Method and apparatus for mobile assisted event detection and area of interest determination

• US 8,335,522 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2009
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Curcio, Igor Danilo Diego, Mate, Sujeet Shyamsundar
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Sharad
• Application Number:
  US12/618,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20110117934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,129 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554141-4143, 455/466, 705/14.4, 705/14.58, 705/14.64
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining the existence of an event based on information collected from mobile devices. Reception is caused, at least in part, of media from a plurality of mobile devices. A plurality of event vectors for the respective mobile devices is determined. Each of the event vectors includes geo-location information and timing information of the corresponding mobile device. The existence of the event is determined based on the received media and the event vectors.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a user device media from a plurality of mobile devices;

determining at the user device a plurality of event vectors for the respective mobile devices, wherein each of the event vectors includes geo-location information, altimeter data, and timing information of the corresponding mobile devices;

determining at the user device existence of an event based on the received media and the event vectors;

determining a focal point associated with the event based on the event vectors;

determining an area of extent associated with the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determining a type of the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determining an altitude of at least one of the mobile devices based on the event vectors;

determining a vantage point of the at least one mobile device as higher, same, or lower in relation to the focal point based upon the altitude; and

causing, at least in part, representation of the focal point and the vantage point in a three-dimensional space.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a region associated with the event; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval of historical event data associated with the region, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the historical event data.

3. A method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

determining a historical event determination threshold associated with the historical event data;

determining a current event score based on the received media and the event vectors; and

comparing the current event score with the historical event determination threshold, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the comparison.

4. A method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a current weighted event score by associating a base score with at least one of the mobile devices and weighting the base score based on a user profile associated with the at least one of the mobile devices;

comparing the current weighted event score with the historical event determination threshold; and

determining existence of the event further based, at least in part, on the comparison.

5. A method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of historical event determination thresholds are defined differently based on a plurality of types of real property.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein a historical event determination threshold of a residential area is set higher than a historical event determination threshold of a commercial area.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein a historical event determination threshold of an urban area is set higher than a historical event determination threshold of a rural area.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the event vectors further include orientation data including, at least in part, accelerometer data, magnetometer data, the altimeter data, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the event vectors further include data from sensors including, at least in part, air pressure sensor, thermometer, or a combination thereof, and the method further comprising:

determining a type of the event based on the event vectors.

10. A method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a request for event data from another mobile device specifying a location of the other mobile device;

selecting the event for presentation to be based on the location;

categorizing the received media into one or more views; and

selecting one of the views of the event for presentation.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a mobile device, and the media received from one of the mobile devices includes event vectors from another one or more of the mobile devices.

12. A method of claim 1, wherein the media, the event vectors, or a combination thereof are received from a master mobile device among the mobile devices that collect the media, the event vectors, or a combination thereof from other ones of the mobile devices.

13. A method of claim 1, wherein the event vectors are received from the mobile devices separately from the media.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive media from a plurality of mobile devices;

determine a plurality of event vectors for the respective mobile devices, wherein each of the event vectors includes geo-location information, altimeter data, and timing information of the corresponding mobile device;

determine existence of an event based on the received media and the event vectors;

determine a focal point associated with the event based on the event vectors;

determine an area of extent associated with the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determine a type of the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determine an altitude of at least one of the mobile devices based on the event vectors;

determine a vantage point of the at least one mobile device as higher, same, or lower in relation to the focal point based upon the altitude; and

cause, at least in part, representation of the focal point and the vantage point in a three-dimensional space,

wherein the apparatus is embedded in a user device.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:

determine a region associated with the event; and

cause, at least in part, retrieval of historical event data associated with the region, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the historical event data.

16. An apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:

determine a historical event determination threshold associated with the historical event data;

determine a current event score based on the received media and the event vectors; and

compare the current event score with the historical event determination threshold, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the comparison.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving media from a plurality of mobile devices;

determining a plurality of event vectors for the respective mobile devices, wherein each of the event vectors includes geo-location information, altimeter data, and timing information of the corresponding mobile device;

determining existence of an event based on the received media and the event vectors;

determining a focal point associated with the event based on the event vectors;

determining an area of extent associated with the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determining a type of the event based on the focal point and the event vectors;

determining an altitude of at least one of the mobile devices based on the event vectors;

determining a vantage point of the at least one mobile device as higher, same, or lower in relation to the focal point based upon the altitude; and

causing, at least in part, representation of the focal point and the vantage point in a three-dimensional space,

wherein the apparatus is embedded in a user device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a region associated with the event; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval of historical event data associated with the region, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the historical event data.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

determining a historical event determination threshold associated with the historical event data;

determining a current event score based on the received media and the event vectors; and

comparing the current event score with the historical event determination threshold, wherein the determination of the existence of the event is further based on the comparison.