Location based user behavior analysis and applications

• US 8,725,569 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alohar Mobile Inc. (Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liang, Sam Song, Yang, Jun, Wang, Chenyu, Liu, Zhigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/278,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20120100869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatuses for generating a user profile of a mobile device user are disclosed. One method includes tracking user stays of the user over time, wherein the user stays include at least one location, and generating the user profile based at least in part on at least one of an arrival time, a time duration or a frequency of visits of the user at each of the user stays. Another method includes determining a current state of a mobile device user. The method includes tracking locations of user stays of the mobile device user over time, and determining a current state of a mobile device user based on user stays within a predetermined time of a present time, wherein the predetermined time is dependent upon an application of the user device or an observed behavior of a user of the user device.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user profile of a user of a mobile device, comprising:

persistently sensing, by at least one sensor of the mobile device, at least spatial information of the mobile device;

automatically determining and tracking a plurality of user stays of the user over time without the user proactively or reactively providing input associated with a location or a point of interest for at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the plurality of user stays include at least one location, wherein the at least one location is determined at least in part by the sensed spatial information, and wherein the at least one user stay comprises a point of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the point of interest, wherein the at least one user stay is detected by clustering user location data continuously collected by the mobile device of the user, and matching the clustered user location data with a nearby point of interest;

generating and continuously updating, by a controller of the mobile device or a controller connected to the mobile device, the user profile based at least in part on statistics of the plurality of user stays including an arrival time, a time duration and a frequency of visits of the user at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the time duration includes an amount of time the user stays at a location as determined by the sensed at least spatial information; and

wherein

the user profile further comprises location behavior patterns including location transitions detected between different points of interest, user preferred routes between points of interest and frequency and speed of the user between points of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking a current state of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile comprises a history of the user stays of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user stay comprises an event of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the event of interest.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the current state comprises user stays within a predetermined time of a present time, wherein the predetermined time is dependent upon an application of the user device or an observed behavior of a user of the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining route-based information, wherein the route-based information includes a route usage frequency, a time when the route is usually taken, and general speed information on the route.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising updating a current state of the user based on the route-based information, wherein the current state includes current location, time and what the user is doing.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising predicting future user stays based on the route-based information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining route-based information comprises:

determining a plurality of points of interest, wherein the plurality of points of interest define a trail of interest of the user, and wherein the trail of interest is based on tracking of user stays of the user over time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with targeted information base on the user profile.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the targeted information comprises at least one of coupons, advertisement, notice of events.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating a likelihood of conversion of targeted advertising based on the user profile.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a conversion of targeted advertising based on the user profile.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising supplementing the user profile based at least in part on websites visited by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising supplementing the user profile based on information posted by the user on at least one of the websites.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the websites comprises a social website.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with at least one suggestion based on identified points of interest.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with at least one suggestion based on at least one predicated future point of interest.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising modifying a suggestion based on the user location history and user profile.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a trail of interest based on tracking user stays of the user over time, wherein the user stays include at least one location, wherein the at least one location is based on the sensed at least spatial information.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using a frequency and/or speed of the user between points of interest to determine a level of importance of the trail.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the level of importance of trail is included within the user profile.

23. A method of determining a current state of a user of a mobile device, comprising:

persistently sensing, by at least one sensor of the mobile device, at least spatial information of the mobile device;

automatically determining and tracking a plurality of user stays of the user over time without the user proactively or reactively providing input associated with a location or a point of interest for at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the plurality of user stays include at least one location, wherein the at least one location is determined at least in part by the sensed spatial information, and wherein the at least one user stay comprises a point of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the point of interest, wherein the at least one user stay is detected by clustering user location data continuously collected by the mobile device of the user, and matching the clustered user location data with a nearby point of interest;

determining a current state of a mobile device user based on user stays of the plurality of user stays within a predetermined time of a present time, wherein the predetermined time is dependent upon an application of the user device or an observed behavior of a user of the user device.

24. A mobile device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors operative to sense at least spatial information of the mobile device;

a processor operative to receive at least one input from the plurality of sensors, and track locations of a plurality of user stays of the user over time without the user proactively or reactively providing input associated with a location or a point of interest for at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the tracked locations are determined at least in part by the spatial information, and wherein at least one of the plurality of user stays comprises a point of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the point of interest, wherein the at least one user stay is detected by clustering user location information data continuously collected by the mobile device of the user, and matching the clustered user location data with a nearby point of interest;

the processor operative to generate and continuously update the user profile based at least in part on statistics of the plurality of stays including an arrival time, a time duration and a frequency of visits of the user at each of the user stays, wherein the time duration includes an amount of time the user stays at a location as determined by the sensed at least spatial information; and

wherein

the user profile further comprises location behavior patterns including location transitions detected between different points of interest, user preferred routes between points of interest and frequency and speed of the user between points of interest.

25. A wireless system for generating a user profile of a user of a mobile device, comprising:

at least one of a mobile device or a network operative to receive at least one input from the plurality of sensors, and track locations of a plurality of user stays of the user over time without the user proactively or reactively providing input associated with a location or a point of interest for at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the tracked locations are determined at least in part by sensed spatial information, and wherein at least one of the plurality of user stays comprises a point of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the point of interest, wherein the at least one user stay is detected by clustering user location information data continuously collected by the mobile device of the user, and matching the the clustered user location data with a nearby point of interest; and

at least one of the mobile device and a server connected to the network operative to generate and continuously update the user profile based at least in part on statistics of the plurality of stays including an arrival time, a time duration and a frequency of visits of the user at each of the user stays, wherein the time duration includes an amount of time the user stays at a location as determined by the sensed spatial information; and

wherein

the user profile further comprises location behavior patterns including location transitions detected between different points of interest, user preferred routes between points of interest and frequency and speed of the user between points of interest.

26. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions that when downloaded and executed by a mobile device cause the mobile device to perform a method of generating a user profile of a user, comprising:

automatically determining and tracking a plurality of user stays of the user over time without the user proactively or reactively providing input associated with a location or a point of interest for at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the plurality of user stays include at least one location, wherein the at least one location is determined at least in part by the sensed spatial information, and wherein the at least one user stay comprises a point of interest the user has visited, an arrival time and a length of time the user stays at the point of interest, wherein the at least one user stay is detected by clustering user location data continuously collected by the mobile device of a user, and matching the clustered user location data with a nearby point of interest;

generating and continuously updating, by a controller of the mobile device or a controller connected to the mobile device, the user profile based at least in part on statistics of the plurality of user stays including an arrival time, a time duration and a frequency of visits of the user at least one of the plurality of user stays, wherein the time duration includes an amount of time the user stays at a location as determined by the sensed at least spatial information; and

wherein

the user profile further comprises location behavior patterns including location transitions detected between different points of interest, user preferred routes between points of interest and frequency and speed of the user between points of interest.

27. The program storage device of claim 26, wherein the program is downloadable to a mobile device of the user.