Location-based recommendation system

• US 20060266830A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narasimhan, Nitya, Horozov, Tzvetan T., Vasudevan, Venugopal
• Application Number:
  US11/141,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20060266830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/386
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus

Abstract

A memory-based collaborative filtering algorithm is optimized for large numbers of users by employing a personalized location-based data partitioning method that allows the system to scale even for very large datasets. Collaborative filtering then takes place on the scaled dataset.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location-based recommendation, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a home location of a user;

determining points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user;

performing collaborative filtering on the points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user; and

providing the user a recommendation based on the collaborative filtering of the points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

determining a current location of the user;

wherein the step of determining points of interest further comprises the step of determining points of interest that are located in a vicinity of the current location of the user; and

wherein the step of performing collaborative filtering comprises the step performing collaborative filtering on the points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user and that are located in the vicinity of the current location of the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining a zip code.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining an area code.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining geographic coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user comprises the step of determining points of interest having been voted on by users living within a predetermined radius of the home location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of performing collaborative filtering comprises the step of performing user-based context filtering.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home zip code of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home area code of the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home geographic location of the user.

11. A method for providing a location-based recommendation, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a home location of a user;

determining a current location of the user;

determining points of interest near the current location of the user having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user;

performing collaborative filtering on the points of interest near the current location of the user having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user; and

providing the user a recommendation based on the collaborative filtering of the points of interest near the current location of the user having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining a zip code.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining an area code.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the current location comprises the step of determining geographic coordinates.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of performing collaborative filtering comprises the step of performing user-based context filtering.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home zip code of the user.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home area code of the user.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the home location of the user comprises the step of determining a home geographic location of the user.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a database comprising a home location of a user;

a database comprising points of interest;

a filtering module accessing the databases and outputting points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user; and

a collaborative filter receiving the points of interest and performing collaborative filtering on the points of interest, outputting a user recommendation based on the collaborative filtering.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the filtering module outputs points of interest having been voted on by users living near the home location of the user and are additionally located in a vicinity of the current location of the user.