Method, system, and computer program product for obtaining crowd-sourced location information

• US 8,521,128 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Welsh, Martha, Rinckes, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/315,748
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554141-4143, 455/421, 340/995.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer programs, and user interfaces are provided to receive a first location tag from a first user device, the first location tag including a first location category and a first device location of the first user device, receive a second location tag from a second user device, the second location tag including the first location category and a second device location of the second user device, determine that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold, and store the first device location as a first point of interest in a points of interest layer in response to determining that the distance is less than the distance threshold, the points of interest layer being associated with the first location category.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining location information from user devices, the method comprising:

receiving a first location tag from a first user device, the first location tag comprising a first location category and a first device location corresponding to a geographic location of the first user device;

receiving a second location tag from a second user device, the second location tag comprising the first location category and a second device location corresponding to a geographic location of the second user device;

receiving a third location tag from a third user device, the third location tag comprising the first location category and a third device location corresponding to a geographic location of the third user device;

determining by one or more processors that whether a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold;

in response to determining that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold, storing the first device location as a first point of interest in a points of interest layer in response to determining that the distance is less than the distance threshold, the points of interest layer being associated with the first location category;

generating a moderation request for the third location tag;

receiving moderator approval of the third location tag; and

in response to receiving moderator approval of the third location tag, storing the third device location as a first point of interest in the points of interest layer associated with the first location category.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a location image from the first user device; and

performing optical character recognition on the location image to obtain location information associated with the first point of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving negative feedback from a fourth user device indicating that the first point of interest has incorrect data;

obtaining a user history of a user of the first user device;

modifying the user history to decrease a reputation of the user of the first user device; and

deleting the first point of interest from the points of interest layer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of location tags from a first plurality of user devices, each of the plurality of location tags comprising a second location category and an emergency location;

determining the second location tag is an emergency location tag; and

broadcasting a notification of the emergency location to a second plurality of user devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending to the first user device a confirmation that a user incentive has been awarded to a user of the first user device; and

broadcasting a notification of the user incentive to a social network of the user.

6. A method of obtaining location information from user devices, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of location categories on a display of a first user device, each of the plurality of location categories being associated with a points of interest map layer;

receiving a notification of a selected selection of a first location category of the plurality of location categories by a user of the first user device;

determining by one or more processors a first device location corresponding to a geographic location of the first user device at or near a time of the selection of the first category by the user of the first user device based on a signal from a positioning device; and

sending a location tag first point of interest dataset comprising the first device location and the selected location category to an application server,

wherein the application server is configured to;

receive a second point of interest dataset from a second user device, the second point of interest dataset comprising a second location category selected by a user of the second user device and a second device location corresponding to a geographic location of the second user device at or near a time of the selection of the second category by the user of the second device;

determine whether the first and second categories are the same and that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold; and

store the first device location as a first point of interest location in a points of interest layer associated with the first location category in response to determining that the first category and the second category are the same and that the distance is less than the distance threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining a location image from a camera of the first user device, the location tag further comprising the location image.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a request for confirmation of the selected category on the display until a timeout period expires, the first location tag being sent to the application server in response to the timeout period expiring.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor operatively connected to the memory;

a device interface stored on the memory, wherein the device interface is executed by the processor to;

receive a first location tag from a first user device, the first location tag comprising a first location category and a first device location corresponding to a geographic location of the first user device; and

receive a second location tag from a second user device, the second location tag comprising the first location category and a second device location corresponding to a geographic location of the second user device;

receive a third location tag from a third user device, the third location tag comprising the first location category and a third device location corresponding to a geographic location of the third user device;

a location manager module stored on the memory, wherein the location manager module is executed by the processor to;

determine that whether a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold;

in response to determining that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold, store, in a spatial data repository, the first device location as a first point of interest in a points of interest layer associated with the first location category a spatial data repository to store the first device location as a first point of interest in a points of interest layer in response to determining whether the distance is less than the distance threshold, the points of interest layer being associated with the first location category

generate a moderation request for the third location tag;

receive moderator approval of the third location tag; and

in response to receiving moderator approval of the third location tag, store, in the spatial data repository, the third device location as a first point of interest in the points of interest layer associated with the first location category.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the device interface is further executed by the processor to receive a location image from the first user device, and wherein the location manager module is further executed by the processor to perform optical character recognition on the location image to obtain location information associated with the first point of interest.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the device interface is further executed by the processor to receive negative feedback from a fourth user device indicating that the first point of interest has incorrect data, and wherein the location manager module is further executed by the processor to:

obtain a user history of a user of the first user device;

modify the user history to decrease a reputation of the user of the first user device; and

delete the first point of interest from the points of interest layer.

12. The system of claim 9,

wherein the device interface is further executed by the processor to:

receive a plurality of location tags from a first plurality of user devices, each of the plurality of location tags comprising a second location category and an emergency location; and

broadcast a notification of the emergency location to a second plurality of user devices; and

wherein the location manager module is further executed by the processor to determine the second location tag is an emergency location tag.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the device interface is further executed by the processor to:

send to the first user device a confirmation that a user incentive has been awarded to a user of the first user device; and

broadcast a notification of the user incentive to a social network of the user.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising the first user device to:

display a plurality of location categories on a display of the first user device, the plurality of location categories including the first location category associated with the points of interest layer;

receive a selection of a first location category;

determine the first device location based on a signal from a positioning device; and

send the first location tag comprising the device location and the selected location category to the device interface.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied therein causing a computer processor to:

receive a first location tag from a first user device, the first location tag comprising a first location category and a first device location corresponding to a geographic location of the first user device;

receive a second location tag from a second user device, the second location tag comprising the first location category and a second device location corresponding to a geographic location of the second user device;

receive a third location tag from a third user device, the third location tag comprising the first location category and a third device location corresponding to a geographic location of the third user device;

determine that whether a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold;

in response to determining that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold, store the first device location as a first point of interest in a points of interest layer in response to determining that the distance is less than the distance threshold, the points of interest layer being associated with the first location category;

generate a moderation request for the third location tag;

receive moderator approval of the third location tag; and

in response to receiving moderator approval of the third location tag, store the third device location as a first point of interest in the points of interest layer associated with the first location category.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the computer-executable program instructions further causing the computer processor to:

receive a location image from the first user device; and

perform optical character recognition on the location image to obtain location information associated with the first point of interest.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the computer-executable program instructions further causing the computer processor to:

receive negative feedback from a fourth user device indicating that the first point of interest has incorrect data;

obtain a user history of a user of the first user device;

modify the user history to decrease a reputation of the user of the first user device; and

delete the first point of interest from the points of interest layer.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the computer-executable program instructions further causing the computer processor to:

receive a plurality of location tags from a first plurality of user devices, each of the plurality of location tags comprising a second location category and an emergency location;

determine the second location tag is an emergency location tag; and

broadcast a notification of the emergency location to a second plurality of user devices.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, the computer-cxeeulablc program instructions further causing the computer processor to:

send to the first user device a confirmation that a user incentive has been awarded to a user of the first user device; and

broadcast a notification of the user incentive lo a social network of the user.

20. A method of obtaining location information from user devices, the method comprising:

receiving a first point of interest dataset from a first user device, the first point of interest dataset comprising a first category selected by a user of the first user device and a first device location corresponding to a geographic location of the first user device at or near the selection a time of the first category by the user of the first device;

receiving a second point of interest dataset from a second user device, the second point of interest dataset comprising a second location category selected by a user of the second user device and a second device location corresponding to a geographic location of the second user device at or near a time of the selection of the second category by the user of the second device;

determining by one or more processors that the first and second categories are the same and that a distance between the first device location and the second device location is less than a distance threshold; and

storing the first device location as a first point of interest location in a points of interest layer associated with the first location category in response to determining that the first category and the second category are the same and that the distance is less than the distance threshold.