User-generated activity maps

• US 7,865,308 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Joseph, Martinez, Ron, Davis, Marc, Athsani, Athellina R. A., Kalaboukis, Chris T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/966,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 701/214, 707/706
• US Class Current: 701/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Apparatus and computer-readable media for associating metadata with a geographic location are provided. The apparatus includes logic for detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location relevant to a user of the mobile device, logic for retrieving context information associated with the location, logic for selecting a program code module based upon a contextual relevancy of the location, logic for providing the program code module for execution, where the program code module is capable of performing processing specific to at least one aspect of the location, the processing is based upon the context information, and the program code module is further capable of receiving at least one input data item from the mobile device, where the at least one input data item describes an activity of the user at the location, and logic for associating the at least one input data item with the location.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

storage;

at least one processor;

logic stored on the storage, and implemented by the at least one processor, comprising;

logic for detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location, wherein the location is relevant to a user of the mobile device;

logic for retrieving context information associated with the location and the user;

logic for selecting a program code module based upon a contextual relevancy of the location and the context information associated with the user, said contextual relevancy is determined in accordance with historical information related to the user and similarity of the location with respect to the user'"'"'s historical information;

logic for providing the program code module for execution by said at least one processor, wherein the program code module is operable to perform processing specific to and based at least in part on at least one aspect of the context information associated with the location and the user, and the program code module is further operable to receive at least one input data item from the mobile device, wherein the at least one input data item describes an activity of the user at the location; and

logic for associating the at least one input data item with the location.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the context information comprises user-independent information, user-specific information associated with the user, or a combination thereof.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location comprises receiving coordinates of the mobile device and waiting until the mobile device has been present at the location for more than a threshold period of time.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the program code module comprises a widget.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein providing comprises providing the program code module to a client device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein providing comprises causing execution of the program code module.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein processing comprises displaying the context information, querying a computer system for the at least one input data item, receiving the at least one input data item from the computer system, querying a user for the at least one input data item, receiving the at least one input data item from the user via an input device of the mobile device, or a combination thereof.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one input data item with the location comprises storing the at least one input data item in a database in association with the location.

9. A computing device comprising:

storage;

at least one processor;

logic stored on the storage, and implemented by the at least one processor, comprising;

logic for detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location, wherein the location is relevant to a user of the mobile device;

logic for retrieving context information associated with the location and the user;

logic for selecting a program code module based upon a contextual relevancy of the location and the context information associated with the user, said contextual relevancy is determined in accordance with historical information related to the user and similarity of the location with respect to the user'"'"'s historical information; and

logic for providing the program code module for execution by said at least one processor, wherein the program code module is operable to perforin processing specific to and based at least in part on at least one aspect of the context information associated with the location and the user, and the program code module is further operable to select at least one output data item from the context information and to provide the at least one output data item to the mobile device.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the context information comprises user-independent information, user-specific information associated with the user, or a combination thereof.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location comprises receiving coordinates of the mobile device and waiting until the mobile device has been present at the location for more than a threshold period of time.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the program code module comprises a widget.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein providing comprises providing the program code module to a client device.

14. The computing device of claim 9, wherein providing comprises causing execution of the program code module.

15. A computing device comprising:

storage;

at least one processor;

logic stored on the storage, and implemented by the at least one processor, comprising;

logic for receiving a location of a user, wherein the location corresponds to geographical coordinates of the user;

logic for retrieving context information that corresponds to the location and the user;

logic for determining if the location is relevant to the user based upon the context information, wherein said relevance is based upon a similarity of the location with historical information related to the user;

logic for selecting a program code module if the location is relevant to the user, wherein the program code module is selected based upon the contextual relevancy of the location to the user, and the contextual relevancy is based upon the location and the context information associated with the location and the user; and

logic for providing the program code module for execution by said at least one processor, wherein the program code module is operable to provide at least one output data item, receive at least one input data item, or a combination thereof.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the program code module is operable to generate the at least one output data item based upon the context information.

17. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising logic for retrieving user context information that corresponds to the location.

18. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the location is within a predetermined distance of the geographical coordinates of the user.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the program code module comprises a widget.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein providing comprises providing the program code module to a client device.

21. The computing device of claim 15, wherein providing comprises causing execution of the program code module.

22. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computer device, perform a method, comprising:

detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location, wherein the location is relevant to a user of the mobile device;

retrieving context information associated with the location and the user;

selecting a program code module based upon a contextual relevancy of the location and the user, said contextual relevancy is determined in accordance with historical information related to the user and similarity of the location with respect to the user'"'"'s historical information;

causing execution of the program code module, wherein the program code module is operable to perform processing specific to at least one aspect of the location, wherein the processing is based upon the context information associated With the location and the user, and the program code module is further operable to receive at least one input data item from the mobile device, wherein the at least one input data item describes an activity of the user at the location; and

associating the at least one input data item with the location in accordance with the historical information of the user.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the context information comprises user-independent information, user-specific information associated with the user, or a combination thereof.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location comprises receiving coordinates of the mobile device and waiting until the mobile device has been present at the location for more than a threshold period of time.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the program code module comprises a widget.

26. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computer device, perform a method, comprising:

detecting that a mobile device is present at a geographic location, wherein the location is relevant to a user of the mobile device;

retrieving context information associated with the location and the user;

selecting a program code module based upon a contextual relevancy of the location and the user, said contextual relevancy is determined in accordance with historical information related to the user and similarity of the location with respect to the user'"'"'s historical information; and

causing execution of the program code module, wherein the program code module is operable to perform processing specific to and based at least in part on the context information associated with the location and the user, and the program code module is further operable to select at least one output data item from the context information and to provide the at least one output data item to the mobile device.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein providing the at least one output data item comprises causing display of the at least one output data item on a mobile device.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein providing the at least output data item comprises transmitting the at least one output data item to the computer via a network.

29. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computer device, perform a method, comprising:

receiving a location of a user, wherein the location corresponds to geographical coordinates of the user;

retrieving context information that corresponds to the location and the user;

determining if the location is relevant to the user, based upon the context information corresponding to the location and the user;

selecting a program code module in response to the location being relevant to the user, wherein the program code module is selected based upon the contextual relevancy of the location to the user, and the contextual relevancy is based upon the location and the context information associated with the user, said contextual relevancy is determined in accordance with historical information related to the user and similarity of the location with respect to the user'"'"'s historical information; and

providing the program code module for execution, wherein the program code module is operable to provide at least one output data item, receive at least one input data item, or a combination thereof, wherein said providing and receiving is specific to and based at least in part on at least one aspect of the context information associated with the location and the user.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 wherein the program code module is operable to generate the at least one output data item based upon the context information.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, the instructions further comprising retrieving user context information that corresponds to the location.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the location is within a predetermined distance of the geographical coordinates of the user.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the program code module comprises a widget.