Google locations api location listener

Question

I am using google location api for my app and there is a location listener in it-

    @Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
    if (paused){
        Runnable r = new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                handler.post(new Runnable() {
                    public void run() {
                        if (alarm){
                            double distance;
                            Location locationA = new Location("");
                            locationA.setLatitude(destlat);
                            locationA.setLongitude(destlng);
                            Location locationB = new Location("");
                            locationB.setLatitude(updLat);
                            locationB.setLongitude(updLng);
                            distance = locationA.distanceTo(locationB);
                            current_distance.setText("Current distance: " + Math.round(distance) + " m");
                            if(distance<rad){
                                alertUser();
                                alarm = false;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                });
            }
        };
        Thread bgAlarmThread = new Thread(r);
        bgAlarmThread.start();
    }else{
        updLat = location.getLatitude();
        updLng = location.getLongitude();
        locll = new LatLng(updLat,updLng);

        MarkerOptions locoptions = new MarkerOptions()
                .title("You are here")
                .position(locll)
                .icon(BitmapDescriptorFactory.fromResource(R.drawable.mapmarker));

        if (locmarker == null){
            gotoLocation(updLat, updLng, 15);
        }

        if(locmarker != null){
            locmarker2 = locmarker;
            locmarker2 = map.addMarker(locoptions);
            locmarker.remove();
            locmarker = null;
        }
        locmarker = map.addMarker(locoptions);
        if(locmarker2 != null){
            locmarker2.remove();
            locmarker2 = null;
        }



        if (alarm){
            double distance;
            Location locationA = new Location("");
            locationA.setLatitude(destlat);
            locationA.setLongitude(destlng);
            Location locationB = new Location("");
            locationB.setLatitude(updLat);
            locationB.setLongitude(updLng);
            distance = locationA.distanceTo(locationB);
            current_distance.setText("Current distance: " + Math.round(distance) + " m");
            if(distance<rad){
                alertUser();
                Toast.makeText(this,"Destination is now within your range",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                alarm = false;
            }
        }

        if (frag2.getVisibility() == View.VISIBLE){
            double distance;
            Location locationA = new Location("");
            locationA.setLatitude(destlat);
            locationA.setLongitude(destlng);
            Location locationB = new Location("");
            locationB.setLatitude(updLat);
            locationB.setLongitude(updLng);
            distance = locationA.distanceTo(locationB);


            EditText current_distance = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.currentDistance);
            current_distance.setText("Current distance: " + Math.round(distance) + " m");
        }




    }

}

For my app to work, the location listener should work even when app is minimised, but when my I hit the home button, the location listener would not work. How can I make the listener work when the app is minimized? Is it possible to run the listener itself on an alternative thread? How so?

Answer 1

Well no-one seems to know the answer so I might as well give it since it's been a long time and it's still unanswered.

public void startTimer() {
    //set a new Timer
    timer = new Timer();
    //initialize the TimerTask's job
    initializeTimerTask();
    //schedule the timer, after the first 5000ms the TimerTask will run every 10000ms
    timer.schedule(timerTask, 2000, 4000); //
}
public void initializeTimerTask() {
    timerTask = new TimerTask() {
        public void run() {

            //use a handler to run a toast that shows the current timestamp
            handler.post(new Runnable() {
                public void run() {
                    Runnable r = new Runnable() {
                        @Override
                        public void run() {
                            handler.post(new Runnable() {
                                public void run() {
                                    if (alarm){
                                        double distance;
                                        Location locationA = new Location("");
                                        locationA.setLatitude(destlat);
                                        locationA.setLongitude(destlng);
                                        Location locationB = new Location("");
                                        locationB.setLatitude(updLat);
                                        locationB.setLongitude(updLng);
                                        distance = locationA.distanceTo(locationB);
                                        current_distance.setText("Current distance: " + Math.round(distance) + " m");
                                        if(distance<rad){
                                            alertUser();
                                            alarm = false;
                                        }
                                    }
                                }
                            });
                        }
                    };
                    Thread bgAlarmThread = new Thread(r);
                    bgAlarmThread.start();
                }
            });
        }
    };

}