SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA COLLECTION TO VALIDATE LOCATION DATA

• US 20130254227A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foursquare Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Placed, Inc. (Foursquare Labs, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shim, David, Bicknell, Brad, Varghese, George, Gerner, Nick, Yi, Weilie
• Granted Patent: US 10,204,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A data collection system that provides the means to collect, store and make data available for a location analytics inference pipeline. The system incorporates a feedback mechanism enabling algorithms produced from the inference pipeline to drive the collection strategy to yield higher data quality and to produce reference data for model validation.

Claims

1. A method of tuning data collection strategies after receiving a validated location data from a user of an electronic device having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

receiving, from the user, place query data that identifies a location of the user at an instance of time;

assigning an indicator of data fidelity to the place query data;

collecting observation data at a predetermined rate of data collection, wherein the observation data includes a measurement from at least one sensor coupled to the electronic device;

monitoring a battery life measurement of the electronic device;

adjusting the predetermined rate of data collection based on the indicator of data fidelity, the observation data, and the battery life measurement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the place query data is in response to a place survey.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the place survey to the user at a predetermined rate of survey collection, wherein the place survey prompts the user to select the place query data from a plurality of candidate places; and

decreasing the predetermined rate of survey collection when the indicator of data fidelity increases.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the place query data is extracted from the third-party service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the place query data is derived from a query of an internet search engine by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the place query data is derived from one of the following:

a geo-tagged image, a user profile, email, calendar appointment, call log, or Short Message Service (SMS) activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor coupled to the electronic device is one of the following:

accelerometer, digital compass, Global Positioning System (GPS), microphone, gyroscope, temperature, image sensor, or ambient light sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting further includes increasing or decreasing the predetermined rate of data collection according to the battery life measurement.

9. The method of claim 1, adjusting further includes increasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates an initial power-on of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes an audio sensor which detects automobile sounds and wherein adjusting the predetermined rate of data collection further includes increasing the predetermined rate of data collection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor includes a Wi-Fi detector and adjusting further includes increasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates a presence of more than a predetermined number of local area networks (LANs).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator of data fidelity reflects a degree of accuracy of a source of the place query data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a history of place query data received from the user;

wherein the place query data received from the user matches a previously-received place query data on the history of place query data, and

wherein adjusting further includes decreasing the predetermined rate of data collection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a high-frequency audio sensor to validate the place query data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes an accelerometer and adjusting further includes decreasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates a stationary electronic device for a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a Bluetooth device and adjusting further includes increasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates a plurality of other Bluetooth users.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a photodetector and adjusting further includes decreasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates a presence of fluorescent or halogen lighting.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes an altimeter and adjusting further includes decreasing the predetermined rate of data collection when the observation data indicates an altitude above an altitude threshold.

19. A system for tuning data collection strategies after receiving a validated location data from a user of an electronic device, comprising:

means for receiving, from the user, place query data that identifies a location of the user at an instance of time;

means for assigning an indicator of data fidelity to the place query data;

means for collecting observation data at a predetermined rate of data collection, wherein the observation data includes a measurement from at least one sensor coupled to the electronic device;

means for monitoring a battery life measurement of the electronic device; and

means for adjusting the predetermined rate of data collection based on the indicator of data fidelity, the observation data, and the battery life measurement.

20. An apparatus for tuning data collection strategies, the apparatus being wirelessly coupled to an electronic device over a network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one server computer configured to;

receive place query data that identifies a location of a user at an instance of time;

assign an indicator of data fidelity to the place query data;

collect observation data at a first rate of data collection, wherein the observation data includes a measurement from at least one sensor coupled to the electronic device; and

adjust the first rate of data collection based, at least in part, on the indicator of data fidelity and the observation data.