Method and system for continuous, dynamic, adaptive searching based on a continuously evolving personal region of interest

• US 7,720,844 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vulcan SA (Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vulcan SA (Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, Dennis, Arnold, Robert, Chu, John, Graham, Stuart, Calvert, Jeremy, Malleck, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen T.
• Application Number:
  US11/825,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to flexible, user-adapted, continuous searching, on behalf of a particular user, for points of interest relevant to the user'"'"'s current location within a specifically computed personal region of interest. In a general case, the personal region of interest is computed as a function of the user'"'"'s level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest. The level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest may, in turn, be based on two or more of the user'"'"'s location, the current date and time, a history of the user'"'"'s interaction with the POI-searching system, including user-initiated searches and user selections from displayed search results, a user profile developed for, and continuously updated on behalf of, the user, and a current context for the search, as specified by a search query or by other context-specifying means. The personal region of interest generally defines an abstract area, volume, or hypervolume within which method and system embodiments of the present invention search for points of interest.

Claims

1. A location-based points-of-interest searching system comprising:

information stored in multiple database components within an electronic database and

searching logic implemented in software and/or logic circuitry that

receives a points-of-interest search request from a user via the user'"'"'s electronic device,

computes a personal region of interest with respect to the user and the received points-of-interest search request,

searches for points of interest within the personal region of interest, and

returns, to the user, via the user'"'"'s electronic device, one or more points-of-interest found by searching for points of interest within the personal region of interest;

wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for food-serving establishments has a first size when the user'"'"'s location is within a threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home, and wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for food-serving establishments has a second size smaller than the first size when the user'"'"'s location is beyond the threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home.

2. A location-based points-of-interest searching system comprising:

information stored in multiple database components within an electronic database and

searching logic implemented in software and/or logic circuitry that

receives a points-of-interest search request from a user via the user'"'"'s electronic device,

computes a personal region of interest with respect to the user and the received points-of-interest search request,

searches for points of interest within the personal region of interest, and

returns, to the user, via the user'"'"'s electronic device, one or more points-of-interest found by searching for points of interest within the personal region of interest;

wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for personal contacts has a first size when the user'"'"'s location is within a threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home, and wherein the personal region of interest computed for the search for personal contacts has a second size larger than the first size when the user'"'"'s location is beyond the threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home.

3. A method for searching for points of interest on behalf of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a location-based points-of-interest searching system comprising information stored in multiple database components within an electronic database and searching logic implemented in software and/or logic circuitry, a points-of-interest search request from the user,

computing, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, a personal region of interest, with respect to the user and the received points-of-interest search request;

selecting, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, points of interest within the personal region of interest, and

returning;

to the user, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, the selected points of interest;

wherein a length, area, or volume of the region of interest reflects a level of disposition of the user for the types of points of interest specified by the received points-of-interest search request, modified by various additional parameters and values including;

distance of the user from the user'"'"'s home; and

time spent by the user at the current or projected location of the user.

4. A method for searching for points of interest on behalf of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a location-based points-of-interest searching system comprising information stored in multiple database components within an electronic database and searching logic implemented in software and/or logic circuitry, a points-of-interest search request from the user,

computing, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, a personal region of interest, with respect to the user and the received points-of-interest search request;

selecting, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, points of interest within the personal region of interest, and

returning;

to the user, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, the selected points of interest;

wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for food-serving establishments has a first size when the user'"'"'s location is within a threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home, and wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for food-serving establishments has a second size smaller than the first size when the user'"'"'s location is beyond the threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home.

5. A method for searching for points of interest on behalf of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a location-based points-of-interest searching system comprising information stored in multiple database components within an electronic database and searching logic implemented in software and/or logic circuitry, a points-of-interest search request from the user,

computing, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, a personal region of interest, with respect to the user and the received points-of-interest search request;

selecting, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, points of interest within the personal region of interest, and

returning;

to the user, by the location-based points-of-interest searching system, the selected points of interest;

wherein the personal region of interest computed for a search for personal contacts has a first size when the user'"'"'s location is within a threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home, and wherein the personal region of interest computed for the search for personal contacts has a second size larger than the first size when the user'"'"'s location is beyond the threshold distance from the user'"'"'s home.