Location history filtering

• US 8,855,931 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirmse, Andrew, Gultekin, Gokay Baris
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hilgendorf, Dale W
• Application Number:
  US13/737,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 701/483, 701/484, 701/516, 701/519, 701/522, 701/532, 701/537, 701/538, 701/541
• US Class Current: 701/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

In general, techniques, devices, and systems for filtering location information received from multiple computing devices are described. In one example, a method includes receiving a first plurality of location indicators from a first mobile computing device and a second plurality of location indicators from a second mobile computing device, wherein the first and second computing devices are both associated with a single user and the first and second pluralities of location indicators are representative of geographical locations at which each of the respective first and second mobile computing devices has been located. The method may also include determining a subset of the location indicators for a period of time, all location indicators included in the subset being associated with the one of the first or second mobile computing devices that moved with the user during the period of time, and outputting information related to the subset of the location indicators.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server computing device, a first plurality of location indicators from a first mobile computing device and a second plurality of location indicators from a second mobile computing device, wherein the first and second computing devices are both associated with a single user and the first and second pluralities of location indicators are representative of geographical locations at which each of the respective first and second mobile computing devices has been located;

automatically determining, by the server computing device, a selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators for a period of time, all location indicators included in the selected subset being associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that moved with the user during the period of time, wherein location indicators associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that did not move with the user during the period of time being unselected; and

outputting, by the server computing device, information related to the selected subset of the location indicators for the period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time is a first period of time and the selected subset of location indicators is a first selected subset of location indicators, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a second selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators for a second period of time different than the first period of time, each location indicator included in the second selected subset being associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that moved with the user during the second period of time; and

outputting the second selected subset of the location indicators for the second period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the first plurality of location indicators and the second plurality of location indicators into respective individual location streams for each of the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

separating the first plurality of location indicators and the second plurality of location indicators comprises separating the location indicators by respective device identifiers associated with each of the received location indicators of the first plurality and second plurality of location indicators, and

each device identifier represents the one of the first mobile computing device or second mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing, from the respective individual location streams for each of the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device, location indicators representing location changes due to at least one of cell tower reassignment, atmospheric conditions, and variable wireless network strength.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

determining the selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators comprises, for the period of time, calculating a first total distance between a subset of location indicators of the individual location stream for the first mobile computing device and a second total distance between a subset of location indicators of the individual location stream for the second mobile computing device, and

the calculated first and second total distances are representative of a respective distance each of the first and second mobile computing devices moved during the period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the selected subset of the location indicators comprises:

comparing the first total distance and the second total distance for each of the respective location streams during the period of time; and

selecting, for the period of time and based on the comparison, one of the subset of the location indicators of the individual location stream for the first mobile computing device or the subset of location indicators of the individual location stream for the second mobile computing device associated with the greatest total distance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the period of time is a first period of time, the selected subset of location indicators is a first selected subset of location indicators, and determining the first selected subset of the location indicators further comprises:

comparing the first and second total distances for each of the respective location streams during the first period of time;

determining that the first and second total distances for each of the respective location streams during the first period of time are approximately equal;

identifying the one of the first or second mobile computing devices associated with a second selected subset of location indicators selected for a second period time immediately preceding the first period of time; and

selecting, as the first selected subset of the location indicators, the location indicators received for the first period of time and associated with the identified mobile computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the selected subset of the location indicators for the period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the one of the first or second mobile computing device associated with the selected subset of the location indicators; and

outputting, for the period of time, a device identifier representing the identified mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding an unselected subset of the location indicators, the unselected subset being different than the selected subset, wherein the unselected subset of the location indicators is associated with the one of the first or second mobile computing devices that did not move with the user during the period of time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time is a preselected period of time between approximately 10 minutes and 24 hours.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting, for presentation at a display of at least one of the first mobile computing device, the second mobile computing device, or a third mobile computing device, information related to the selected subset of the location indicators.

14. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a location history module operable by the one or more processors to;

receive a first plurality of location indicators from a first mobile computing device and a second plurality of location indicators from a second mobile computing device, wherein the first and second mobile computing devices are both associated with a user and the first and second pluralities of location indicators are representative of geographical locations at which each of the respective mobile computing devices has been located;

automatically determine a first selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators for a first period of time, all location indicators included in the first selected subset being associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that moved with the user during the first period of time, wherein location indicators associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that did not move with the user during the first period of time being unselected;

automatically determine a second selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators for a second period of time different than the first period of time, all location indicators included in the second subset being associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that moved with the user during the second period of time, wherein location indicators associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that did not move with the user during the second period of time being unselected; and

output information related to the first and second selected subsets of the location indicators for the respective first and second periods of time.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the location history module is operable by the one or more processors to:

separate the first plurality of location indicators and the second plurality of location indicators by respective device identifiers associated with each of the received first plurality and second plurality of location indicators, wherein each device identifier represents the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device;

for each of the first and second periods of time, calculate a first total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the first mobile computing device and a second total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the second mobile computing device during the respective period of time, wherein the calculated first and second total distances are representative of the distance each of the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device moved during the respective periods of time;

for each of the first and second periods of time, compare the first and second total distances for each of the respective location streams during the respective period of time; and

for each of the first and second periods of time, select, based on the comparison and as the respective subset of location indicators, the location indicators associated with the greatest total distance.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the location history module is operable by the one or more processors to remove, from the respective individual location stream for each of the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device, location indicators representing location changes due to at least one of cell tower reassignment, atmospheric conditions, and variable wireless network strength.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the computing device comprises a network server, and wherein the network server comprises the location history module.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that cause one or more processors of a computing device to:

receive a first plurality of location indicators from a first mobile computing device and a second plurality of location indicators from a second mobile computing device, wherein the first and second mobile computing devices are associated with a user and the first and second pluralities of location indicators are representative of geographical locations at which each of the respective mobile computing devices has been located;

automatically determine a first selected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators for a period of time, all location indicators included in the selected subset being associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device that moved with the user during the period of time;

discard a second unselected subset of one of the first plurality of location indicators or the second plurality of location indicators different than the first subset of the location indicators, wherein the second subset of location indicators is associated with the one of the first mobile computing device or second mobile computing device that did not move with the user during the period of time; and

output information related to the first selected subset of the location indicators for the period of time.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

separate the first plurality of location indicators and the second plurality of location indicators into respective individual location streams by respective device identifiers associated with each of the received first and second plurality of location indicators, wherein the device identifiers each represent the one of the first mobile computing device or the second mobile computing device;

for the period of time, calculate a first total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the first mobile computing device and a second total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the second mobile computing device during the period of time, wherein the calculated first and second total distances are representative of the distance each of the respective first and second computing devices moved during the period of time;

compare the first and second total distances for each of the location streams during the period of time; and

select, as the first selected subset and based on the comparison, the location indicators associated with the greatest total distance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to, prior to calculating the first total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the first mobile computing device and a second total distance between location indicators of the individual location stream for the second mobile computing device, remove location indicators representing location changes due to at least one of cell tower reassignment, atmospheric conditions, and variable wireless network strength.