Method of and system for estimating temporal demographics of mobile users

• US 8,606,294 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US13/252,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/41.2, 455/43.6, 370/338, 370/346
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method of and system for estimating temporal demographics of mobile users is disclosed. A method of estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area includes, for at least one individual, determining a selected geographical area along a portion of a track of travel of the individual and determining demographic information associated with the at least one individual. The method also includes estimating a ratio of individuals transiting into the area versus individuals that are residents of the area and estimating demographic information associated with the area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the at least one individual.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area based on tracks of travel of a plurality of mobile device users, the method comprising:

for each mobile device user of a plurality of mobile device users, obtaining a track of travel of the mobile device user generated by a corresponding mobile device;

for each mobile device user of the plurality of mobile device users, determining a location of an intermediate ending point of the portion of a track of travel of the mobile device user, the intermediate ending point of each track being within a selected geographical area;

for each mobile device user of the plurality of mobile device users, determining a location of an intermediate starting point of the portion of the track of travel of the mobile device user, the intermediate starting point being within a starting geographical area;

estimating a ratio of mobile device users transiting into the selected geographical area versus mobile device users that are residents of the selected geographical area based on a count of the number of tracks having the intermediate ending point within the selected geographical area; and

estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the starting geographical areas.

2. The method of claim 1, the estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area being further based on demographic information associated with residents of the selected geographical area.

3. The method of claim 1, each of the starting geographical area and the selected geographical area being one of a set of regularly arranged geographical areas.

4. The method of claim 1, the estimating the ratio and the estimating the demographic information associated with the selected geographical area occurring during a designated time period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a set of at least one mobile device user that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period, the at least one mobile device user having associated demographic information;

wherein the estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area is further based on the demographic information associated with the at least one mobile device user that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period.

6. The method of claim 1, at least one of determining the location of the intermediate ending points and the determining the location of the intermediate starting points being based on estimated locations supplied by at least one of a WiFi-based positioning system, a satellite-based positioning system, a cellular telephone-based positioning system, and a hybrid WiFi and satellite-based positioning system.

7. The method of claim 1, the determining the intermediate starting point for at least one of the portions of the tracks of travel including selecting one location estimate from a series of location estimates along the track, the series of location estimates terminating at the intermediate ending point of the track.

8. The method of claim 7, the determining the intermediate starting point for at least one of the portions of the tracks of travel including selecting a location estimate from the series of location estimates along the track that is immediately prior to the intermediate ending point.

9. A system for estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area based on tracks of travel of a plurality of individuals, the system comprising:

logic for determining a location of an intermediate ending point of a portion of a track of travel of each individual of a plurality of individuals, the intermediate ending point of each track being within a selected geographical area;

logic for determining a location of an intermediate starting point of the portion of the track of travel for each individual of the plurality of individuals, the intermediate starting point being within a starting geographical area;

logic for estimating a ratio of individuals transiting into the selected geographical area versus individuals that are residents of the selected geographical area based on a count of the number of tracks having the intermediate ending point within the selected geographical area; and

logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the starting geographical areas.

10. The system of claim 9, the logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area further basing the estimation on demographic information associated with residents of the selected geographical area.

11. The system of claim 9, the logic for estimating the ratio and the logic for estimating the demographic information associated with the selected geographical area basing the respective estimations on a designated time period.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

logic for determining a set of at least one individual that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period, the at least one individual having associated demographic information;

wherein the logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area further bases the estimation on the demographic information associated with the at least one individual that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period.

13. The system of claim 9, at least one of the logic for determining the location of the intermediate ending points and the logic for determining the location of the intermediate starting points basing the locations on estimated locations supplied by at least one of a WiFi-based positioning system, a satellite-based positioning system, a cellular telephone-based positioning system, and a hybrid WiFi and satellite-based positioning system.

14. The system of claim 9, the logic for determining the intermediate starting point for at least one of the portions of the tracks of travel including logic for selecting one location estimate from a series of location estimates along the track, the series of location estimates terminating at the intermediate ending point of the track.

15. The system of claim 14, the logic for determining the intermediate starting point for at least one of the portions of the tracks of travel including logic for selecting a location estimate from the series of location estimates along the track that is immediately prior to the intermediate ending point.

16. A computer-implemented method of estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area based on a track of travel of at least one mobile device user, the method comprising:

for at least one mobile device user, obtaining the track of travel of the mobile device user generated by a corresponding mobile device;

for the at least one mobile device user, determining a selected geographical area along at least a portion of the track of travel of the mobile device user;

determining demographic information associated with the at least one mobile device user;

estimating a ratio of mobile device users transiting into the selected geographical area versus mobile device users that are residents of the selected geographical area; and

estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the at least one mobile device user.

17. The method of claim 16, the estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area being further based on demographic information associated with residents of the selected geographical area.

18. The method of claim 16, the determining the demographic information associated with the at least one mobile device user including associating with the mobile device user demographic information known to be applicable to the mobile device user.

19. The method of claim 16, the determining the demographic information associated with the at least one individual mobile device user:

determining an intermediate starting area along the portion of the track of travel of the mobile device user; and

associating with the mobile device user the demographic information associated with the intermediate starting geographical area.

20. The method of claim 19, the determining the intermediate starting geographical area including:

selecting as the intermediate starting geographical area one of a series of geographical areas along the portion of the track,

wherein the selecting the one of the series of geographical areas is based on a ratio of residents versus mobile device users transiting into the selected geographical area relative to other geographic areas along the portion of the track.

21. The method of claim 20, the selecting the one of the series of geographical areas includes selecting the geographical area having the highest ratio of residents versus mobile device users transiting into the selected geographical area relative to other geographic areas along the portion of the track.

22. The method of claim 20, the selecting the one of the series of geographical areas being further based on times of day when the mobile device user is present within corresponding geographical areas along the portion of the track.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a set of at least one mobile device user that has remained in the selected geographical area during a designated time period, the at least one mobile device user having associated demographic information;

wherein the estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area is further based on the demographic information associated with the at least one mobile device user that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period.

24. A system for estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area based on a track of travel of at least one individual, the system comprising:

logic for determining a selected geographical area along a portion of a track of travel of the individual;

logic for determining demographic information associated with the at least one individual;

logic for estimating a ratio of individuals transiting into the selected geographical area versus individuals that are residents of the selected geographical area; and

logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the at least one individual.

25. The system of claim 24, the logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area basing the estimation on demographic information associated with residents of the selected geographical area.

26. The system of claim 24, the logic determining the demographic information associated with the at least one individual including logic for associating with the individual demographic information known to be applicable to the individual.

27. The system of claim 24, the logic determining the demographic information associated with the at least one individual including:

logic for determining an intermediate starting area along the portion of the track of travel of the individual; and

logic for associating with the individual the demographic information associated with the intermediate starting geographical area.

28. The system of claim 27, the logic for determining the intermediate starting geographical area including:

logic for selecting as the intermediate starting geographical area one of a series of geographical areas along the portion of the track,

wherein the selecting the one of the series of geographical areas is based on a ratio of residents versus individuals transiting into the selected geographical area relative to other geographic areas along the portion of the track.

29. The system of claim 28, the logic for selecting the one of the series of geographical areas including logic for selecting the geographical area having the highest ratio of residents versus individuals transiting into the selected geographical area relative to other geographic areas along the portion of the track.

30. The system of claim 28, the logic for selecting the one of the series of geographical areas further basing the selection on times of day when the individual is present within corresponding geographical areas along the portion of the track.

31. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

logic for determining a set of at least one individual that has remained in the selected geographical area during a designated time period, the at least one individual having associated demographic information;

wherein the logic for estimating demographic information associated with the selected geographical area further bases the estimation on the demographic information associated with the at least one individual that has remained in the selected geographical area during the designated time period.