METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISCOVERING SIGNIFICANT PLACES

• US 20100304756A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: YANG, Guang
• Application Number:
  US12/476,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304756A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining significant places from cell identifiers. A circular sequence of cell identifiers associated with a mobile device is determined. Each of the cell identifiers has timing information according to when the mobile device has coverage by a corresponding one of a plurality of cells. The circular sequence also has a predetermined cardinality. The cell identifiers of the circular sequence are correlated using the timing information. One or more clusters of cell identifiers are generated based on the correlated cell identifiers. The one or more clusters are designated as one or more significant places.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a circular sequence of cell identifiers associated a mobile device, each of the cell identifiers having timing information according to when the mobile device has coverage by a corresponding one of a plurality of cells, wherein the circular sequence has a predetermined cardinality;

correlating the cell identifiers of the circular sequence using the timing information; and

generating one or more clusters of cell identifiers based on the correlated cell identifiers, wherein the one or more clusters are designated as one or more significant places.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the correlated cell identifiers are qualified cell identifiers based on a predetermined number of times each of the correlated cell identifiers appear in the circular sequence.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the circular sequence includes:

determining whether one of the cell identifiers is within a sliding window;

appending the one cell identifier if the one cell identifier is not within the sliding window;

determining whether the sliding window includes a circular subsequence of the cell identifiers; and

adding contents of the sliding window to one of the clusters if the sliding window is determined to include the circular subsequence.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining the circular sequence includes:

determining whether the sliding window has a window value greater than the predetermined cardinality; and

removing an earliest one of the cell identifiers in the sliding window.

5. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a portion of the circular sequence is missing a plurality of cell identifiers; and

eliminating the portion as a candidate for the one or more clusters.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more significant places includes a non-recurring place.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed on the mobile device that is without connectivity to a public data network.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a circular sequence of cell identifiers associated a mobile device, each of the cell identifiers having timing information according to when the mobile device has coverage by a corresponding one of a plurality of cells, wherein the circular sequence has a predetermined cardinality,

correlate the cell identifiers of the circular sequence using the timing information, and

generate one or more clusters of cell identifiers based on the correlated cell identifiers, wherein the one or more clusters are designated as one or more significant places.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether the correlated cell identifiers are qualified cell identifiers based on a predetermined number of times each of the correlated cell identifiers appear in the circular sequence.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at the determine the circular sequence step:

determine whether one of the cell identifiers is within a sliding window;

append the one cell identifier if the one cell identifier is not within the sliding window;

determine whether the sliding window includes a circular subsequence of the cell identifiers; and

add contents of the sliding window to one of the clusters if the sliding window is determined to include the circular subsequence.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at the determine the circular sequence step:

determine whether the sliding window has a window value greater than the predetermined cardinality; and

remove an earliest one of the cell identifiers in the sliding window.

12. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether a portion of the circular sequence is missing a plurality of cell identifiers; and

eliminate the portion as a candidate for the one or more clusters.

13. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more significant places includes a non-recurring place.

14. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone, the apparatus further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.

15. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform at least the following:

determine a circular sequence of cell identifiers associated a mobile device, each of the cell identifiers having timing information according to when the mobile device has coverage by a corresponding one of a plurality of cells, wherein the circular sequence has a predetermined cardinality;

correlate the cell identifiers of the circular sequence using the timing information; and

generate one or more clusters of cell identifiers based on the correlated cell identifiers, wherein the one or more clusters are designated as one or more significant places.

16. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether the correlated cell identifiers are qualified cell identifiers based on a predetermined number of times each of the correlated cell identifiers appear in the circular sequence.

17. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at the determine the circular sequence step:

determine whether one of the cell identifiers is within a sliding window;

append the one cell identifier if the one cell identifier is not within the sliding window;

determine whether the sliding window includes a circular subsequence of the cell identifiers; and

add contents of the sliding window to one of the clusters if the sliding window is determined to include the circular subsequence.

18. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to at the determine the circular sequence step:

determine whether the sliding window has a window value greater than the predetermined cardinality; and

remove an earliest one of the cell identifiers in the sliding window.

19. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether a portion of the circular sequence is missing a plurality of cell identifiers; and

eliminate the portion as a candidate for the one or more clusters.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more significant places includes a non-recurring place.