Patent ID: 8812027

Claim:
A method for determining the location of a mobile communications device with respect to a geo-fence, comprising: providing a mobile communications device equipped with an operating system and having a location detection application resident thereon; providing a server which is in communication with the local detection application over a network, and which maintains a geo-fence database; querying the operating system for a first data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy; transmitting the first data set to the server; receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the first data set, a first set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location; receiving, from the operating system, a notification that the location of the mobile communications device has changed by an amount that exceeds a predetermined threshold; querying the operating system for a second data set comprising the general location of the mobile communications device and the corresponding location accuracy; transmitting the second data set to the server; receiving from the server, in response to the transmission of the second data set, a second set of geo-fences in the proximity of the general location; if the location defined in the second data set is within a predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then (a) using the GPS location detection to obtain a third data set comprising the GPS location of the mobile communications device, (b) comparing the GPS location to the second set of geo-fences, and (c)(i) if the GPS location is not within the predefined distance of the nearest geo-fence, then using the location defined in the second data set as the location of the mobile communications device, (ii) if the GPS location is within a new geo-fence distinct from the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then (1) marking the new geo-fence as having been entered, and (2) sending a message to the server indicating entry of the new geo-fence, (iii) if the GPS location is not within the geo-fence defined in the second data set, then sending a message to the server indicating that the geo-fence defined in the second data set has been exited.