Biasing of search result clustering to ensure more effective point of interest (POI) targeting

• US 8,645,235 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ridgeway, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hayles, Ashford S
• Application Number:
  US12/833,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 701/209, 701/203
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Directory service results responsive to a request for a desired good or service provider may be provided based on one or more user-selected locations. The user may seek a desired good or service provider that is proximate to a location from which the user may begin traveling to the point of interest, referred to as a source location, and satisfies a beneficial objective held by the user. The beneficial objective may relate to, for example, a directional travel preference, avoiding rush hour traffic or proximity to a specific location or another type of good or service provider that differs from the user'"'"'s desired good or service provider that is the subject of the user'"'"'s request. A sequence of geometrical representations, such as, for example, Delauney Triangles, may be generated to provide directory service results that satisfy the user'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a location of a first type of good or service provider based on proximity to a location of a second type of good or service provider, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request for a location of a first type of good or service provider;

identifying, by at least one processor, a first location that matches the first type of good or service provider and a second location that matches the first type of good or service provider, the second location being different than the first location;

identifying, by at least one processor, a source location of the user;

receiving, from the user, user input that indicates that the user prefers the location of the first type of good or service provider to be geographically proximate to a location of a second type of good or service provider, the second type of good or service provider being different than the first type of good or service provider;

identifying, by at least one processor, a first secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider and a second secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider, the second secondary location being different than the first secondary location;

associating, by at least one processor, the first secondary location with the first location based on when an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the second secondary location;

associating, by at least one processor, the second secondary location with the second location when an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location is less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the first secondary location;

computing, by at least one processor, a first aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location;

computing, by at least one processor, a second aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location; and

determining, by at least one processor, whether the first aggregated distance is less than the second aggregated distance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance ranking the second location higher than the first location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance, causing the second location to be displayed on a display device in a manner that distinguishes the second location from the first location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance, ranking the first location higher than the second location despite the second location being located closer to the source location than the first location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first secondary location with the first location comprises determining that the first secondary location, the first location, and the source location are vertices of a Delauney Triangle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein computing the first aggregated distance comprises computing a metric based on a perimeter of the Delauney Triangle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the second secondary location with the second location comprises determining that the second secondary location, the second location, and the source location are vertices of a Delauney Triangle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein computing the second aggregated distance comprises computing a metric based on a perimeter of the Delauney Triangle.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance;

ranking the second location higher than the first location; and

causing the second location to be displayed, on a display device, in a manner that distinguishes the second location from the first location.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing the first location to be displayed, on a display device, without causing the second location to be displayed on the display device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing the second location to be displayed, on a display device, without causing the first location to be displayed on the display device.

12. A computer readable storage device storing a computer program, which when executed on a processor causes the processor to perform a method of providing a location of a first type of good or service provider based on proximity to a location of a second type of good or service provider, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request for a location of a first type of good or service provider;

identifying a first location that matches the first type of good or service provider and a second location that matches the first type of good or service provider, the second location being different than the first location;

identifying a source location of the user;

receiving, from the user, user input that indicates that the user prefers the location of the first type of good or service provider to be geographically proximate to a location of a second type of good or service provider, the second type of good or service provider being different than the first type of good or service provider;

identifying a first secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider and a second secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider, the second secondary location being different than the first secondary location;

associating the first secondary location with the first location when an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location is less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the second secondary location;

associating the second secondary location with the second location when an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location is less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the first secondary location;

computing a first aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location;

computing a second aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location; and

determining whether the first aggregated distance is less than the second aggregated distance.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance ranking the second location higher than the first location.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance causing the second location to be displayed, on a display device in a manner that distinguishes the second location from the first location.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to determining that the second aggregated distance is less than the first aggregated distance ranking the first location higher than the second location despite the second location being located closer to the source location than the first location.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein associating the first secondary location with the first location comprises determining that the first secondary location, the first location, and the source location are vertices of a Delauney Triangle, and computing the first aggregated distance comprises computing a metric based on a perimeter of the Delauney Triangle.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein associating the second secondary location with the second location comprises determining that the second secondary location, the second location, and the source location are vertices of a Delauney Triangle, and computing the second aggregated distance comprises computing a metric based on a perimeter of the Delauney Triangle.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises causing the first location to be displayed, on a display device, without causing the second location to be displayed on the display device.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises causing the second location to be displayed, on a display device, without causing the first location to be displayed on the display device.

20. A system for providing a location of a first type of good or service provider based on proximity to a location of a second type of good or service provider comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage device storing instructions, which when executed on a processor, causes the processor to;

receive, from a user, a request for a location of a first type of good or service provider;

identify a first location that matches the first type of good or service provider and a second location that matches the first type of good or service provider, the second location being different than the first location;

identify a source location of the user;

receive, from the user, user input that indicates that the user prefers the location of the first type of good or service provider to be geographically proximate to a location of a second type of good or service provider, the second type of good or service provider being different than the first type of good or service provider;

identify a first secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider and a second secondary location that matches the second type of good or service provider, the second secondary location being different than the first secondary location;

associate the first secondary location with the first location when an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location is less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the second secondary location;

associate the second secondary location with the second location when an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location is less than an aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the first secondary location;

computing a first aggregated distance between the source location, the first location, and the first secondary location;

compute a second aggregated distance between the source location, the second location, and the second secondary location; and

determine whether the first aggregated distance is less than the second aggregated distance.