Develop Reference

Geofence events not always called

This is how I add my geofences:
public void setGeofenceRequest(Location location) {
if (geofences == null) {
geofences = new ArrayList<Geofence>();
}
geofences.add(new Geofence.Builder()
.setRequestId("3")
.setTransitionTypes(Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_EXIT)
.setCircularRegion(
location.getLatitude(), location.getLongitude(), PSLocationService.getInstance(context).kPSGeofencingDistanceMedium)
.setExpirationDuration(Geofence.NEVER_EXPIRE)
.build());
Intent intent = new Intent(context, ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver.class);
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
if (geofences.size() > 0) {
LocationServices.GeofencingApi.addGeofences(mLocationClient, geofences, pi);
Log.i("", "geof autopilot2 will set geofence for autopilot-3");
}
}
And this is my BroadcastReceiver. Where I should receive them:
public class ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver {
#Override
public void onReceive(Context ctx, Intent intent) {
Log.i("","autopilot valid geof on receive transisionts broadcast receiver");
PSMotionService.getInstance(ctx).buildGoogleApiClient();
GeofencingEvent geofencingEvent = GeofencingEvent.fromIntent(intent);
int transitionType = geofencingEvent.getGeofenceTransition();
Location geofenceCenter = PSApplicationClass.getInstance().pref.getGeoCenter(ctx);
if(geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation() != null) {
if (geofenceCenter != null) {
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver TRIGGERING LOCATION: " + geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation().toString() + " / GEOFENCE CENTER: " + geofenceCenter.getLatitude() + ", " + geofenceCenter.getLongitude(), "D", Constants.TRACKER);
} else
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver TRIGGERING LOCATION: " + geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation().toString(), "D", Constants.TRACKER);
}else Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver ERROR => TRIGGERING LOCATION NULL", "D", Constants.TRACKER);
if(transitionType == Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_EXIT) {
List<Geofence> triggerList = geofencingEvent.getTriggeringGeofences();
for (Geofence geofence : triggerList) {
Log.i("", "geof is s receive transition broadcast receiver " + transitionType + " GPS zone " + geofence.getRequestId());
if(geofence.getRequestId().contentEquals("3")) {
Log.i("", "geof autopilot2 ENTERED GEOFENCE will start pilot with first location");
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver check to see if should start pilot", "T", Constants.TRACKER);
PSLocationService.getInstance(ctx).fastGPS = -1;
PSLocationService.getInstance(ctx).RequestLocationUpdates();
if(PSTrip.getActiveTrip() != null) {
PSLocationService.getInstance(ctx).removeAutoPilotGeofence();
}else PSMotionService.getInstance(ctx).checkinTime = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000;
}
}
}
}
}
Now usually it works, but not always. I would say that only about 75% of the time it should work, the geofence events are actually called. I feel like the more time since I've set the geofence, the less likely it will be to be called.
Why is this happening? Is the triggering event also being dismissed, when the app is cleaned by the garbage collector?
How can I make it so that my geofence is always being called, when the case?
EDIT:
This is my defaultConfig:
defaultConfig {
minSdkVersion 15
targetSdkVersion 23
ndk {
moduleName "ndkVidyoSample"
}
}
I changed from a Broadcast Receiver to a IntentService:
public class PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService extends IntentService {
private static ActivityManager manager;
private static PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService instance;
private GeofencingClient mGeofencingClient;
Context context;
private PendingIntent mGeofencePendingIntent;
public static boolean isMyServiceRunning(Class<?> serviceClass) {
for (ActivityManager.RunningServiceInfo service : manager.getRunningServices(Integer.MAX_VALUE)) {
if (serviceClass.getName().equals(service.service.getClassName())) {
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
public static PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService getInstance(Context context) {
if (instance == null) {
// Create the instance
instance = new PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService(context);
}
if (!isMyServiceRunning(PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService.class)) {
Intent bindIntent = new Intent(context, PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService.class);
context.startService(bindIntent);
}
// Return the instance
return instance;
}
public PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService() {
super("GeofenceTransitionsIntentService");
}
public PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService(Context context) {
super("GeofenceTransitionsIntentService");
mGeofencingClient = LocationServices.getGeofencingClient(context);
manager = (ActivityManager) context.getSystemService(Context.ACTIVITY_SERVICE);
instance = this;
this.context = context;
}
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
Log.i("", "autopilot valid geof on receive transisionts broadcast receiver");
PSMotionService.getInstance(context).buildGoogleApiClient();
GeofencingEvent geofencingEvent = GeofencingEvent.fromIntent(intent);
int transitionType = geofencingEvent.getGeofenceTransition();
Location geofenceCenter = PSApplicationClass.getInstance().pref.getGeoCenter(context);
if (geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation() != null) {
if (geofenceCenter != null) {
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver TRIGGERING LOCATION: " + geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation().toString() + " / GEOFENCE CENTER: " + geofenceCenter.getLatitude() + ", " + geofenceCenter.getLongitude(), "D", Constants.TRACKER);
} else
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver TRIGGERING LOCATION: " + geofencingEvent.getTriggeringLocation().toString(), "D", Constants.TRACKER);
} else
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver ERROR => TRIGGERING LOCATION NULL", "D", Constants.TRACKER);
if (transitionType == Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_EXIT) {
List<Geofence> triggerList = geofencingEvent.getTriggeringGeofences();
for (Geofence geofence : triggerList) {
Log.i("", "geof is s receive transition broadcast receiver " + transitionType + " GPS zone " + geofence.getRequestId());
if (geofence.getRequestId().contentEquals("3")) {
Log.i("", "geof autopilot2 ENTERED GEOFENCE will start pilot with first location");
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE ENTERED ReceiveTransitionsBroadcastReceiver check to see if should start pilot", "T", Constants.TRACKER);
PSLocationService.getInstance(context).isLocationRequestsOn = -1;
PSLocationService.getInstance(context).RequestLocationUpdates();
if (PSTrip.getActiveTrip() != null) {
removeAutoPilotGeofence();
} else
PSMotionService.getInstance(context).checkinTime = System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000;
}
}
}
}
public void removeAutoPilotGeofence() {
try {
Log.i("", "autopilot remove autopilot geofence");
List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
list.add("3");
if(mGeofencingClient == null)
mGeofencingClient = LocationServices.getGeofencingClient(context);
mGeofencingClient.removeGeofences(list).addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<Void>() {
#Override
public void onSuccess(Void aVoid) {
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE removeAutoPilotGeofence Success removing geofences!", "I", Constants.TRACKER);
Log.i("", "GEOFENCE removeAutoPilotGeofence Success removing geofences!");
PSApplicationClass.getInstance().pref.setGeoCenterString(context, "-1");
}
}).addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() {
#Override
public void onFailure(#NonNull Exception e) {
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE removeAutoPilotGeofence FAILURE removing geofences!" + e.getMessage(), "I", Constants.TRACKER);
Log.i("", "GEOFENCE removeAutoPilotGeofence FAILURE removing geofences!" + e.getMessage());
}
});
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE: Disabling geofence done removeAutoPilotGeofence", "E", Constants.TRACKER);
} catch (final Exception e) {
if (e.getMessage().contains("GoogleApiClient") && e.getMessage().contains("not connected")) {
PSLocationService.getInstance(context).startLocationClient();
Handler han = new Handler();
han.postDelayed(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
Utils.appendLog("autopilot2 error will try again", "E", Constants.TRACKER);
removeAutoPilotGeofence();
}
}, 1000);
}
Log.i("", "autopilot2 error replaceFragment autopilot geofence:" + e.getMessage());
Utils.appendLog("autopilot2 error replaceFragment autopilot geofence:" + e.getMessage(), "E", Constants.TRACKER);
}
}
public void setGeofenceRequest(final Location location) {
ArrayList geofences = new ArrayList<>();
geofences.add(new Geofence.Builder()
.setRequestId("3")
.setTransitionTypes(Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_EXIT)
.setCircularRegion(
location.getLatitude(), location.getLongitude(), PSLocationService.kPSGeofencingDistanceMedium)
.setExpirationDuration(Geofence.NEVER_EXPIRE)
.build());
//ADDING GEOFENCES
if (geofences.size() > 0) {
if(mGeofencingClient == null)
mGeofencingClient = LocationServices.getGeofencingClient(context);
mGeofencingClient.addGeofences(getGeofencingRequest(location, geofences), getGeofencePendingIntent()).addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<Void>() {
#Override
public void onSuccess(Void aVoid) {
RealmLocation realmLocation = new RealmLocation(location.getLatitude(), location.getLongitude(), location.getTime() / 1000, null, true);
realmLocation.setAccuracy(location.getAccuracy());
realmLocation.setSpeed(location.getSpeed());
PSApplicationClass.getInstance().pref.setGeoCenter(realmLocation, context);
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE setGeofenceRequest Success adding geofences!" + location.getLatitude() + " / " + location.getLongitude(), "I", Constants.TRACKER);
Log.i("", "GEOFENCE setGeofenceRequest Success adding geofences! " + location.getLatitude() + " / " + location.getLongitude());
PSLocationService.getInstance(context).stopLocationClient();
PSMotionService.getInstance(context).buildGoogleApiClient();
}
}).addOnFailureListener(new OnFailureListener() {
#Override
public void onFailure(#NonNull Exception e) {
Utils.appendLog("GEOFENCE setGeofenceRequest FAILURE adding geofences!" + e.getMessage(), "I", Constants.TRACKER);
Log.i("", "GEOFENCE setGeofenceRequest FAILURE adding geofences!" + e.getMessage());
}
});
Log.i("", "geof autopilot2 will set geofence for autopilot-3");
}
}
/**
* Gets a PendingIntent to send with the request to add or remove Geofences. Location Services
* issues the Intent inside this PendingIntent whenever a geofence transition occurs for the
* current list of geofences.
*
* #return A PendingIntent for the IntentService that handles geofence transitions.
*/
private PendingIntent getGeofencePendingIntent() {
// Reuse the PendingIntent if we already have it.
if (mGeofencePendingIntent != null) {
return mGeofencePendingIntent;
}
Intent intent = new Intent(context, PSGeofenceTransitionsIntentService.class);
// We use FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT so that we get the same pending intent back when calling
// addGeofences() and removeGeofences().
return PendingIntent.getService(context, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
}
/**
* Builds and returns a GeofencingRequest. Specifies the list of geofences to be monitored.
* Also specifies how the geofence notifications are initially triggered.
*/
private GeofencingRequest getGeofencingRequest(Location location, ArrayList<Geofence> geofences) {
GeofencingRequest.Builder builder = new GeofencingRequest.Builder();
// The INITIAL_TRIGGER_ENTER flag indicates that geofencing service should trigger a
// GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_ENTER notification when the geofence is added and if the device
// is already inside that geofence.
builder.setInitialTrigger(GeofencingRequest.INITIAL_TRIGGER_EXIT);
// Add the geofences to be monitored by geofencing service.
builder.addGeofences(geofences);
// Return a GeofencingRequest.
return builder.build();
}
}
I have in it also the code to remove and add the geofences, and the listener always goes into onSuccess regarding adding them.

For starters, I would not put this code inside a BroadcastReceiver.
Besides being bad practice, the component might be shutdown before the code has finished executing.
Please consider starting a Service from your Receiver, if you need to run code that might take some time.
Otherwise for a short execution time, you may use an IntentService.
By looking at your code, I'm aware of two reasons your Geofences are not working as expected:
1) The nature of Geofences
Geofences API retrieves your location mostly from WiFi / Cellular Data, which is often unavailable.
I tried to use Geofences once, and I found them very inaccurate. I switched to LocationManager making it use pure GPS location and it met my expectations.
Please see this answer, which advises to
Poll the GPS hardware on an interval without doing anything with the result and you'll start getting more accurate geofences.
I have never tried Google's FusedLocation API, but I have heard people saying it worked very well for them.
If you use LocationManager, you will have to implement your 'Geofencing logic' yourself; you can easily do it with Location.distanceTo(Location).
Example:
final float distanceFromCenter = currentLocation.distanceTo(this.destination);
if (distanceFromCenter <= YOUR_RADIUS_IN_METERS) {
// you are inside your geofence
}
2) CPU is not active
The fact that the Geofences are active, does not necessarily mean that your phone is awake and computing location checks.
To fix that, you can start a ForegroundService from your BroacastReceiver. The Service should hold a partial WakeLock as well.
This guarantees that:
The OS does not kill the service (or better: less chance to be killed...)
The user is aware of the service and can dismiss it if necessary
The CPU is running. Therefore you can be sure that the code that retrieves the location is running (please remember to to release the WakeLock when the service stops).
Please note that Android may still kill your service if necessary.
You can find plenty of examples on the web on how to start a ForegroundService from a BroadcastReceiver, how to hold a WakeLock and so on...
Also, check out to the new Android O API, that brought some minor changes to the ForegroundService and other components.
PS: I have developed and application that uses all the components mentioned above (except for the FusedLocation) and I was extremely satisfied.
EDIT: Answering OP's questions
Okey, let's try to make some order here, otherwise future readers may easily get confused. I'll start by answering what written in the original question and the 'bounty banner', then the OP edits, and finally the questions the OP placed in the comments.
1) Original question
Is the triggering event also being dismissed, when the app is cleaned by the garbage collector?
Most probably yes. See this answer where OP implemented a service that runs in a separate process, in order to make geofence be triggered even when the app is killed.
I need to understand what causes the geofences not to get called, if enough time has passed
Plenty of reasons. See my original answer.
I saw an implementation of the geofence logic with an Service instead of a broadcast receiver, will that work better?
A Receiver and a Service are two different things. Please read Android's documentation. You can start a Service from a BroadcastReceiver, which is usually the preferred way to 'receive' PendingIntents and do something with them.
2) Edits
Please note that I did not tell you to replace the BroadcastReceiver with a Service, but that it might be a good idea to start a Service from your Receiver and handle all your logic there.
Making your IntentService a Singleton class is not necessary as (from IntentService documentation)
All requests are handled on a single worker thread -- they may take as long as necessary (and will not block the application's main loop), but only one request will be processed at a time.
Do not store Context into a Singleton class or some static references. I'm impressed Android Studio did not warn you.
3) Comments
I need this to work 24/7 hence I cannot use the location all the time, cause of obvious battery issues.
Please read Android Oreo Background Execution Limits. This might be an issue for you.
Also now that I changed to a intentService, is that enough to ensure it should stay awake?
No, as I said, you probably need a partial WakeLock in order to turn on the CPU.
Do I need to initiate it another way, in order to keep it in the foreground?
Yes. In order to start a Foreground Service, you need to call startForeground(int, Notification)
Please note: IntentServices lifespan is limited to the end of the onHandleIntent() function. They are not supposed to live for more than a few seconds, typically. Use the Service class if you want to start a Foreground.
Moreover, as said in the original answer, a new Foreground API is available and preferred for Android Oreo.
Not a question, just a notice: I need to use here Geofencing. (Geofencing will start if necessary the gps
Ok perfect. See what works best for you.

requestLocationUpdates after a exact fixed interval

Objective: To save current locations in Service in database after exact 15 min with in service (using less battery).I use these location at various points in my app.
locationrequest = LocationRequest.create();
locationrequest.setInterval(5*60000);
locationrequest
.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_BALANCED_POWER_ACCURACY);
locationclient.requestLocationUpdates(locationrequest, mPendingIntent);
Problem: I'm using the above code does not request location according to set interval value.Although, I'm aware that This interval is inexact. You may not receive updates at all, or you may receive them slower than requested. You may also receive them faster than requested. Sometimes, the location is updated after 1 min , I don't want to waste processing and battery to get locations at small intervals.
public class LoginActivity extends Activity implements OnClickListener
,
GooglePlayServicesClient.ConnectionCallbacks,GooglePlayServicesClient.OnConnectionFailedListener,LocationListener {
#Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.login_screen);
///my code
mIntentService = new Intent(LoginActivity.this,LocationService.class);
mIntentService.putExtra("time",String.valueOf(System.currentTimeMillis()) );
mPendingIntent = PendingIntent.getService(LoginActivity.this, 1, mIntentService, 0);
int resp =GooglePlayServicesUtil.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(this);
if(resp == ConnectionResult.SUCCESS){
locationclient = new LocationClient(this,this,this);
locationclient.connect();
}
else{
Toast.makeText(this, "Google Play Service Error " + resp, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
}
#Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
#Override
public void onConnectionFailed(ConnectionResult arg0) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
#Override
public void onConnected(Bundle arg0) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
Log.i("fused", " onConnected " );
// mIntentService = new Intent(LoginActivity.this,LocationService.class);
// mPendingIntent = PendingIntent.getService(LoginActivity.this, 1, mIntentService, 0);
locationrequest = LocationRequest.create();
locationrequest.setInterval(5*60000);
// locationrequest
// .setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_BALANCED_POWER_ACCURACY);
locationclient.requestLocationUpdates(locationrequest, mPendingIntent);
// locationrequest = LocationRequest.create();
// locationrequest.setInterval(1000);//??
// locationclient.requestLocationUpdates(locationrequest, this);
}
#Override
public void onDisconnected() {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
}
LocationService
public class LocationService extends IntentService {
private String TAG = this.getClass().getSimpleName();
public LocationService() {
super("Fused Location");
}
public LocationService(String name) {
super("Fused Location");
}
#Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
// Log.i("fused", "onHandleIntent LocationService");
Location location = intent.getParcelableExtra(LocationClient.KEY_LOCATION_CHANGED);
if(location !=null){
String time= intent.getStringExtra("time");
Log.i("fused", "onHandleIntent LocationService " +time+"---"+ location.getLatitude() + "," + location.getLongitude());
updateTransientLocation(getApplicationContext(), location);
}
}
Also, I need to save these locations periodically in database in background only and hence cannot use requestLocationUpdates without pending intent to service.
I have refered to this for the code
Thanks.
EDIT -SOLUTION This is how my problem was solved
Code in Activity
Intent myIntent = new Intent(context,LocationReceiver.class);
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(context, 0, myIntent, 0);
alarmMgr.setRepeating(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP,
SystemClock.elapsedRealtime(),
// 120000,pi);
I removed the location Service class and added location receiver
LocationReceiver
public class LocationReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver implements
GooglePlayServicesClient.ConnectionCallbacks,
GooglePlayServicesClient.OnConnectionFailedListener, LocationListener {
SharedPreferences prefs = null;
LocationClient locationclient = null;
Context contxt;
/** For location poller NO LONGER IN USE **/
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
contxt=context;
//Log.i("locationreciever", "in location rec");
Log.i("fused", "in location rec");
int resp = GooglePlayServicesUtil
.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(context);
if (resp == ConnectionResult.SUCCESS) {
locationclient = new LocationClient(context, this, this);
locationclient.connect();
} else {
Log.i("fused", "loc client Google Play Service Error");
}
}
#Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
Log.i("fused", " onLocationChanged Location Request :" + location.getLatitude() + "," + location.getLongitude());
updateTransientLocation(contxt, location);
if (locationclient != null) {
if (locationclient.isConnected()) {
locationclient.removeLocationUpdates(this);
locationclient.disconnect();
}
}
}
#Override
public void onConnectionFailed(ConnectionResult arg0) {
Log.i("fused", "loc client connection failed");
}
#Override
public void onConnected(Bundle arg0) {
Log.i("fused", "loc client onConnected");
LocationRequest locationrequest = LocationRequest.create();
locationrequest
.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_BALANCED_POWER_ACCURACY);
locationclient.requestLocationUpdates(locationrequest, this);
}
#Override
public void onDisconnected() {
Log.i("fused", "loc client disconnected");
}
}

The best solution would be to use your current approach. You're tell the OS that you don't need locations more often, but something else might be requesting locations, in which case you might as well just accept it, now that the phone has already woken up to get a GPS fix and broadcast it to every process that's interested in a location. This way, your application may actually never have to turn on the GPS, because you're basically just using a location fix that was requested by another process more often that every 15 minutes. The keyword to search for here is the new fused location provider.
If you insist on getting a location exactly every 15 minutes, you can, instead of scheduling a location request, use an AlarmManager to schedule a job to run every 15 minutes. In your alarm manager, you can then immediately request a new single location, and then completely stop requesting new locations until your job is scheduled to run again. If you go down this route, you'll likely run into problems with your service ending before you get a result, because of the asynchronous nature of the location service. Therefore, you want to poll for a location in your alarm manager. You can use a project like CWAC LocationPoller for that
The documentation has examples of how to schedule recurring events:
https://developer.android.com/training/scheduling/alarms.html
Depending on your need, you should be think about the fact that a location may not be available every 15 minutes. Maybe the user is outside of GPS/wifi/phone range. So it may or may not be beneficial to start a task a bit early, or more often, to make sure you have a reasonable fix after your 15 minute window has elapsed.
With all that said, here's the code snippet you're actually interested in to solve your specific problem (taken directly from the CWAC locationpoller site):
1. Create a recurring alarm manager
mgr=(AlarmManager)getSystemService(ALARM_SERVICE);
Intent i=new Intent(this, LocationPoller.class);
Bundle bundle = new Bundle();
LocationPollerParameter parameter = new LocationPollerParameter(bundle);
parameter.setIntentToBroadcastOnCompletion(new Intent(this, LocationReceiver.class));
// try GPS and fall back to NETWORK_PROVIDER
parameter.setProviders(new String[] {LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, LocationManager.NETWORK_PROVIDER});
parameter.setTimeout(60000);
i.putExtras(bundle);
pi=PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, 0, i, 0);
mgr.setRepeating(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP,
SystemClock.elapsedRealtime(),
PERIOD,
pi);
2. Create a BroadcastReceiver to receive your location data
Bundle b=intent.getExtras();
LocationPollerResult locationResult = new LocationPollerResult(b);
Location loc=locationResult.getLocation();
String msg;
if (loc==null) {
loc=locationResult.getLastKnownLocation();
if (loc==null) {
msg=locationResult.getError();
}
else {
msg="TIMEOUT, lastKnown="+loc.toString();
}
}
else {
msg=loc.toString();
}
if (msg==null) {
msg="Invalid broadcast received!";
}

From http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/AlarmManager.html#setRepeating%28int,%20long,%20long,%20android.app.PendingIntent%29
as of API 19, all repeating alarms are inexact. If your application needs precise delivery times then it must use one-time exact alarms, rescheduling each time as described above. Legacy applications whose targetSdkVersion is earlier than API 19 will continue to have all of their alarms, including repeating alarms, treated as exact.
So you will have to do something like this:
public void startTheClock(int interval) {
Intent pingerIntent = new Intent(this, findLoc.class);
pingerIntent.setAction("start_clock");
PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
this.getApplicationContext(),
0,
pingerIntent,
PendingIntent.FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT);
AlarmManager alarms = (AlarmManager) this.getSystemService(
Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
alarms.setExact(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME_WAKEUP,
SystemClock.elapsedRealtime() + interval,
pendingIntent);
}
And in the class that captures that intent (in this example, findLoc.java):
public class findLoc extends BroadcastReceiver{
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
callMethodThatSearchesForLocation();
startTheClock(INTERVAL);
}
}
Where interval is a constant in miliseconds.
NOTE: I actually had some problems with that because it displayed an error on setExact(..) since my minimum SDK did not support this. Which is a bit of a paradox if you want the same behaviour on SDK lower than 19 and higher or equal to 19.

getting data from onHandleIntent

Im trying to implement "Fused Location".
And i have a location service that uses onHandleIntent..
my question is this : can I send get the location information latitude, longitude in the main activity from onHandleIntent???
Im calling this service from mainactivity.
like this :
mIntentService = new Intent(this,LocationService.class);
mPendingIntent = PendingIntent.getService(this, 1, mIntentService, 0);
And my Service Location is this :
public class LocationService extends IntentService {
private String TAG = this.getClass().getSimpleName();
public LocationService() {
super("Fused Location");
}
public LocationService(String name) {
super("Fused Location");
}
#Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
Location location = intent.getParcelableExtra(LocationClient.KEY_LOCATION_CHANGED);
if(location !=null){
Log.i(TAG, "onHandleIntent " + location.getLatitude() + "," + location.getLongitude());
NotificationManager notificationManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
Builder noti = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this);
noti.setContentTitle("Fused Location");
noti.setContentText(location.getLatitude() + "," + location.getLongitude());
noti.setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_launcher);
notificationManager.notify(1234, noti.build());
}
}
}

Use LocalBroadcastManager.
By the android documentation:
Helper to register for and send broadcasts of Intents to local objects within your process. This is has a number of advantages over sending global broadcasts with sendBroadcast(Intent):
You know that the data you are broadcasting won't leave your app, so don't need to worry about leaking private data.
It is not possible for other applications to send these broadcasts to your app, so you don't need to worry about having security holes they can exploit.
It is more efficient than sending a global broadcast through the system.
Check these:
http://www.intertech.com/Blog/using-localbroadcastmanager-in-service-to-activity-communications/
how to use LocalBroadcastManager?

Remove Geofence after triggered

I use Geofences in my app, everything works fine except the removal of triggered geofences.
I red the guide from the official documentation of Android but they don't explain how to remove a geofence inside of the IntentService.
Here is the code of the event handler of the service:
#Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent)
{
Log.e("GeofenceIntentService", "Location handled");
if (LocationClient.hasError(intent))
{
int errorCode = LocationClient.getErrorCode(intent);
Log.e("GeofenceIntentService", "Location Services error: " + Integer.toString(errorCode));
}
else
{
int transitionType = LocationClient.getGeofenceTransition(intent);
if (transitionType == Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_ENTER)
{
List <Geofence> triggerList = LocationClient.getTriggeringGeofences(intent);
String[] triggerIds = new String[triggerList.size()];
for (int i = 0; i < triggerIds.length; i++)
{
// Store the Id of each geofence
triggerIds[i] = triggerList.get(i).getRequestId();
Picture p = PicturesManager.getById(triggerIds[i], getApplicationContext());
/* ... do a lot of work here ... */
}
}
else
Log.e("ReceiveTransitionsIntentService", "Geofence transition error: " + Integer.toString(transitionType));
}
}
How can I delete the geofence after he got triggered ?

You can do something like this:
LocationServices.GeofencingApi.removeGeofences(
mGoogleApiClient,
// This is the same pending intent that was used in addGeofences().
getGeofencePendingIntent()
).setResultCallback(this); // Result processed in onResult().
And your getGeofencePendingIntent() method can look like this:
/**
* Gets a PendingIntent to send with the request to add or remove Geofences. Location Services
* issues the Intent inside this PendingIntent whenever a geofence transition occurs for the
* current list of geofences.
*
* #return A PendingIntent for the IntentService that handles geofence transitions.
*/
private PendingIntent getGeofencePendingIntent() {
Log.d(TAG, "getGeofencePendingIntent()");
// Reuse the PendingIntent if we already have it.
if (mGeofencePendingIntent != null) {
return mGeofencePendingIntent;
}
Intent intent = new Intent(mContext, GeofenceIntentServiceStub.class);
// We use FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT so that we get the same pending intent back when calling
// addGeofences() and removeGeofences().
mGeofencePendingIntent = PendingIntent.getService(mContext, 0, intent,
PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
return mGeofencePendingIntent;
}

You would proceed as you did when adding Geofences (create a LocationClient and wait for it to connect). Once it is connected, in the onConnected callback method, you would call removeGeofences on the LocationClient instance instead and pass it a list of request IDs you want to remove and an instance of OnRemoveGeofencesResultListener as a callback handler.
Of course, you must use the same request IDs you used when creating the GeoFence with GeoFence.Builder's setRequestId.
#Override
public void onConnected(Bundle arg0) {
locationClient.removeGeofences(requestIDsList,
new OnRemoveGeofencesResultListener() {
...
});

requestLocationUpdates with PendingIntent and Broadcast - what broadcasts do I get

I have setup an alarm which is received by a BroadcastReceiver which launches a WakefulIntentService (class LocationMonitor). In the LocationMonitor I have :
private static final int MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_SCANS = 1 * 30 * 1000;
private static final int MIN_DISTANCE = 0;
#Override
protected void doWakefulWork(Intent intent) {
final CharSequence action = intent.getAction();
if (action == null) { // monitor command from the alarm manager
// the call below enables the LocationReceiver
BaseReceiver.enable(this, ENABLE, LocationReceiver.class);
if (lm == null) lm = (LocationManager) this
.getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
Intent i = new Intent(this, LocationReceiver.class);
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, NOT_USED, i,
PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT | PendingIntent.FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT);
lm.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,
MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_SCANS, MIN_DISTANCE, pi);
} else if (ac_location_data.equals(action)) {
final Bundle extras = intent.getExtras();
if (extras != null) {
final Location loc = (Location) extras
.get(LocationManager.KEY_LOCATION_CHANGED);
if (loc == null) {
w("NULL LOCATION - EXTRAS : " + extras); //Log.w
// while gps is disabled I keep getting this :
// NULL LOCATION - EXTRAS : Bundle[{providerEnabled=false}]
} else {
final double lon = loc.getLongitude();
final double lat = loc.getLatitude();
w("latitude :" + lat + " -- longitude : " + lon);
}
}
}
}
I have several issues with the code above.
If GPS is initially disabled and then I enable it I get a bunch of W/GpsLocationProvider(...): Unneeded remove listener for uid 1000. The warning comes from here. I can't find in the code where is this removing of listeners triggered, nor can I see where they are assigned the uid 1000 (apparently the system server).
When I enable the gps I get the location as expected and then a "RemoteException"
LocationManagerService(...): RemoteException calling onLocationChanged on Receiver{4083ee68 Intent PendingIntent{4084e6b8: PendingIntentRecord{4083ef78 gr.uoa.di.monitoring.android broadcastIntent}}}mUpdateRecords: {gps=UpdateRecord{40838180 mProvider: gps mUid: 10064}}
which is not really a RemoteException, just a PendingIntent.CancelledException - the message is quite misleading. Or so I think : it comes from here which calls this. My question is : why is it reusing the Intent - shouldn't the FLAG_ONE_SHOT dispose of it ?
But the most important question is : when I register a PendingIntent like this what intents do I expect to receive ? And what flags should I use ?
Keep in mind I am using this pattern cause I want to have the phone update its position even when asleep and this achieves it (I do get the location updates). I try to simulate requestSingleUpdate (unavailable in 2.3) using FLAG_ONE_SHOT.
Receiver :
public final class LocationReceiver extends BaseReceiver {
private static final Class<? extends Monitor> MONITOR_CLASS =
LocationMonitor.class;
#Override
public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) {
d(intent.toString());
final String action = intent.getAction();
d(action + "");
final Intent i = new Intent(context, MONITOR_CLASS);
i.fillIn(intent, 0); // TODO do I need flags ?
i.setAction(ac_location_data.toString());
WakefulIntentService.sendWakefulWork(context, i);
}
}

To this question:
when I register a PendingIntent like this what intents do I expect to
receive ? And what flags should I use ?
When you register for location updates and pass a PendingIntent, this PendingIntent will be triggered when the LocationManager decides to inform you about a location update. You can provide pretty much whatever you want, depending on what you want to happen when the PendingIntent is triggered. The LocationManager will add an extra to the Intent that is sent. This extra has the bundle key LocationManager.KEY_LOCATION_CHANGED and the object associated with that key is a Location object.
LocationManager will use this PendingIntent again and again to inform your app of location updates, so I think using PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT is probably not such a good idea. If you only want a single update, why don't you just unregister after you get one update?
EDIT: Add code to cancel any previously requested updates before registering for updates
Before you call registerLocationUpdates(), do this to cancel any previously registered updates:
Intent i = new Intent(this, LocationReceiver.class);
// Get any existing matching PendingIntent
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, NOT_USED, i,
PendingIntent.FLAG_NO_CREATE);
if (pi != null) {
// Cancel any updates for this PendingIntent, because we are about to
// invalidate it
lm.removeUpdates(pi);
}
// Create a new PendingIntent and cancel any previous one
pi = PendingIntent.getBroadcast(this, NOT_USED, i,
PendingIntent.FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT);
// Now register for location updates...
lm.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER,
MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_SCANS, MIN_DISTANCE, pi);
NOTE: Actually, I don't know why you need to cancel any previous PendingIntent and create a new one in this case. You can just get a PendingIntent and if you have already registered for location updates with that PendingIntent, I don't think that registering again will cause the PendingIntent to be used multiple times. If you want to try that, all you need to do is to remove PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT | PendingIntent.FLAG_CANCEL_CURRENT from your existing code. I think that is a better/cleaner/clearer solution.