USING HISTORICAL LOCATION DATA TO IMPROVE ESTIMATES OF LOCATION

• US 20140278086A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Incredible Labs, Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: SAN FILIPPO, SCOTT, TAYYEB, ARSHAD, MURRAY, SPENCER, CHENG, KEVIN, LEBRUN, JASON
• Granted Patent: US 11,493,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement

Abstract

In an embodiment, a data processing method comprises obtaining, from a calendar database associated with a particular mobile computing device, an event record specifying an event, and a date value and a time value indicating a date and time of the event; obtaining, from a user location history table accessible to a server computer, historical location data specifying a plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device; using the server computer, determining, based upon the plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device, a predicted location of the event; based upon the predicted location of the event, a current location of the particular mobile computing device, and mode data specifying a particular mode of transportation, calculating a route of travel between the current location and the predicted location and an estimated duration of travel; determining, based upon the date value, time value, route of travel and estimated duration of travel, a recommended time to leave to arrive at the predicted location of the event approximately on time.

Claims

1. A data processing method comprising:

obtaining, from a calendar database associated with a particular mobile computing device, an event record specifying an event, and a date value and a time value indicating a date and time of the event;

obtaining, from a user location history table accessible to a server computer, historical location data specifying a plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device;

using the server computer, determining, based upon the plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device, a predicted location of the event;

based upon the predicted location of the event, a current location of the particular mobile computing device, and mode data specifying a particular mode of transportation, calculating a route of travel between the current location and the predicted location and an estimated duration of travel;

determining, based upon the date value, time value, route of travel and estimated duration of travel, a recommended time to leave to arrive at the predicted location of the event approximately on time.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

periodically obtaining a current location value representing a current geographical location of the particular mobile computing device, and obtaining a current date-time value indicating a current date and time;

obtaining, from the calendar database, a particular current event having a starting time earlier and an ending time later than the current date-time value;

associating, in a record in in the user location history table, the current location value with event data representing the particular current event.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

obtaining, from a social networking system having a user account that is associated with the particular mobile computing device, social graph data indicating one or more check-in locations of one or more friends of the user account;

using the check-in locations of the one or more friends as part of determining the predicted location of the event.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining that the current location value is not associated with a point of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

obtaining, from a contact database associated with the particular mobile computing device, a plurality of addresses of entities;

determining that the current location value is near to a particular address among the plurality of addresses;

using the particular address as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

based in part upon obtaining current date-time value indicating a current date and time, determining that a particular point of interest among the candidate points of interest is a business premises that is closed;

removing the particular point of interest from the candidate points of interest;

using one of the other candidate points of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

determining that a particular point of interest among the candidate points of interest is further than a specified proximity to the particular mobile computing device;

removing the particular point of interest from the candidate points of interest;

using one of the other candidate points of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

determining that a brand associated with a particular point of interest among the two or more candidate points of interest matches a name value in the event record;

using the particular point of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

determining that the particular mobile computing device has performed one or more tasks using an app installed on the particular mobile computing device that is associated with a particular point of interest among the two or more candidate points of interest;

using the particular point of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting the particular mode of transportation from among a plurality of available modes of transportation based upon matching the current location of the mobile computing device to a likely mode of transportation for that current location.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving selection data specifying a selection of a new mode of transportation that is different than the particular mode of transportation;

re-calculating an updated route of travel between the current location and the predicted location using the new mode of transportation;

re-determining the recommended time to leave based upon the updated route of travel.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising calculating the route of travel between the current location and the predicted location based upon a plurality of different modes of transportation;

causing displaying, in a user interface of the particular computing device, a plurality of different estimated duration of travel values each associated with a graphical icon representing one of the plurality of different modes of transportation.

12. A data processing method comprising:

using a server computer, obtaining from one or more non-transitory computer-readable data storage media a copy of one or more sequences of instructions that are stored on the media and which when executed using a particular user computer among a plurality of user computers cause the particular user computer to perform;

using the particular user computer alone or in combination with the server computer, obtaining, from a calendar database associated with a particular mobile computing device, an event record specifying an event, and a date value and a time value indicating a date and time of the event;

obtaining, from a user location history table accessible to a server computer, historical location data specifying a plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device;

using the server computer, determining, based upon the plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device, a predicted location of the event;

based upon the predicted location of the event, a current location of the particular mobile computing device, and mode data specifying a particular mode of transportation, calculating a route of travel between the current location and the predicted location and an estimated duration of travel;

determining, based upon the date value, time value, route of travel and estimated duration of travel, a recommended time to leave to arrive at the predicted location of the event approximately on time;

using the server computer, downloading the copy of the one or more sequences of instructions to any user computer among the plurality of user computers.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

using the particular user computer alone or in combination with the server computer, periodically obtaining a current location value representing a current geographical location of the particular mobile computing device, and obtaining a current date-time value indicating a current date and time;

obtaining, from the calendar database, a particular current event having a starting time earlier and an ending time later than the current date-time value;

associating, in a record in in the user location history table, the current location value with event data representing the particular current event.

14. The method of claim 12 comprising:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

determining that the particular mobile computing device has performed one or more tasks using an app installed on the particular mobile computing device that is associated with a particular point of interest among the two or more candidate points of interest;

using the particular point of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

15. The method of claim 12 comprising receiving selection data specifying a selection of a new mode of transportation that is different than the particular mode of transportation;

re-calculating an updated route of travel between the current location and the predicted location using the new mode of transportation;

re-determining the recommended time to leave based upon the updated route of travel.

16. The method of claim 12 comprising calculating the route of travel between the current location and the predicted location based upon a plurality of different modes of transportation;

causing displaying, in a user interface of the particular computing device, a plurality of different estimated duration of travel values each associated with a graphical icon representing one of the plurality of different modes of transportation.

17. A computer system comprising:

a server computer comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable data storage media stored with one or more sequences of instructions which when executed using a particular user computer among a plurality of user computers cause the particular user computer to perform;

using the particular user computer, alone or in combination with the server computer, obtaining, from a calendar database associated with a particular mobile computing device, an event record specifying an event, and a date value and a time value indicating a date and time of the event;

obtaining, from a user location history table accessible to a server computer, historical location data specifying a plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device;

using the server computer, determining, based upon the plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device, a predicted location of the event;

based upon the predicted location of the event, a current location of the particular mobile computing device, and mode data specifying a particular mode of transportation, calculating a route of travel between the current location and the predicted location and an estimated duration of travel;

determining, based upon the date value, time value, route of travel and estimated duration of travel, a recommended time to leave to arrive at the predicted location of the event approximately on time;

in the server computer, stored downloading instructions which, when executed using the server computer, cause downloading a plurality of copies of the one or more sequences of instructions to the plurality of user computers.

18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the storage media comprise instructions which when executed cause performing:

using the particular user computer alone or in combination with the server computer, periodically obtaining a current location value representing a current geographical location of the particular mobile computing device, and obtaining a current date-time value indicating a current date and time;

obtaining, from the calendar database, a particular current event having a starting time earlier and an ending time later than the current date-time value;

associating, in a record in in the user location history table, the current location value with event data representing the particular current event.

19. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the storage media comprise instructions which when executed cause performing:

determining that the current location value is associated with two or more candidate points of interest in a map system that is accessible to the server computer;

determining that the particular mobile computing device has performed one or more tasks using an app installed on the particular mobile computing device that is associated with a particular point of interest among the two or more candidate points of interest;

using the particular point of interest as the predicted location of the event in the calculating the route of travel.

20. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the storage media comprise instructions which when executed cause performing receiving selection data specifying a selection of a new mode of transportation that is different than the particular mode of transportation;

re-calculating an updated route of travel between the current location and the predicted location using the new mode of transportation;

re-determining the recommended time to leave based upon the updated route of travel.

21. The computer system of claim 17 wherein the storage media comprise instructions which when executed cause performing calculating the route of travel between the current location and the predicted location based upon a plurality of different modes of transportation;

causing displaying, in a user interface of the particular computing device, a plurality of different estimated duration of travel values each associated with a graphical icon representing one of the plurality of different modes of transportation.