EMPLOYMENT INFERENCE FROM MOBILE DEVICE DATA

• US 20110022443A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chu, Maurice K., Partridge, Kurt E., Golle, Philippe J. P.
• Application Number:
  US12/506,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for inferring a user'"'"'s activity. During operation, the system collects contextual information recorded by a plurality of components located on a mobile device associated with the user. The system then extracts the user'"'"'s behavior pattern based on the collected contextual information, and determines whether the user is engaged in an employment-related activity.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method for inferring a user'"'"'s activity, the method comprising:

collecting contextual information recorded by one or more components located on a mobile device associated with the user;

extracting the user'"'"'s behavior pattern based on the collected contextual information; and

determining whether the user is engaged in an employment-related activity based at least on the user'"'"'s behavior pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is engaged in employment-related activity comprises performing one or more of the following operations:

comparing the user'"'"'s behavior pattern with a known user behavior pattern;

receiving the user'"'"'s input of information associated with his employment; and

obtaining census data associated with employment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the user behavior pattern involves:

extracting information associated with a location the user has visited; and

extracting timing information associated with the user corresponding to the location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the timing information comprises one or more of:

duration of the visit;

time of the day and/or time of the week of the visit;

repeat pattern of the visit; and

beginning and/or ending time of the visit.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

a venue type;

whether the location is a known location associated with the user'"'"'s employment; and

distance from the location to the user'"'"'s home.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the components comprise at least one of:

a GPS receiver;

a WiFi receiver;

a Bluetooth®

transceiver;

an accelerometer;

a clock;

a microphone;

a light sensor; and

a calendar.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising one or more of:

extracting ambient sound information detected by the microphone;

extracting ambient light information detected by the light sensor;

extracting accelerometer traces;

extracting information regarding the setting of the mobile device; and

detecting presence of a second mobile device.

8. A system for inferring a user'"'"'s activity, comprising:

a mobile device associated with the user for collecting contextual information, the mobile device comprising one or more components configured to collect contextual information;

an extraction mechanism configured to extract the user'"'"'s behavior pattern based on the collected contextual information; and

a determination mechanism configured to determine whether the user is engaged in an employment-related activity based at least on the user'"'"'s behavior pattern.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determination mechanism comprises one or more of:

a comparison mechanism configured to compare the user'"'"'s behavior pattern with a known user behavior pattern;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive an input from the user of information associated with his employment; and

a mechanism configured to obtain census data associated with employment.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the extraction mechanism is configured to:

extract information associated with a location the user has visited; and

extract timing information associated with the user corresponding to the location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the timing information comprises one or more of:

duration of the visit;

time of the day and/or time of the week of the visit;

repeat pattern of the visit; and

beginning and/or ending time of the visit.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

a venue type;

whether the location is a known location associated with the user'"'"'s employment; and

distance from the location to the user'"'"'s home.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the components comprise at least one of:

a GPS receiver;

a WiFi receiver

a Bluetooth®

transceiver;

an accelerometer;

a clock;

a microphone;

a light sensor; and

a calendar.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the extraction mechanism is further configured to perform at least one of the following operations:

extracting ambient sound information detected by the microphone;

extracting ambient light information detected by the light sensor;

extracting accelerometer traces;

extracting information regarding the setting of the mobile device; and

detecting presence of a second mobile device.

15. A server for facilitating inference of a user'"'"'s activity, the server comprising:

a receiving mechanism configured to receive contextual information recorded by one or more components located on a mobile device associated with the user;

an extraction mechanism configured to extract a behavior pattern of the user based on the collected contextual information; and

a determination mechanism configured to determine whether the user is engaged in employment-related activity based at least on the user'"'"'s behavior pattern.

16. The mobile device server of claim 15, wherein the determination mechanism comprises one or more of:

a comparison mechanism configured to compare the user'"'"'s behavior pattern with a known user behavior pattern;

a receiving mechanism configured to receive an input from the user information associated with his employment; and

a mechanism configured to obtain census data associated with employment.

17. The mobile device server of claim 15, wherein the extraction mechanism is configured to:

extract information associated with a location the user has visited; and

extract timing information associated with the user corresponding to the location.

18. The mobile device server of claim 17, wherein the timing information comprises one or more of:

duration of the visit;

time of the day and/or time of the week of the visit;

repeat pattern of the visit; and

beginning and/or ending time of the visit.

19. The mobile device server of claim 17, wherein the location information comprises at least one of:

a venue type;

whether the location is a known location associated with the user'"'"'s employment; and

distance from the location to the user'"'"'s home.

20. The mobile device server of claim 15, wherein the components comprise at least one of:

a GPS receiver;

a WiFi receiver

a Bluetooth®

transceiver;

an accelerometer;

a clock;

a microphone;

a light sensor; and

a calendar.

21. The mobile device server of claim 15, wherein the extraction mechanism is further configured to perform at least one of the following operations:

extracting ambient sound information detected by the microphone;

extracting ambient light information detected by the light sensor;

extracting accelerometer traces;

extracting information regarding the setting of the mobile device; and

detecting presence of a second mobile device.