INTEGRATION OF LOCATION LOGS, GPS SIGNALS, AND SPATIAL RESOURCES FOR IDENTIFYING USER ACTIVITIES, GOALS, AND CONTEXT

• US 20140012874A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krumm, John C., Horvitz, Eric J., Hariharan, Ramaswamy
• Granted Patent: US 9,904,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Described are methods that utilize a geographic location technology (e.g., GPS) to determine user location data, and existing network-based websites (e.g., Internet websites) for searching and accessing data related to the location data such that the user context can be developed and stored. A location component is provided that determines location data of a wireless communications device of a user. A context component is provided that accesses context data based on the location data to define a context in which the device is located. Activities, goals, and overall context of a user can be inferred through statistical fusion of multiple sources of evidence. The context data is presented to the user via the wireless device such that the user can make decisions as to where to go, for example. User preferences can be accessed and applied to filter context data according to what the user desires to see and access.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of operating a location aware wireless device, the method comprising:

computing a location of the location aware wireless device;

predicting a future activity of a user based on user context and the computed location;

determining a direction based on input received from the user;

determining a field of view associated with the direction;

searching at least one network resource, using a search query, for identities of businesses within the determined field of view that relate to the predicted future activity, the search query being based at least on the computed location, the determined field of view, and the predicted future activity;

retrieving a list of identities of businesses that satisfy the search query;

retrieving additional information regarding at least one of the identified businesses;

inferring, based upon historical data associated with the user and user preferences, that at least a portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user; and

presenting at least the portion of the retrieved additional information to the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

querying a shadow log to determine if the location aware wireless device has or is about to enter a communications shadow.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

determining an identity of the user; and

storing the retrieved additional information regarding at least one business in association with the identity as at least a portion of the historical data.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

filtering the retrieved additional information based on the user preferences.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the direction includes:

computing the direction in which the location aware wireless device is moving.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the user context comprises a time since an activity of the same type as the predicted future activity was carried out.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the user context comprises at least one environmental parameter, the at least one environmental parameter comprising at least one of ambient lighting, time of day, day of year, and season.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the retrieved additional information that is inferred to be of potential interest to the user includes information regarding a business located inside or behind a structure situated in the direction.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein inferring that the portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user includes:

employing a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to infer a situation or an action that the user desires to be automatically performed.

30. A computer-readable storage memory, not comprising a signal per se, that has instructions stored therein for providing location based services to a mobile device by performing operations, the operations comprising:

computing a location of the mobile device;

predicting a future activity of a user based on user context and the computed location;

determining a direction based on input received from the user;

determining a field of view associated with the direction;

searching at least one network resource, using a search query, for identities of businesses within the determined field of view that relate to the predicted future activity, the search query being based at least on the computed location, the determined field of view, and the predicted future activity;

retrieving a list of identities of businesses that satisfy the search query;

retrieving additional information regarding at least one of the identified businesses;

inferring, based upon historical data associated with the user and user preferences, that at least a portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user; and

presenting at least the portion of the retrieved additional information to the user.

31. The computer-readable storage memory of claim 30, wherein determining the direction includes:

computing the direction in which the mobile device is moving.

32. The computer-readable storage memory of claim 30, wherein the user context comprises:

a time since an activity of the same type as the predicted future activity was carried out; and

at least one environmental parameter, the at least one environmental parameter comprising at least one of ambient lighting, time of day, day of year, and season.

33. The computer-readable storage memory of claim 30, wherein the retrieved additional information that is inferred to be of potential interest to the user includes information regarding a business located inside or behind a structure situated in the direction.

34. The computer-readable storage memory of claim 30, wherein inferring that at least the portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user includes:

employing a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to infer a situation or an action.

35. A wireless device, comprising:

a memory and a processor that are respectively adapted to store and execute instructions that implement operations, the operations comprising;

computing a location of the wireless device;

predicting a future activity of a user based on user context and the computed location;

determining a direction based on input received from the user;

determining a field of view associated with the direction;

searching at least one network resource, using a search query, for identities of businesses within the determined field of view that relate to the predicted future activity, the search query being based at least on the computed location, the determined field of view, and the predicted future activity;

retrieving a list of identities of businesses that satisfy the search query;

retrieving additional information regarding at least one of the identified businesses;

inferring, based upon historical data associated with the user and user preferences, that at least a portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user; and

presenting at least the portion of the retrieved additional information to the user.

36. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein determining the direction includes:

computing the direction in which the wireless device is moving.

37. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the user context comprises a time since an activity of the same type as the predicted future activity was carried out.

38. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the user context comprises at least one environmental parameter, the at least one environmental parameter comprising at least one of ambient lighting, time of day, day of year, and season.

39. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the retrieved additional information that is inferred to be of potential interest to the user includes information regarding a business located inside or behind a structure situated in the direction.

40. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein inferring that at least the portion of the retrieved additional information may be of potential interest to the user includes:

employing a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to infer a situation or an action.