Electronic Apparatus, Information Determining Server, Information Determining Method, Program, and Information Determining System

• US 20120040688A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KOBAYASHI, Kenichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method is provided for determining a category of a location. The method comprises determining, at a first time, information identifying a first device location of a first device associated with a user; and storing the first device location information and information identifying the first time in a location history. The method further comprises determining, at a second time, information identifying a second device location of the first device; and storing, in the location history, the second device location information and information identifying the second time. The method still further comprises determining, based on the location history, a category of a location.

Claims

1. A method for determining a category of a location, comprising:

determining, at a first time, information identifying a first device location of a first device associated with a user;

storing the first device location information and information identifying the first time in a location history;

determining, at a second time, information identifying a second device location of the first device;

storing, in the location history, the second device location information and information identifying the second time; and

determining, based on the location history, a category of a location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the category comprises at least one of a home, a work place, a school, a transportation area, a meal area, a shopping area, a sports area, or an entertainment area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the category is a first category of a first visited location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing, in a category history, information identifying the first category and information identifying the first visited location;

determining, based on the location history, a second category of a second visited location; and

storing, in the category history, information identifying the second category and information identifying the second visited location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, at a third time, information identifying a third device location of the first device; and

respectively determining, based on the category history, if the first and second categories are categories of the third device location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying, if the first category is a category of the third device location, an indication that the first category is a category of the third device location; and

displaying, if the second category is a category of the third device location, an indication that the second category is a category of the third device location.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, at a third time, information identifying a third device location of the first device;

acquiring information associated with the third device location; and

selecting a subset of the acquired information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information associated with the third device location is acquired from at least one of:

a storage unit of the first device;

a server;

or

a second device different from the first device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the subset is selected based on the category history.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the subset is selected based on a user input.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying the subset.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform a method of determining a category of a location, the method comprising:

determining, at a first time, information identifying a first device location of a first device associated with a user;

storing the first device location information and information identifying the first time in a location history;

determining, at a second time, information identifying a second device location of the first device;

storing, in the location history, the second device location information and information identifying the second time; and

determining, based on the location history, a category of a location.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the category comprises at least one of a home, a work place, a school, a transportation area, a meal area, a shopping area, a sports area, or an entertainment area.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the category is a first category of a first visited location.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

storing, in a category history, information identifying the first category and information identifying the first visited location;

determining, based on the location history, a second category of a second visited location; and

storing, in the category history, information identifying the second category and information identifying the second visited location.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, at a third time, information identifying a third device location of the first device; and

respectively determining, based on the category history, if the first and second categories are categories of the third device location.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, if the first category is a category of the third device location, an indication that the first category is a category of the third device location; and

displaying, if the second category is a category of the third device location, an indication that the second category is a category of the third device location.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, at a third time, information identifying a third device location of the first device;

acquiring information associated with the third device location; and

selecting a subset of the acquired information.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the information associated with the third device location is acquired from at least one of:

a storage unit of the first device;

a server;

or

a second device different from the first device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the subset is selected based on the category history.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the subset is selected based on a user input.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the subset.

23. An apparatus for determining a category of a location, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor executing instructions stored in the memory to;

determine, at a first time, information identifying a first device location of a first device associated with a user;

determine, at a second time, information identifying a second device location of the first device; and

identify a category of a location, the category being based on a location history containing;

the first device location information;

information identifying the first time;

the second device location information; and

information identifying the second time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the location history is stored on the first device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein:

the first device location information and the second device location information are sent to the server; and

the category is received from the server.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the category comprises at least one of a home, a work place, a school, a transportation area, a meal area, a shopping area, a sports area, or an entertainment area.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

determine, at a third time, information identifying a third device location of the first device;

send, to the server, a request for information associated with the third device location; and

receive, from the server, information associated with the third device location.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

display the information associated with the third device location.

29. An apparatus for determining a category of a location, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor executing instructions stored in the memory to;

receive, from a first device associated with a user, information identifying a first device location of the first device, the first device location information determined by the first device at a first time;

store the first device location information and information identifying the first time in a location history;

receive, from the first device, information identifying a second device location of the first device, the second device location information determined by the first device at a second time;

store, in the location history, the second device location information and information identifying the second time;

determine, based on the location history, a category of a location; and

send the category to the first device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the category comprises at least one of a home, a work place, a school, a transportation area, a meal area, a shopping area, a sports area, or an entertainment area.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the category is a first category of a first visited location.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

store, in a category history, information identifying the first category and information identifying the first visited location;

determine, based on the location history, a second category of a second visited location; and

store, in the category history, information identifying the second category and information identifying the second visited location.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory to:

receive, from the first device, a request for information associated with a third device location of the first device;

acquire information associated with the third device location;

select a subset of the acquired information; and

send the subset to the first device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the subset is selected based on the category history.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the subset is selected based on the request.