terminal queries the geo-fenced area to which the MAC address of a Wi-Fi device belongs, it can obtain the geo-fenced area in which the mobile terminal is located. The mobile terminal can then send the identified geo-fenced area to a server, which can then push existing push information corresponding to the geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal. The existing push information corresponding to the geo-fenced area can be push information pre-registered/entered by the merchant on the server. The correspondence between the merchant's push information and the geo-fence can be determined based on the merchant's wireless device identifier and the correspondence between the geo-fenced area and the device.

The following describes an embodiment of the present application using a server as the main body. FIG7 shows a method for identifying a geo-fence using a server as the main body provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG7 , the method includes:

S410: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area;

S420: The server receives the identification of the wireless device uploaded by the mobile terminal;

S430: The server queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the above method further includes:

S440: The server pushes pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the server establishing a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area includes:

S411: The server divides the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geo-fenced areas corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device;

or,

S412: The server divides the geographical locations within the preset range into different geographical fence areas according to preset rules, where the different geographical fence areas correspond to different geographical location codes;

S413: The server obtains the identification of the wireless device and the corresponding location information;

S414: The server generates a geographic location code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rule;

S415: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area according to its corresponding geographic location code.

The above preset rules include a geohash algorithm or a tail removal algorithm.

The following describes an embodiment of the present application using a mobile terminal as the main body. FIG8 is a method for identifying a geo-fence using a mobile terminal as the main body provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8 , the method includes:

S510: The mobile terminal obtains the established correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area from the server;

S520: The mobile terminal obtains an identifier of at least one wireless device and queries the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained identifier of the wireless device based on the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the method further includes:

S530: The mobile terminal sends the queried geo-fenced area to the server;

S540: The mobile terminal receives push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present application, the mobile terminal obtaining the identification of at least one wireless device specifically includes:

S521: The mobile terminal queries the identification of at least one wireless device among the searched wireless devices by a preset means;

or,

S522: The mobile terminal queries the identification of at least one wireless device among the connected wireless devices through a preset means.

The aforementioned querying by the preset means includes querying by utilizing the application programming interface of the operating system.

The present application also provides a system for identifying geofences. FIG4 shows a system for identifying geofences provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG4 , the system includes:

The server 100 is used to establish a correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area; query the geo-fenced area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area; and push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal;

The mobile terminal 200 is used to obtain the identification of at least one wireless device and upload the identification to the server; and receive push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area.

Another embodiment of the present application further provides a system for identifying geo-fences, the system comprising:

The server 110 is used to establish a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area; and push the pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal;

The mobile terminal 210 is used to obtain the correspondence between the identification of the established wireless device and the geo-fence area from the server; obtain the identification of at least one wireless device and query the geo-fence area corresponding to the identification of the obtained wireless device based on the correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geo-fence area; send the queried geo-fence area to the server; and receive push information corresponding to the queried geo-fence area.

FIG5 is a server for identifying geo-fences provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG5 , the server 100 includes:

A correspondence establishing unit 101 is used to establish a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geo-fenced area;

A geo-fence query unit 102 is configured to query the geo-fence area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fence area;

The information push unit 103 is used to push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area to the mobile terminal.

Furthermore, the correspondence establishing unit 101 specifically includes:

The first correspondence establishing unit 1011 is configured to divide the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geographic fence areas corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device.

Furthermore, the correspondence establishing unit 101 specifically includes:

The second correspondence establishing unit 1012 is used to divide the geographical locations within a preset range into different geographical fence areas according to preset rules, and the different geographical fence areas correspond to different geographical location codes; obtain the identification of the wireless device and the corresponding location information; generate a geographical location code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules; and establish a correspondence between the identification of the wireless device and the geographical fence area according to its corresponding geographical location code.

FIG6 is a mobile terminal for identifying a geo-fence according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG6 , the mobile terminal 210 includes:

A wireless device identification obtaining unit 211 is configured to obtain an identification of at least one wireless device;

a geo-fenced area query unit 212 configured to query the geo-fenced area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geo-fenced area;

a geo-fence area sending unit 213, configured to send the queried geo-fence area to the server;

The information receiving unit 214 is used to receive push information corresponding to the queried geo-fenced area.

The present embodiment of the present invention divides and identifies geofences based on the location of a wireless device's identifier. When a mobile terminal searches for or connects to a wireless device's signal, it is considered to be in the vicinity of the wireless device. The present embodiment of the present invention identifies geofences by searching for wireless device signals, and can identify geofences without relying on positioning devices such as GPS.

In the 1990s, technological improvements could be clearly distinguished as either hardware improvements (for example, improvements to circuit structures such as diodes, transistors, and switches) or software improvements (improvements to process flows). However, with the advancement of technology, many process flow improvements today can now be considered direct improvements to hardware circuit structures. Designers almost always obtain the corresponding hardware circuit structure by programming the improved process flow into the hardware circuit. Therefore, it cannot be said that a process flow improvement cannot be implemented using hardware modules. For example, a programmable logic device (PLD) (such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)) is an integrated circuit whose logical function is determined by user programming of the device. Designers can "integrate" a digital system on a PLD by programming it themselves, without having to hire a chip manufacturer to design and produce a dedicated integrated circuit chip. Moreover, nowadays, instead of manually fabricating integrated circuit chips, this type of programming is mostly performed using "logic compiler" software. This is similar to the software compiler used when developing programs. Before compilation, the original code must also be written in a specific programming language, called a hardware description language (HDL). There is not just one HDL, but many, such as ABEL (Advanced Boolean Expression Language), AHDL (Altera Hardware Description Language), Confluence, CUPL (Cornell University Programming Language), HDCal, JHDL (Java Hardware Description Language), Lava, Lola, MyHDL, PALASM, RHDL (Ruby Hardware Description Language), etc. The most commonly used ones are VHDL (Very-High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language) and Verilog2. Those skilled in the art will also understand that by simply programming the method flow in one of these hardware description languages and then programming it into an integrated circuit, a hardware circuit that implements the logic method flow can be easily obtained.

The controller can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, the controller can take the form of a microprocessor or processor and a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code (such as software or firmware) that can be executed by the (micro)processor, logic gates, switches, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic controller and an embedded microcontroller. Examples of controllers include but are not limited to the following microcontrollers: ARC 625D, Atmel AT91SAM, Microchip PIC18F26K20 and Silicone Labs C8051F320. The memory controller can also be implemented as part of the control logic of the memory.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, in addition to implementing the controller in pure computer-readable program code, it is entirely possible to implement the same functionality by logically programming the method steps in the form of logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers, embedded microcontrollers, and the like. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the devices included therein for implementing various functions can also be considered structures within the hardware component. Alternatively, the devices for implementing various functions can be considered both software modules implementing the method and structures within the hardware component.

The systems, devices, modules or units described in the above embodiments may be implemented by computer chips or entities, or by products with certain functions.

For the convenience of description, the above devices are described as being divided into various units according to their functions. Of course, when implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in the same or multiple software and/or hardware.

Through the description of the above embodiments, it can be seen that those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the present application can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a storage medium such as ROM/RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc., and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in various embodiments of the present application or certain parts of the embodiments.

The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to in conjunction with each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences between the other embodiments. In particular, the system embodiments are generally similar to the method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple. For relevant parts, refer to the description of the method embodiments.

The present application can be used in a wide variety of general-purpose or specialized computer system environments or configurations, such as personal computers, server computers, handheld or portable devices, tablet devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set-top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and distributed computing environments that include any of the above.

The present application may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The present application may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

Although the present application has been described with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the spirit of the present application. It is intended that the appended claims include these modifications and variations without departing from the spirit of the present application.

Claims (29)

1. A method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it includes: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of a wireless device and a geofence area; wherein, the merchant who sets up the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set up at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The mobile terminal acquires the identifier of at least one wireless device and uploads the identifier to the server; The server queries the geofence region corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence region. 2. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 1, characterized in that the method further includes: The server pushes the pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geofence area to the mobile terminal. 3. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 1, characterized in that, the process of the mobile terminal acquiring the identifier of at least one wireless device specifically includes: The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the searched wireless devices using a preset method. or, The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the connected wireless devices using a preset method. 4. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 3, characterized in that the querying through preset means includes: Query using the operating system's application programming interface. 5. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 1, characterized in that the server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area, including: The server divides the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geofence regions corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device. 6. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 1, characterized in that the server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area, including: The server divides the geographical locations within a preset range into different geofence areas according to preset rules, and the different geofence areas correspond to different geographical location codes; The server obtains the identifier of the wireless device and its corresponding location information; The server generates a geolocation code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules; The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofenced area based on its corresponding geographic location encoding. 7. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 6, wherein the preset rules include a geohash algorithm or a tail-removal algorithm. 8. A method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it includes: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of a wireless device and a geofence area; wherein, the merchant who sets up the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set up at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The mobile terminal obtains the correspondence between the identifier of the established wireless device and the geofence area from the server; The mobile terminal acquires the identifier of at least one wireless device and queries the geofence area corresponding to the acquired wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area. 9. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 8, characterized in that the method further comprises: The mobile terminal sends the queried geofenced area to the server; The server pushes the pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geofence area to the mobile terminal. 10. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 8, wherein the process of the mobile terminal acquiring the identifier of at least one wireless device specifically includes: The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the searched wireless devices using a preset method. or, The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the connected wireless devices using a preset method. 11. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 10, characterized in that the querying through preset means includes: Query using the operating system's application programming interface. 12. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 8, characterized in that the server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area, comprising: The server divides the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geofence regions corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device. 13. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 8, characterized in that the server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area, comprising: The server divides the geographical locations within a preset range into different geofence areas according to preset rules, and the different geofence areas correspond to different geographical location codes; The server obtains the identifier of the wireless device and its corresponding location information; The server generates a geolocation code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules; The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofenced area based on its corresponding geographic location encoding. 14. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 13, wherein the preset rule includes a geohash algorithm or a tail-removal algorithm. 15. A method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it includes: The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of a wireless device and a geofence area; wherein, the merchant who sets up the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set up at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The server receives the identifier of the wireless device uploaded by the mobile terminal; The server queries the geofence region corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence region. 16. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 15, characterized in that the method further comprises: The server pushes the pre-stored push information corresponding to the geofenced area queried to the mobile terminal. 17. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 15, characterized in that the server establishing the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area includes: The server divides the coverage area of the wireless device signal into geofence regions corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device. 18. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 15, characterized in that the server establishing the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area includes: The server divides the geographical locations within a preset range into different geofence areas according to preset rules, and the different geofence areas correspond to different geographical location codes; The server obtains the identifier of the wireless device and its corresponding location information; The server generates a geolocation code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules; The server establishes a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofenced area based on its corresponding geographic location encoding. 19. A method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 18, wherein the preset rules include a geohash algorithm or a tail-removal algorithm. 20. A method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it includes: The mobile terminal obtains the correspondence between the identifier of the established wireless device and the geofence area from the server; wherein, the merchant setting up the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set up at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The mobile terminal acquires the identifier of at least one wireless device; The mobile terminal queries the geofence area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area. 21. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 20, characterized in that the method further comprises: The mobile terminal sends the queried geofenced area to the server; The mobile terminal receives push notifications corresponding to the geofenced area being queried. 22. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 20, wherein the process of the mobile terminal acquiring the identifier of at least one wireless device specifically includes: The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the searched wireless devices using a preset method. or, The mobile terminal queries the identifier of at least one wireless device among the connected wireless devices using a preset method. 23. The method for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs as described in claim 22, characterized in that the querying through preset means includes: Query using the operating system's application programming interface. 24. A system for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it comprises a server and a mobile terminal, wherein: The server is used to establish a correspondence between the identifier of a wireless device and a geofence area; query the geofence area corresponding to the uploaded identifier of the wireless device based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area; and push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geofence area to the mobile terminal; wherein, the merchant of the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The mobile terminal is used to obtain the identifier of at least one wireless device and upload the identifier to the server; and to receive push information corresponding to the queried geofence area. 25. A system for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it comprises a server and a mobile terminal, wherein: The server is used to establish the correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area; and to push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geofence area to the mobile terminal; wherein, the merchant of the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The mobile terminal is configured to obtain the correspondence between the identifier of the established wireless device and the geofence area from the server; obtain the identifier of at least one wireless device and query the geofence area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area; send the queried geofence area to the server; and receive push information corresponding to the queried geofence area. 26. A server for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it comprises: A correspondence establishment unit is used to establish a correspondence between the identifier of a wireless device and a geofence area; wherein, the merchant setting the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. The geofence query unit is used to query the geofence area corresponding to the uploaded wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area. The information push unit is used to push pre-stored push information corresponding to the queried geofence area to the mobile terminal. 27. A server for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, as described in claim 26, wherein the correspondence establishment unit specifically includes: The first correspondence establishment unit is used to divide the coverage area of the wireless device signal into a geofence area corresponding to the identifier of the wireless device. 28. A server for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, as described in claim 26, wherein the correspondence establishment unit specifically includes: The second correspondence establishment unit is used to divide the geographical location within a preset range into different geofence areas according to preset rules, wherein the different geofence areas correspond to different geolocation codes; obtain the identifier of the wireless device and its corresponding location information; generate a geolocation code from the location information of the wireless device according to the preset rules; and establish a correspondence between the identifier of the wireless device and the geofence area based on its corresponding geolocation code. 29. A mobile terminal for identifying the geofence to which a mobile terminal belongs, characterized in that it comprises: The correspondence acquisition unit is used to obtain the correspondence between the identifier of the established wireless device and the geofence area from the server; wherein, the merchant setting the wireless device is located in the geofence area corresponding to the wireless device; wherein, the wireless device is a short-range wireless communication device set at the merchant's location; and the geofence area is the coverage area of the wireless device's signal. A wireless device identifier acquisition unit is used to acquire the identifier of at least one wireless device. The geofence area query unit is used to query the geofence area corresponding to the obtained wireless device identifier based on the correspondence between the wireless device identifier and the geofence area. A geofence area sending unit is used to send the queried geofence area to the server; The information receiving unit is used to receive push information corresponding to the geofenced area being queried.