USER CONTRIBUTION BASED MAPPING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100241709A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Daniel, Finkelstein, Jason Matthew, Grossman, Joel, Roumeliotis, Tasos, Hotes, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem

Abstract

A computer implemented user contribution method is provided. The method includes receiving identifying information from a plurality of users and receiving from the plurality of users indications of one or more geographic areas. A quality value of the one or more geographic areas is determined based on the indications of the one or more geographic areas from the plurality of users, and the quality value is transmitted to one or more of the plurality of users. The present invention further provides a user contribution based mapping system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented user contribution method comprising:

receiving identifying information from a plurality of users;

receiving from the plurality of users indications of at least one geographic area;

determining a quality value of the at least one geographic area based on the indications of the at least one geographic area from the plurality of users; and

transmitting the quality value of the at least one geographic area to at least one of the plurality of users.

2. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the identifying information as a plurality of user identifying criteria comprising at least one of a user address, a user age, a user gender, and a user occupation from the plurality of users; and

determining the quality value further based on the plurality of user identifying criteria of the plurality of users.

3. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the identifying information as a plurality of user identifying criteria from the plurality of users;

receiving from the at least one of the plurality of users an indication of at least one preferred user identifying criteria; and

determining the quality value of the at least one geographic area based on at least one indication of the at least one geographic area received from at least one of the plurality of users corresponding to the at least one preferred user identifying criteria.

4. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the quality value of the at least one geographic area with a predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device indicating that the user mobile device has entered the at least one geographic area; and

transmitting an indication to the at least one of the plurality of users that the user mobile device has entered the at least one geographic area if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

5. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a predetermined range from a user;

comparing the quality value of the at least one geographic area with the predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device indicating that the user mobile device has at least one of entered and exited the at least one geographic area; and

transmitting an indication to the user that the user mobile device has at least one of entered and exited the at least one geographic area if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

6. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the at least one of the plurality of users an indication of a predetermined range;

comparing the quality value with the predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device; and

transmitting a warning to the at least one of the plurality of users if the location information indicates that the user mobile device has entered the at least one geographic area and if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

7. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a map to the user mobile device displaying the at least one geographic area and displaying whether the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

8. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the at least one of the plurality of users an indication of a predetermined range;

comparing the quality value with the predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device; and

transmitting a warning to the user mobile device if the location information indicates that the user mobile device has entered the at least one geographic area and if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

9. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the at least one of the plurality of users an indication of a predetermined range;

comparing the quality value with the predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device;

transmitting a map to the user mobile device displaying the at least one geographic area and displaying whether the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range; and

transmitting an indication to the at least one of the plurality of users that the user mobile device has at least one of entered and exited the at least one geographic area if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range.

10. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the at least one of the plurality of users an indication of a predetermined range;

comparing the quality value with the predetermined range and determining whether the quality value falls within the predetermined range;

receiving mobile device location information of a user mobile device from at least one of the user mobile device and a remote telecommunication carrier server in communication with the user mobile device;

transmitting a map to the user mobile device displaying the at least one geographic area and displaying whether the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range; and

transmitting an indication of a reward to the user mobile device if the quality value of the at least one geographic area falls within the predetermined range and if the location information indicates that the user mobile device has not entered the at least one geographic area during a predetermined time period.

11. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a user account for each of the plurality of users using the identifying information.

12. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indications of at least one geographic area comprises receiving at least one rating of the at least one geographic area, and wherein the quality value is determined based on the at least one rating.

13. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 12, wherein receiving the indications of at least one geographic area further comprises receiving an indication of an address.

14. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the at least one rating of the at least one geographic area as an indication that the at least one geographic area is at least one of residential and commercial.

15. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the at least one rating of the at least one geographic area as a safety rating.

16. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indications of at least one geographic area comprises receiving a plurality of ratings of the at least one geographic area from the plurality of users, and wherein the quality value is determined as an average of the plurality of ratings from the plurality of users.

17. The computer-implemented user contribution method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting through a computer network a map to the at least one of the plurality of users displaying the at least one geographic area and the quality value of the at least one geographic area in relation to a surrounding area.

18. A user contribution based mapping system comprising at least one computing device including at least one memory comprising instructions operable to enable the computing device to perform a procedure comprising:

receiving identifying information from at least a first user and a second user;

receiving from the at least the first user and the second user indications of at least one geographic area;

determining a quality value of the at least one geographic area based on the indications of the at least one geographic area from the at least the first user and the second user; and

transmitting the quality value of the at least one geographic area to a third user.

19. The user contribution based mapping system of claim 18, wherein the at least one memory further comprises instructions operable to enable receiving from the third user at least one indication of the at least one geographic area.