Location-aware application searching

• US 8,688,726 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mahajan, Milind, Kumar, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/398,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Computer-readable media, computer systems, and computing methods are provided for implicitly discovering applications that have a corresponding location. Initially, an application manifest is constructed that maintains a mapping between apps and their respective geographic boundaries. In operation, upon detecting a location signal being transmitted from a mobile device, the location signal is employed to identify a set of valid applications. Generally, the location signal represents location-based information entered to or received from the mobile device. Identifying the set of valid applications involves comparing the location signal against the application manifest and, based on the comparison, designating those apps that are mapped to geographic boundaries that meet the location signal as the set of valid applications. Upon identifying the set of valid applications, a selection of apps included within the set of valid applications is sent to the mobile device for display to the user within a operational context.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having embodied thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for surfacing one or more applications using location-based information, the method comprising:

automatically detecting a location signal at a mobile device being operated by a user, wherein the location signal represents the location-based information that is entered to or received from the mobile device;

using the location signal to identify a set of valid applications, the applications in the set of valid applications being created prior to detection of the location signal at the mobile device, wherein the process of identifying the set of valid applications comprises;

(a) comparing the location signal against an application manifest that maintains a mapping between the applications and their respective geographic boundaries;

(b) based on the comparison, designating the applications that are mapped to geographic boundaries that meet the location signal as the set of valid applications; and

sending a selection of the applications included within the set of valid applications to the mobile device for display to the user within an operational context.

2. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the operational context involves presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications on a user-interface (UI) display in response to the query entered during an online search.

3. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 2, wherein presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications comprises:

integrating the selection of the applications within the initial set of search results; and

surfacing the at least one of the selection of the applications concurrently with the initial set of search results on the UI display.

4. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the operational context involves presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications on a locked home screen of the mobile device, wherein the locked home screen is encountered upon initially powering up the mobile device prior to user login.

5. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the operational context involves presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications on an unlocked home screen of the mobile device, wherein the unlocked home screen is encountered upon the user logging in after powering up the mobile device.

6. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the operational context involves presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications on a place-centered page, wherein the place-centered page is published upon the user conducting an online search for a particular location, landmark, attraction, or point of interest.

7. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the operational context involves presenting the selection of the applications of the set of valid applications on a local-centered page, wherein the local-centered page is published upon the recognizing a location of the user by monitoring geographic positioning of the mobile device.

8. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 7, wherein the local-centered page exposes content that describes businesses that are physically proximate to the location of the user.

9. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises automatically detecting a task signal at the mobile device, wherein the task signal represents the task-based information being entered or received at the mobile device.

10. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises using the task signal to identify a set of relevant applications.

11. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises wherein identifying the set of relevant applications comprises:

comparing the task signal against the application manifest that maintains a mapping between the applications and their respective categories; and

based on the comparison, designating the applications that are mapped to categories that meet the task signal as the set of relevant applications.

12. The one or more computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the selected applications represent a group of applications that are common to both the set of relevant applications and the set of valid applications.

13. A computer system for identifying a set of valid applications upon receiving location-based and task-based information from a mobile device, the computer system comprising:

a data store for hosting an application manifest comprising a listing of applications mined from an application marketplace, wherein the applications within the listing are mapped to respective geographic boundaries and categories;

the mobile device for providing a location signal and a task signal, wherein the location signal represents location-based information entered by a user of the mobile device or derived from a geographic position of the mobile device, and wherein the task signal represents task-based information that exposes user-initiated operations performed on the mobile device; and

a processing device for receiving the location signal and the task signal from the mobile device, for comparing the location signal against the application manifest to identify a first set of applications mapped to geographic boundaries that are valid with respect to the location signal, for comparing the task signal against the application manifest to identify a second set of applications mapped to categories that are relevant with respect to the task signal, and for selecting applications from an overlapping set of applications from the first set of applications and the second set of applications, the applications in the overlapping set of applications being created prior to location signal is provided by the mobile device.

14. A computerized method carried out by a processing unit for selecting at least one application to present on a display area of a computing device, the method comprising:

identifying one or more geographic boundaries for one or more applications, wherein the process of identifying comprises;

(a) abstracting a local intent from metadata accompanying the one or more applications upon submission to a catalogue within an application marketplace;

(b) assigning the one or more geographic boundaries as a function of the local intent;

mapping the one or more geographic boundaries to the one or more applications application;

storing, at least temporarily, the mapping within an application manifest;

receiving a location signal that represents location-based information that is provided by the computing device;

comparing the location signal against the application manifest; and

selecting the at least one application from the one or more applications for display on the computing device as a function of the comparison, the at least one selected application being created prior to the location signal is provided by the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting that a developer submitted a particular location associated with the one or more applications, and wherein assigning the one or more geographic boundaries as a function of the local intent comprises explicitly tagging the one or more applications with the one or more geographic boundaries that correspond with the particular location.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the metadata includes a name or description that specifies or inherently relates to location associated with the one or more applications, and wherein assigning the one or more geographic boundaries as a function of the local intent comprises implicitly tagging the one or more applications with the one or more geographic boundaries that correspond with the specified or inherent location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein mapping the one or more geographic boundaries to the one or more applications comprises directly mapping the one or more applications to the specified location.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein mapping the one or more geographic boundaries to the one or more applications comprises indirectly mapping the one or more applications to the inherent location.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising collecting telemetry data that captures locations at which users access, download, or launch the at least one app.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising mapping the one or more applications to geographic locations that correspond with the telemetry data.