System and method for providing geo-relevant information based on a mobile device

• US 7,616,964 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Riise, Sorren, Patel, Dev
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/314,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20070135993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/443, 455/558, 455/402.2, 455/456.1, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/433, 455/446, 455/432.3, 701207-210, 701213-214
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method is disclosed of providing geo-relevant information based on a mobile device. A data item is received from the mobile device, the data item characterized by a geographic relevance and comprising at least one component. The data item is geo-coded, wherein the geo-coding includes identifying the at least one component; associating the identified at least one component with a geographic region; determining at least one group of at least two points corresponding to the geographic region, the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane enclosing the geographic region; and augmenting the data item with data representative of the determined at least one group of at least two points defining a plane. Relevant information is determined based on the augmented data item. The relevant information is provided to a user of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of providing geo-relevant information based on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a data item from the mobile device, the data item characterized by a geographic relevance and comprising at least one component;

geo-coding the data item, wherein the geo-coding further includes;

identifying the at least one component;

associating the identified at least one component with a first geographic region;

determining a first group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the first group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies; and

augmenting the data item with data representative of the determined first group of at least two points defining a plane; and

wherein the method further comprises;

determining relevant information based on the augmented data item; and

providing the relevant information to a user of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic relevance comprises a location of the user of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a communications device, a personal computing device, a vehicle navigation system, a smart card, a credit card, a debit card, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the data item indirectly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data representative of the determined first group of at least two points defining a plane comprises a first data record, the first data record including an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined first group of at least two points corresponding thereto.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining relevant information further comprises:

identifying a second data record in a geo-coded database representative of a second geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first geographic region; and

associating the second data record with the first data record in the geo-coded database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing further comprises displaying the relevant information on the mobile device, displaying the relevant information on an electronic device having a display viewable by the user, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of at least two points defining a plane comprises a minimum bounding rectangle enclosing a polygon representative of the geographic region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining relevant information further comprises determining when the user of the mobile device moves in and out of the minimum bounding rectangle representative of the first geographic region and wherein the providing further comprises providing information corresponding to the minimum bounding rectangle in which the user is located.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a plurality of separate data items and wherein the receiving further comprises receiving one or more of the plurality of separate data items separately over a period of time, from different locations, or combinations thereof.

11. A system for providing geo-relevant information based on a received data item from a mobile device, the received data item characterized by a geographic relevance and comprising at least one component, the system comprising:

a geo-coding processor operative to geo-code the received data item from the mobile device, the geo-coding processor further including;

an identifying processor operative to identify the at least one component;

an associating processor coupled with the identifying processor and operative to associate the identified at least one component with a first geographic region;

a determining processor coupled with the associating processor and operative to determine a first group of at least two points corresponding to the first geographic region, the first group of at least two points defining a plane in which the first geographic region lies; and

an augmenting processor coupled with the associating processor and operative to augment the data item with data representative of the determined first group of at least two points defining a plane; and

wherein the system further comprises;

a relevance processor coupled with the geo-coding processor and operative to determine relevant information based on the augmented data item; and

a communications processor coupled with the relevance processor and operative to provide the relevant information to a user of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the geographic relevance comprises a location of the user of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a communications device, a personal computing device, a vehicle navigation system, a smart card, a credit card, a debit card, or combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the received data item further comprises an indirectly received data item.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the data representative of the determined first group of at least two points defining a plane comprises a first data record, the first data record including an identifier of the first geographic region and the determined first group of at least two points corresponding thereto.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the relevance processor is further operative to identify a second data record in a geo-coded database representative of a second geographic region one of adjacent to, proximate to, overlapping with, within or encompassing the first geographic region, and associate the second data record with the first data record in the geo-coded database.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the communications processor is further operative to display the relevant information on the mobile device, display the relevant information on an electronic device having a display viewable by the user, or combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane comprises a minimum bounding rectangle enclosing a polygon representative of the geographic region.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the relevance processor is further operative to determine when the user of the mobile device moves in and out of the minimum bounding rectangle representative of the geographic region and wherein the communications processor is further operative to provide information corresponding to the minimum bounding rectangle in which the user is located.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the received data item comprises a plurality of separately received data items and wherein the received data item further comprises one or more of the plurality of separately received data items separately over a period of time, from different locations, or combinations thereof.

21. A system for providing geo-relevant information based on a mobile device, the system comprising:

means for receiving a data item from the mobile device, the data item characterized by a geographic relevance and comprising at least one component;

means for geo-coding the data item coupled with the means for receiving, wherein the means for geo-coding further includes;

means for identifying the at least one component;

means, coupled with the means for identifying, for associating the identified at least one component with a geographic region;

means, coupled with the means for associating, for determining at least one group of at least two points corresponding to the geographic region, the at least one group of at least two points defining a plane in which the geographic region lies; and

means, coupled with the means for determining, for augmenting the data item with data representative of the determined at least one group of at least two points defining a plane; and

wherein the system further comprises;

means, coupled with the means for geo-coding, for determining relevant information based on the augmented data item; and

means, coupled with the means for determining, for providing the relevant information to a user of the mobile device.