Method and apparatus for identifying users who know each other

• US 10,089,363 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abrahamian, Edmond J., Patterson, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US14/884,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20170109353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 707734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying a plurality of users of a service of a network service provider as users known to each other are disclosed. For example, the method implemented via a processor obtains location information of a plurality of users of a service of a network service provider, selects a subset of users from the plurality of users that are deemed to be stationary, generates a score for each particular pair of users selected from the subset of users, determines for each particular pair of users, whether the score that is generated is greater than or equal to a threshold, identifies the pair of users as users who know each other, when the score for the particular pair of users is greater than or equal to the threshold, and performs an analysis to provide an offer to the pair of users, wherein the offer is based on the pair of users being identified as users who know each other.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, via a processor deployed in a network of a network service provider, location information of a plurality of users of a service of the network service provider;

selecting, via the processor, a subset of users from the plurality of users that are deemed to be stationary;

generating, via the processor, a score for each particular pair of users selected from the subset of users, wherein the score is based on a quality of a location at which each particular pair of users is located, wherein the quality of the location is based on a size of a point of interest of the location, wherein the size of the point of interest is expressed in terms of an occupancy level of the point of interest;

determining, via the processor, for each particular pair of users, whether the score that is generated is greater than or equal to a threshold;

identifying, via the processor, the pair of users as users who know each other, when the score for the particular pair of users is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

performing, via the processor, an analysis to provide an offer to the pair of users, wherein the offer is based on the pair of users being identified as users who know each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the score that is generated for the particular pair of users is determined using a function of one or more parameters, wherein the score indicates a likelihood of the particular pair of users knowing each other.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a temporal parameter, a distance parameter, and a location parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the score that is generated for the particular pair of users is generated as a weighted sum of a first function that provides a first sub-score that is based on one or more temporal aspects of the location information, a second function that provides a second sub-score that is based on a distance between the particular pair of users, and a third function that provides a third sub-score that is based on the quality of the location at which the particular pair of users is located, wherein the distance is determined in accordance with the location information, wherein the location at which the particular pair of users is located is determined from the location information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein weights for the first function, the second function and the third function are determined by the network service provider.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more temporal aspects of the location information comprise one or more of:

a temporal aspect for a time of day, a temporal aspect for a day of a week, a temporal aspect for a season, a temporal aspect based on whether or not a day associated with the location information is a holiday, and a temporal aspect for a length of time associated with the location information.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the quality of the location is based on information obtained from a third party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information obtained from the third party comprises a list of points of interest for a given geographical area, wherein the list of points of interest includes the point of interest of the location at which the particular pair of users is located.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information obtained from the third party further comprises one or more of:

a geographical coordinate for each point of interest in the list of points of interest, a category of each point of interest in the list of points of interest, a sub-category of each point of interest in the list of points of interest, a size of each point of interest in the list of points of interest, and an occupancy level of each point of interest in the list of points of interest.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the geographical coordinate for the point of interest in the list of points of interest comprises one or more of:

a latitudinal location, a longitudinal location, and an altitudinal location of the point of interest.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the size of the point of interest is expressed in terms of a radius from a center of the point of interest, or a polygon described by a set of connected points defining the boundaries of the point of interest.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a network of a network service provider, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

obtaining location information of a plurality of users of a service of the network service provider;

selecting a subset of users from the plurality of users that are deemed to be stationary;

generating a score for each particular pair of users selected from the subset of users, wherein the score is based on a quality of a location at which the particular pair of users is located, wherein the quality of the location is based on a size of a point of interest of the location, wherein the size of the point of interest is expressed in terms of an occupancy level of the point of interest;

determining for each particular pair of users, whether the score that is generated is greater than or equal to a threshold;

identifying the pair of users as users who know each other, when the score for the particular pair of users is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

performing an analysis to provide an offer to the pair of users, wherein the offer is based on the pair of users being identified as users who know each other.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the score that is generated for the particular pair of users is determined using a function of one or more parameters, wherein the score indicates a likelihood of the particular pair of users knowing each other.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a temporal parameter, a distance parameter, and a location parameter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the score that is generated for the particular pair of users is generated as a weighted sum of a first function that provides a first sub-score that is based on one or more temporal aspects of the location information, a second function that provides a second sub-score that is based on a distance between the particular pair of users, and a third function that provides a third sub-score that is based on the quality of the location at which the particular pair of users is located, wherein the distance is determined in accordance with the location information, wherein the location at which the particular pair of users is located is determined from the location information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein weights for the first function, the second function and the third function are determined by the network service provider.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the one or more temporal aspects of the location information comprise one or more of:

a temporal aspect for a time of day, a temporal aspect for a day of a week, a temporal aspect for a season, a temporal aspect based on whether or not a day associated with the location information is a holiday, and a temporal aspect for a length of time associated with the location information.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor deployed in a network of a network service provider, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

obtaining location information of a plurality of users of a service of the network service provider;

selecting a subset of users from the plurality of users that are deemed to be stationary;

generating a score for each particular pair of users selected from the subset of users, wherein the score is based on a quality of a location at which the particular pair of users is located, wherein the quality of the location is based on a size of a point of interest of the location, wherein the size of the point of interest is expressed in terms of an occupancy level of the point of interest;

determining for each particular pair of users, whether the score that is generated is greater than or equal to a threshold;

identifying the pair of users as users who know each other, when the score for the particular pair of users is greater than or equal to the threshold; and

performing an analysis to provide an offer to the pair of users, wherein the offer is based on the pair of users being identified as users who know each other.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the score that is generated for the particular pair of users is determined using a function of one or more parameters, wherein the score indicates a likelihood of the particular pair of users knowing each other.