Systems, techniques, and methods for providing location assessments

• US 20090088967A1
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walk Score Management LLC (Redfin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Walk Score Management LLC (Redfin Corporation)
• Inventors: Lerner, Matthew R., Kocher, Jesse G., Mathieu, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0206 Price or cost determination based on market factors

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing location assessments are provided. Example embodiments provide a Location Assessment Provider System, which generates and provides assessments of various characteristics of specified locations. In one embodiment, the Location Assessment Provider System receives a specified location, determines a location assessment for the specified location, generates a visual representation of the determined location assessment, and provides the generated visual representation to a client system. Determining a location assessment may be based on geographic-related information about, or associated with, the specified location, such as the presence and location of geographic-related features associated with the specified location. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing location assessments of geographic locations, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a location;

identifying a plurality of categories of geographic-related entities;

for each of the plurality of categories,

determining a geographic-related entity of the category that is situated near the indicated location; and

generating a weighted measure based at least in part on a distance between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity; and

aggregating the generated weighted measures to determine a location assessment, wherein the generated weighted measures for at least two of the plurality of categories are not equal; and

providing a visual representation of the location assessment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined location assessment is a walkability assessment that reflects a level of support/quality/attractiveness of pedestrian travel around the indicated location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined location assessment is a bikeability assessment that reflects a level of support/quality/attractiveness of bicycle travel around the indicated location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of categories comprise food service establishments, retail establishments, and entertainment establishments.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the plurality of categories comprises:

selecting as categories at least two of grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, movie theaters, schools, parks, libraries, book stores, fitness, drug stores, hardware stores, clothing stores, public transit access points, and music stores.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the plurality of categories comprises:

receiving an indication of one or more categories preferred by a user; and

including the indicated one or more categories in the identified plurality of categories.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the indication of the location comprises receiving an indication of at least one of a street address, a latitude/longitude coordinate pair, an indication of a neighborhood, a zip code, an indication of a city, or an indication of a geographic region.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the plurality of categories, the determining the geographic-related entity of the category that is situated near the indicated location includes obtaining information about one or more geographic-related entities from a geographic information provider.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, for each of the plurality of categories, the determining the geographic-related entity of the category that is situated near the indicated location includes selecting one geographic-related entity from the one or more geographic-related entities, the one geographic-related entity being at least as near to the indicated location as every other of the one or more geographic-related entities.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the geographic information provider is a search engine operated by a third party.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the plurality of categories, the generating the weighted measure based at least in part on the distance between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity includes determining a distance measure between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein, for each of the plurality of categories, the determining the distance measure between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity includes determining a straight-line distance between the indicated location and the determined geographic related entity.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each of the plurality of categories, the generating the weighted measure based at least in part on the distance between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity includes decreasing the weighted measure in proportion to the distance between the indicated location and the determined geographic-related entity.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the aggregating the generated weighted measures to determine a location assessment includes summing the generated weighted measures.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the visual representation of the location assessment comprises providing a numerical score reflecting the location assessment.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the visual representation of the location assessment comprises providing at least one of a textual description reflecting the location assessment, a map of an area around the indicated location, indications of at least some of the selected geographic-entities, and indications of at least some of the plurality of categories.

17. A computing system configured to provide location assessments of geographic locations, comprising:

a memory;

a module stored on the memory that is configured, when executed, to

determine an area that includes an indicated location;

identify a plurality of categories of geographic-related entities;

for each of the plurality of categories,

determine one or more geographic-related entities of the category that are at least partially situated within the determined area;

select one of the determined geographic-related entities; and

generate a weighted measure based at least in part on a distance between the indicated location and the selected geographic-related entity; and

provide a location assessment based at least in part on the generated weighted measures.

18. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the module further comprises software instructions for execution in the memory of the computing system.

19. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the module is a location assessment provider module.

20. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the computing system is communicatively coupled to a geographic information provider, and wherein, for each of at least some of the plurality of categories, the module is further configured, when executed, to request from the geographic information provider information about one or more geographic-related entities of the category that are near the indicated location or that are within the determined area.

21. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the computing system is communicatively coupled to a third-party information provider that is configured, when executed, to provide location specific information to client computing systems, and wherein the module is further configured, when executed, to receive from the third-party information provider a request for a location assessment of the indicated location, and in response, provide the location assessment to the third-party information provider.

22. The computing system of claim 21 wherein the third-party information provider is a real estate information Web site or software application.

23. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the determined area is a circle having a center at the indicated location and a radius of between one and three miles.

24. The computing system of claim 17 wherein the determined area is at least one of a rectangle, a polygon, a zip code region, a neighborhood, or a city.

25. A computer-readable medium whose contents enable a computing system to provide location assessment of geographic locations, by performing a method comprising:

receiving an indication of a location;

identifying a plurality of categories of geographic-related features;

for each of the plurality of categories, determining a geographic-related feature of the category that is associated with an area around the indicated location;

generating a location assessment based at least in part on distances between the indicated location and each of at least some of the determined geographic-related features; and

providing a visual representation of the location assessment, the visual representation including indications of one or more of the at least some of the determined geographic-related features.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the generating the location assessment based at least in part on distances between the indicated location and each of at least some of the determined geographic-related features comprises:

determining, for each of the distances, a weighted score based on the distance; and

generating a total score that is the sum of all of the determined weighted scores.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the plurality of categories of geographic-related features include at least one of topographical elements of the area around the indicated location, weather conditions associated with the indicated location, social statistics related to the indicated location, or transportation network elements of the area around the indicated location.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the plurality of categories of geographic-related features include at least one category of abstract geographic-related features.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein the at least one category of abstract geographic-related features includes at least one of crime statistics, average/predicted weather conditions, average/predicted traffic conditions, average real estate prices, or restaurant reviews/ratings.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the generating the location assessment is further based on a user preference specifying that geographic-related features of one of the plurality of categories is to be scored more highly than geographic-related features of another one of the plurality of categories.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the plurality of categories of geographic-related features includes one or more categories of criminal events, and wherein the location assessment is a safety assessment that reflects a level of safety in the area.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the location assessment is a walkability assessment that reflects a level of attractiveness of pedestrian travel around the location.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the location assessment is a bikeability assessment that reflects a level of attractiveness of bicycle travel around the location.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the computer-readable medium is at least one of a memory in a computing device or a medium for storing a data transmission signal containing the contents.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the contents are instructions that when executed cause the computing system to perform the method.