Trusted maps: updating map locations using trust-based social graphs

• US 10,061,854 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gharpure, Chaitanya, Chen, Charles L., Raman, Tiruvilwamalai Venkatraman
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US14/321,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 707724, 707736, 701409, 701532, 701537
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2230/00 Voting or election arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/463 Electronic voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting

Abstract

A system and method for updating and correcting the location of geospatial entities, the method comprising receiving at a server from a mobile device operated by a first user, a proposed location for a geospatial entity, the proposed location determined by a wireless location system, and based upon a current location of the mobile device; providing information about the proposed location for the geospatial entity to a first plurality of other users; receiving votes from the first plurality of users as to whether the proposed location is correct and responsive to the received votes, determining whether to update the location information for the geospatial entity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of updating geospatial entities on maps, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, from a computing device operated by a first user, a proposed location for a new geospatial entity, the proposed location determined by a wireless location system, and based upon a current location of the computing device;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, from a first plurality of other users a request for a map comprising the proposed location, wherein the first plurality of other users is connected to the first user in a first social network;

responsive to the request, providing, by the one or more computing devices, the map comprising the proposed location for the new geospatial entity to a first subgraph of users and a second subgraph of users, the first subgraph of users comprising the first plurality of other users, and the second subgraph of users comprising a second plurality of other users wherein each of the second plurality of other users is associated with at least one of the first plurality of other users, and wherein the first subgraph of users and the second subgraph of users does not include the first user;

providing, by the one or more computing devices, a user interface requesting the first subgraph users and the second subgraph of users to vote whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct via user interaction with the user interface to indicate the respective vote;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, via the user interface votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a trust metric indicating a measure of trustworthiness of the proposed location responsive to the votes, wherein an initial vote from the first subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the first subgraph of users and an initial vote from the second subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the second subgraph of users, and wherein the trust metric is based at least in part on how many different subgraphs of users provide votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

responsive to the trust metric, determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location to a database of geospatial entities for maps; and

adding, by the one or more computing devices, the new geospatial entity to the map responsive the trust metric exceeding a threshold that is based at least in part on the votes from at least one of the subgraphs, via interaction with an online map hosting system associated with the map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the second plurality of other users is in a second social network with at least one of the plurality of other users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein there is minimal overlap between the users in the first plurality of other users and the second plurality of other users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein there is less than 5% overlap between the users in the first plurality of other users and the second plurality of other users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trust metric weighs votes from the first subgraph of users differently than the second subgraph of users.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first user is not a member of the second social network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location responsive to the trust metric comprises determining whether the trust metric exceeds the threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the new geospatial entity has a type and the threshold is different for different types of geospatial entities.

9. A computer-implemented geographic information system comprising:

a processor for executing program code; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code executable to perform steps comprising;

receiving from a computing device operated by a first user, a proposed location for a new geospatial entity, the proposed location determined by a wireless location system, and based upon a current location of the computing device;

receiving from a first plurality of other users a request for a map comprising the proposed location, wherein the first plurality of other users is connected to the first user in a first social network;

responsive to the request, providing the map comprising the proposed location for the new geospatial entity to a first subgraph of users and a second subgraph of users, the first subgraph of users comprising the first plurality of other users, and the second subgraph of users comprising a second plurality of other users wherein each of the second plurality of other users is associated with at least one of the first plurality of other users;

providing a user interface requesting at least one of the first subgraph users and the second subgraph of users to vote whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct via user interaction with the user interface to indicate the respective vote;

receiving via the user interface votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

determining a trust metric indicating a measure of trustworthiness of the proposed location responsive to the votes, wherein an initial vote from the first subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the first subgraph of users and an initial vote from the second subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the second subgraph of users, and wherein the trust metric is based at least in part on how many different subgraphs of users provide votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

responsive to the trust metric, determining whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location to a database of geospatial entities for maps; and

adding the new geospatial entity to the map responsive the trust metric exceeding a threshold that is based at least in part on the votes from at least one of the subgraphs, via interaction with an online map hosting system associated with the map.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the second plurality of other users is in a second social network with at least one of the plurality of other users.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein there is minimal overlap between the users in the first plurality of other users and the second plurality of other users.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein there is less than 5% overlap between the users in the first plurality of other users and the second plurality of other users.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the trust metric weighs votes from the first subgraph of users differently than the second subgraph of users.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein determining whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location responsive to the trust metric comprises determining whether the trust metric exceeds the threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the new geospatial entity has a type and the threshold is different for different types of geospatial entities.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving from a computing device operated by a first user, a proposed location for a new geospatial entity, the proposed location determined by a wireless location system, and based upon a current location of the computing device;

receiving from a first plurality of other users a request for a map comprising the proposed location, wherein the first plurality of other users is connected to the first user in a first social network;

responsive to the request, providing the map comprising the proposed location for the new geospatial entity to a first subgraph of users and a second subgraph of users, the first subgraph of users comprising the plurality of other users, and the second subgraph of users comprising a second plurality of other users wherein each of the second plurality of other users is associated with at least one of the first plurality of other users;

providing a user interface requesting the first subgraph of users and the second subgraph of users to vote whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct via user interaction with the user interface to indicate the respective vote;

receiving via the user interface votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

determining a trust metric indicating a measure of trustworthiness of the proposed location responsive to the votes, wherein an initial vote from the first subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the first subgraph of users and an initial vote from the second subgraph of users is afforded a higher weight than subsequent votes from the second subgraph of users, and wherein the trust metric is based at least in part on how many different subgraphs of users provide votes as to whether the proposed location for the new geospatial entity is correct;

responsive to the trust metric, determining whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location to a database of geospatial entities for maps; and

adding the new geospatial entity to the map responsive the trust metric exceeding a threshold that is based at least in part on the votes from at least one of the subgraphs, via interaction with an online map hosting system associated with the map.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein each of the second plurality of other users is in a second social network with at least one of the plurality of other users.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the trust metric weighs votes from the first subgraph of users differently than the second subgraph of users.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining whether to add the new geospatial entity at the proposed location responsive to the trust metric comprises, determining whether the trust metric exceeds the threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the new geospatial entity has a type and the threshold is different for different types of geospatial entities.