Address Point Data Mining

• US 20150031397A1
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jouaux, Francois M., Tribble, Guy L., Chitta, Rama Krishna
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/09 for tracking people
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Techniques for address point data mining are described. An address point data mining method, system, or program product can determine geographic coordinates of an address based on geographic locations of one or more user devices. Each user device can be a mobile device operable to determine a location using a global navigation system (e.g., GPS), wireless signal triangulation, or other techniques. During the course of a time period (e.g., a day or week), the user device can stay at a location for a significant amount of time. The system can crosscheck this location with a geocoded geographic coordinates of a registered address (e.g., a billing address) that is associated with the mobile device. The system can determine whether the geocoded geographic coordinates are accurate based on result of the crosscheck.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a significant location of a mobile device, the significant location including a geographic location at which the mobile device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

determining, based on account information of a user of the mobile device, a registered address and assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address;

determining whether a distance between the significant location and the assumed geographic coordinates satisfies a match threshold distance; and

upon determining that the distance satisfies the match threshold, designating the assumed geographic coordinates as confirmed geographic coordinates to be associated with the registered address,

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the account information comprises an identifier of an account of the user, the account being associated with one or more network-based services subscribed by the user, and

the registered address includes an address associated with the account.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising storing the registered address using a representation of the registered address in a database record.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address comprises:

submitting, by the mobile device, the identifier of the account to a server; and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server, a representation of the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address, wherein the assumed geographic coordinates are geocoded by the server.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

after determining the distance satisfies the match threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a confirmation sleep duration.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy the match threshold distance:

determining that the distance satisfies a nearby threshold distance that is larger than the match threshold distance;

then

validating the significant location based on at least one of spatial calculations or previously stored significant locations; and

designating geographic coordinates of the validated significant location as the confirmed geographic coordinates of the registered address.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising, after determining that the distance satisfies the nearby threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a reconsideration sleep duration.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy a nearby threshold distance that is greater than the match threshold distance:

designating the assumed geographic coordinates as a non-match; and

starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a non-match sleep duration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise one or more server devices.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices; and

a non-transitory storage device storing computer instructions operable to cause the one or more computing device to perform operations comprising;

determining a significant location of a mobile device, the significant location including a geographic location at which the mobile device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

determining, based on account information of a user of the mobile device, a registered address and assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address;

determining whether a distance between the significant location and the assumed geographic coordinates satisfies a match threshold distance; and

upon determining that the distance satisfies the match threshold, designating the assumed geographic coordinates as confirmed geographic coordinates to be associated with the registered address.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the account information comprises an identifier of an account of the user, the account being associated with one or more network-based services subscribed by the user, and

the registered address includes an address associated with the account.

12. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising storing the registered address using a representation of the registered address in a database record.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address comprises:

submitting, by the mobile device, the identifier of the account to a server; and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server, a representation of the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address, wherein the assumed geographic coordinates are geocoded by the server.

14. The system of claim 10, the operations comprising:

after determining the distance satisfies the match threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a confirmation sleep duration.

15. The system of claim 10, the operations comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy the match threshold distance:

determining that the distance satisfies a nearby threshold distance that is larger than the match threshold distance;

then

validating the significant location based on at least one of spatial calculations or previously stored significant locations; and

designating geographic coordinates of the validated significant location as the confirmed geographic coordinates of the registered address.

16. The system of claim 15, the operations comprising, after determining that the distance satisfies the nearby threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a reconsideration sleep duration.

17. The system of claim 10, the operations comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy a nearby threshold distance that is greater than the match threshold distance:

designating the assumed geographic coordinates as a non-match; and

starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a non-match sleep duration.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise one or more server devices.

19. A non-transitory storage device storing computer instructions operable to cause one or more computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining a significant location of a mobile device, the significant location including a geographic location at which the mobile device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

determining, based on account information of a user of the mobile device, a registered address and assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address;

determining whether a distance between the significant location and the assumed geographic coordinates satisfies a match threshold distance; and

upon determining that the distance satisfies the match threshold, designating the assumed geographic coordinates as confirmed geographic coordinates to be associated with the registered address.

20. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein:

the account information comprises an identifier of an account of the user, the account being associated with one or more network-based services subscribed by the user, and

the registered address includes an address associated with the account.

21. The non-transitory storage device of claim 20, the operations comprising storing the registered address using a representation of the registered address in a database record.

22. The non-transitory storage device of claim 20, wherein determining the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address comprises:

submitting, by the mobile device, the identifier of the account to a server; and

receiving, by the mobile device and from the server, a representation of the registered address and the assumed geographic coordinates of the registered address, wherein the assumed geographic coordinates are geocoded by the server.

23. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, the operations comprising:

after determining the distance satisfies the match threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a confirmation sleep duration.

24. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, the operations comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy a nearby threshold distance that is greater than the match threshold distance:

determining that the distance satisfies a nearby threshold distance that is larger than the match threshold distance;

then

validating the significant location based on at least one of spatial calculations or previously stored significant locations; and

designating geographic coordinates of the validated significant location as the confirmed geographic coordinates of the registered address.

25. The non-transitory storage device of claim 24, the operations comprising, after determining that the distance satisfies the nearby threshold, starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a reconsideration sleep duration.

26. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, the operations comprising, upon determining the distance does not satisfy the nearby threshold distance:

designating the assumed geographic coordinates as a non-match; and

starting a timer for triggering determining the significant location in a next iteration, the timer configured to trigger the next iteration after a non-match sleep duration.

27. The non-transitory storage device of claim 19, wherein the one or more computing devices comprise one or more server devices.