Identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device

• US 7,743,056 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coughlin, Stephen J., Meisels, Adrienne C., Bill, David S., Fletcher, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Cam Y T
• Application Number:
  US11/618,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/209
• US Class Current: 707/731
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/10 by using measurements of speed or acceleration G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• 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: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device includes receiving, form a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a current location of the client device. The method also includes automatically updating the search query as the current location of the client device changes and instructing the host to identify a potential location associated with the point of interest and located within a user-defined proximity from the current location of the client device.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a location corresponding to a current location of the client device;

accessing user-defined information that relates to a travel distance or travel time;

determining the travel distance or the travel time based on the accessed user-defined information;

referencing a first travel objective that includes instructions for processing the location corresponding to the current location of the client device received with the search query, the travel distance or the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information, and the point of interest received with the search query to identify at least one potential location based on a relationship between the potential location and the point of interest and based on a determination that the potential location and the location of the client device received with the search query are located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information;

identifying a search result by applying the first travel objective to the location corresponding to the current location of the client device;

automatically receiving, from the client device, a new location of the client device as the location of the client device changes;

determining a local time for the client device;

identifying a predicted route for the client device based on the current location and the new location;

referencing, from a memory system on the host, a service travel objective indicating that a user is interested in a specific service representing a certain category of a service during a particular time that begins at a first time and concludes at a second time, the service travel objective not being submitted as part of the search query and also reflecting an inferred interest of the user that is based on modeled behavior not specified by the user in settings on the client device;

determining, based on referencing the service travel objective and using the predicted route and the local time, that the user will be interested in the specific service representing the certain category of service during the particular time that begins at the first time and concludes at the second time;

updating the search result to include at least one potential location that provides the certain category of service; and

enabling the client device to automatically access and display, based on identifying a predicted route and based on the inferred determination of interest in the certain category services at the particular time, the search result independent of whether the user has expressed interest in the specific service at the particular time, wherein the search result that is displayed is updated to reflect changes to the inferred determination interest that varies over time and with respect to the current location and the predicted route;

wherein the accessing the user-defined information includes accessing the user-defined information that relates to the travel distance; and

updating the search result includes at least one potential location located within the travel distance from the new location of the client device if the new location of the client device differs by more than a threshold amount from the location received with the search query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location corresponding to the current location of the client device includes an actual position of the client device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location corresponding to the current location of the client device includes a location that is used as a surrogate for the current location of the client device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the location used as the surrogate includes a location of a base station or an access point that the client device uses for communication, the location of the base station or the access point indicating a proximate current location of the client device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the base station includes a cellular base station and the client device includes a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the new location of the client device includes automatically receiving, from the client device, the new location as a part of an updated search query as the location of the client device changes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the new location of the client device further includes periodically receiving, from the client device, location information associated with the client device irrespective of whether the current location of the client device has changed.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically receiving the new location includes receiving, from the client device and without an input from a user of the client device, the new location of the client device if it is determined that the new location is different from the previous location of the client device received with the search query.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the new location is determined via a location-based system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the location-based system includes a global positioning system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the search result includes:

referencing the first travel objective that includes instructions for processing the new location of the client device, the travel distance or the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information, and the point of interest received with the search query to identify at least one potential location based on a relationship between the potential location and the point of interest and based on a determination that the potential location and the new location of the client device are located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information; and

updating the search result by applying the first travel objective to the new location of the client device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein updating the search result includes replacing the search result with a new search result including the at least one potential location that is associated with the point of interest and that is located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time from the new location of the client device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein updating the search result includes appending the search result with a new search result including the at least one potential location that is associated with the point of interest and that is located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time from the new location of the client device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one potential location is associated with the point of interest received with the search query, and the at least one potential location is located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time, determined based on the accessed user-defined information, from the new location of the client device.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the search query includes a user entered keywords and detected location corresponding to the current location of the client device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the search query includes a user entered keywords and a user entered location corresponding to the current location of the client device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of interest includes an establishment associated with one or more locations.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of interest includes a facility name.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the point of interest includes an object in which a user of the client device is interested.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the object is associated with a particular activity.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the search result includes deleting the search result that falls outside the determined travel distance or travel time from the new location of the client device.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein:

accessing the user-defined information includes accessing the user-defined information that relates to the travel time; and

updating the search result includes updating the search result to include at least one potential location located within the travel distance from the new location of the client device if it is determined the new location of the client device differs by more than the threshold amount from the location received with the search query.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an indication of time at which the search result should be identified.

24. A method for identifying a result responsive to a current location of a client device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client device and at a host, a search query that includes a point of interest and a location corresponding to the current location of the client device;

accessing user-defined information that relates to a travel distance or travel time;

determining the travel distance or the travel time based on the accessed user-defined information;

referencing a first travel objective that includes instructions for processing the location corresponding to the current location of the client device received with the search query, the travel distance or the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information, and the point of interest received with the search query to identify at least one potential location based on a relationship between the potential location and the point of interest and based on a determination that the potential location and the location of the client device received with the search query are located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information;

identifying a search result by applying the first travel objective to the location corresponding to the current location of the client device;

automatically receiving, from the client device, a new location of the client device as the location of the client device changes;

determining a local time for the client device;

identifying a predicted route for the client device based on the current location and the new location;

referencing, from a memory system on the host, a service travel objective indicating that a user is interested in a specific service representing a certain category of a service during a particular time that begins at a first time and concludes at a second time, the service travel objective not being submitted as part of the search query and also reflecting an inferred interest of the user that is based on modeled behavior not specified by the user in settings on the client device;

determining, based on referencing the service travel objective and using the predicted route and the local time, that the user will be interested in the specific service representing the certain category of service during the particular time that begins at the first time and concludes at the second time;

updating the search result to include at least one potential location that provides the certain category of service; and

enabling the client device to automatically access and display, based on identifying a predicted route and based on the inferred determination of interest in the certain category services at the particular time, the search result independent of whether the user has expressed interest in the specific service at the particular time, wherein the search result that is displayed is updated to reflect changes to the inferred determination interest that varies over time and with respect to the current location and the predicted route,

wherein updating the search result includes;

referencing the first travel objective that includes instructions for processing the new location of the client device, the travel distance or the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information, and the point of interest received with the search query to identify at least one potential location based on a relationship between the potential location and the point of interest and based on a determination that the potential location and the new location of the client device are located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time determined based on the accessed user-defined information,

updating the search result by applying the first travel objective to the new location of the client device, and

replacing the search result with a new search result including the at least one potential location that is associated with the point of interest and that is located within the travel distance or accessible within the travel time from the new location of the client device;

wherein the accessing the user-defined information includes accessing the user-defined information that relates to the travel distance; and

updating the search result includes at least one potential location located within the travel distance from the new location of the client device if the new location of the client device differs by more than a threshold amount from the location received with the search query.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the location corresponding to the current location of the client device includes an actual position of the client device.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the location corresponding to the current location of the client device includes a location that is used as a surrogate for the current location of the client device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the location used as the surrogate includes a location of a base station or an access point that the client device uses for communication, the location of the base station or the access point indicating a proximate current location of the client device.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein base station includes a cellular base station and the client device includes a mobile phone.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein automatically receiving the new location of the client device includes automatically receiving, from the client device, the new location as a part of an updated search query as the location of the client device changes.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein automatically receiving the new location of the client device further includes periodically receiving, from the client device, location information associated with the client device irrespective of whether the current location of the client device has changed.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein automatically receiving the new location includes receiving, from the client device and without an input from a user of the client device, the new location of the client device if it is determined that the new location is different from the previous location of the client device received with the search query.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the new location is determined via a location-based system.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the location-based system includes a global positioning system.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the search query includes a user entered keywords and detected location corresponding to the current location of the client device.

35. The method of claim 24 wherein the search query includes a user entered keywords and a user entered location corresponding to the current location of the client device.

36. The method of claim 24 wherein the point of interest includes an establishment associated with one or more locations.

37. The method of claim 24 wherein updating the search result includes deleting the search result that falls outside the determined travel distance or travel time from the new location of the client device.

38. The method of claim 24 further comprising receiving an indication of time at which the search result should be identified.