Handling crowd requests for large geographic areas
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- obtaining current locations of a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile devices, each of the plurality of users being a user of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices;
receiving a request from a requesting device;
establishing a bounding region for the request;
identifying one or more starting spots within the bounding region for the request; and
iteratively identifying crowds each including three or more of the plurality of users, generating crowd data for the crowds, determining a needed number of follow-up requests based on at least one of a number of starting spots and a size of the bounding region, and returning the crowd data for the crowds and the needed number of follow-up requests to the requesting device for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting spots.
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Abstract
A system and method are provided for processing a request for crowd data for a large geographic area. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices and form crowds of three or more users based on the current locations of the users. In order to provide access to crowd data for crowds for a large geographic area, the central system receives a request for crowd data from a requesting device, establishes a bounding region for the request, and identifies one or more starting points within the bounding region for the request. Crowds are identified, crowd data for the crowds is generated, and the crowd data is returned to the requesting device in an iterative manner for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting points.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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obtaining current locations of a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile devices, each of the plurality of users being a user of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices; receiving a request from a requesting device; establishing a bounding region for the request; identifying one or more starting spots within the bounding region for the request; and iteratively identifying crowds each including three or more of the plurality of users, generating crowd data for the crowds, determining a needed number of follow-up requests based on at least one of a number of starting spots and a size of the bounding region, and returning the crowd data for the crowds and the needed number of follow-up requests to the requesting device for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting spots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A server comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the server to a plurality of mobile devices of a plurality of users via a network, each of the plurality of users being a user of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; obtain current locations of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices; receive a request from a requesting device; establish a bounding region for the request; identify one or more starting spots within the bounding region for the request; and iteratively identify crowds each including three or more of the plurality of users, generate crowd data for the crowds, determine a needed number of follow-up requests based on at least one of a number of starting spots and a size of the bounding region, and return the crowd data for the crowds and the needed number of follow-up requests to the requesting device for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting spots.
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a server to:
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obtain current locations of a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile devices, each of the plurality of users being a user of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices; receive a request from a requesting device; establish a bounding region for the request; identify one or more starting spots within the bounding region for the request; and iteratively identify crowds each including three or more of the plurality of users, generate crowd data for the crowds, determine a needed number of follow-up requests based on at least one of a number of starting spots and a size of the bounding region, and return the crowd data for the crowds and the needed number of follow-up requests to the requesting device for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting spots.
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Specification