System and method for predicting a geographic origin of content and accuracy of geotags related to content obtained from social media and other content providers

• US 8,862,589 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tai Technologies Inc. (Crisis24)
• Original Assignee: Geofeedia, Inc.
• Inventors: Harris, Philip B., Mitchell, Scott K., Mulroy, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/843,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 707/748, 707/743, 707/724
• US Class Current: 707/743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system and method for managing geotag data associated with content within a geofeed is provided. The content may be tagged with metadata such as geotag data that may specify a location where the content was created. The generated content may be geotagged by one or more geotag sources including a GPS-enabled device, a user input, a content provider, a user profile, or other sources. The system may determine the geotag data for the content that is not already associated with geotag data. The system may determine a confidence level of the geotag data, whether already geotagged or not. The confidence level may be indicative of a likelihood that the geotag data accurately describes a location where the content was actually created.

Claims

1. A method for determining an accuracy of location information that indicates a location at which content was created, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more processors programmed with computer program instructions, a geofeed definition comprising an indication of one or more geographically definable locations;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, content based on the geofeed definition, the content aggregated from a plurality of content providers based on the indication of the one or more geographically definable locations, the content being provided by the plurality of content providers based on respective requests formatted specifically for individual ones of the plurality of content providers, wherein the respective requests comprise the one or more geographically definable locations; and

obtaining, by the one or more processors, metadata associated with the content;

determining, by the one or more processors, geotag data from the metadata, the geotag data indicating;

(i) an automatically derived location, or (ii) a manually input location where the content was created;

determining, by the one or more processors, a confidence level associated with the geotag data, wherein the confidence level is indicative of a likelihood that the geotag data accurately describes a location where the content was created;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, a threshold confidence level;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the determined confidence level is above the threshold confidence level; and

displaying, by the one or more processors, the content differently depending on the determination of whether the confidence level is above the threshold confidence level or below the threshold confidence level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the confidence level associated with the geotag data further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more processors, a geotag source related to the geotag data, the geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated, wherein the geotag source comprises a GPS-enabled device, a user input, a content provider, and/or a user profile of a content creator who created the content; and

determining, by the location accuracy determination module one or more processors, the confidence level associated with the geotag data based on the geotag source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the geotag source is the user profile of the content creator who created the content, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the one or more processors, non-profile-based geotagged content related to the one or more geographically definable locations, wherein the non-profile-based geotagged content is associated with geotag data generated by a geotag source other than a user profile;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a profile location associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content based on location information defined in a user profile of a content creator who created the non-profile-based geotagged content;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match; and

determining, by the one or more processors, the confidence level based on the determination of whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the confidence level based on the determination of whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match further comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, a percentage of the non-profile-based geotagged content whose geotag data match the profile location in the non-profile-based geotagged content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content differently comprises:

displaying an indicator that indicates the determined confidence level in association with the content such a first indicator indicates a first confidence level and a second indicator indicates a second confidence level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content differently comprises:

displaying the content having a level of transparency that corresponds to the determined confidence level, wherein a higher level of transparency appears more invisible than a lower level of transparency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the level of transparency decreases as the determined level of confidence increases.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the threshold confidence level comprises obtaining the threshold confidence level based on an input by a user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geotag data is associated with at least one of a plurality of sources from which the geotag data is generated, wherein the plurality of sources includes a first source that is associated with a first confidence level and a second source that is associated with a second confidence level different from the first confidence level such that different ones of the plurality of sources are associated with different confidence levels.

10. The method of claim 1, the method comprising:

identifying a first geotag source related to the geotag data, the first geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated;

identifying a second geotag source related to the geotag data, the second geotag source being another source from which the geotag was generated such the geotag data was generated based on both the first geotag source and the second geotag source, wherein the confidence level is determined based on both the first geotag source and the second geotag source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein obtaining the threshold confidence level comprises obtaining the threshold confidence level based on an input by a user.

12. A system configured to determine an accuracy of location information that indicates a location at which content was created, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules comprising:

one or more processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions to;

obtain a geofeed definition comprising an indication of one or more geographically definable locations;

obtain content based on the geofeed definition, the content aggregated from a plurality of content providers based on the indication of the one or more geographically definable locations, the content being provided by the plurality of content providers based on respective requests formatted specifically for individual ones of the plurality of content providers, wherein the respective requests comprise the one or more geographically definable locations;

obtain metadata associated with the content;

determine geotag data from the metadata, the geotag data indicating;

(i) an automatically derived location, or (ii) a manually input location where the content was created;

determine a confidence level associated with the geotag data, wherein the confidence level is indicative of a likelihood that the geotag data accurately describes a location where the content was created;

obtain a threshold confidence level;

determine whether the determined confidence level is above the threshold confidence level; and

display the content differently depending on the determination of whether the confidence level is above the threshold confidence level or below the threshold confidence level.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

identify a geotag source related to the geotag data, the geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated, wherein the geotag source comprises a GPS-enabled device, a user input, a content provider, and/or a user profile of a content creator who created the content; and

determine the confidence level associated with the geotag data based on the geotag source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the geotag source is the user profile of the content creator who created the content, and wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

obtain non-profile-based geotagged content related to the one or more geographically definable locations, wherein the non-profile-based geotagged content is associated with geotag data generated by a geotag source other than a user profile;

identify a profile location associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content based on location information defined in a user profile of a content creator who created the non-profile-based geotagged content;

determine whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match; and

determine the confidence level based on the determination of whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to determine a percentage of the non-profile-based geotagged content whose geotag data match the profile location in the non-profile-based geotagged content.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

display an indicator that indicates the determined confidence level in association with the content such a first indicator indicates a first confidence level and a second indicator indicates a second confidence level, wherein the content is displayed differently based on the indicator.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

display the content having a level of transparency that corresponds to the determined confidence level, wherein a higher level of transparency appears more invisible than a lower level of transparency, wherein the content is displayed differently based on the indicator.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the level of transparency decreases as the determined level of confidence increases.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the geotag data is associated with at least one of a plurality of sources from which the geotag data is generated, wherein the plurality of sources includes a first source that is associated with a first confidence level and a second source that is associated with a second confidence level different from the first confidence level such that different ones of the plurality of sources are associated with different confidence levels.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

identify a first geotag source related to the geotag data, the first geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated;

identify a second geotag source related to the geotag data, the second geotag source being another source from which the geotag was generated such the geotag data was generated based on both the first geotag source and the second geotag source, wherein the confidence level is determined based on both the first geotag source and the second geotag source.

21. A method for determining an accuracy of location information that indicates a location at which content was created, the method being implemented in a computer that includes one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more processors programmed with computer program instructions, a geofeed definition comprising an indication of one or more geographically definable locations;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, content based on the geofeed definition, the content aggregated from a plurality of content providers based on the indication of the one or more geographically definable locations, the content being provided by the plurality of content providers based on respective requests formatted specifically for individual ones of the plurality of content providers, wherein the respective requests comprise the one or more geographically definable locations; and

obtaining, by the one or more processors, metadata associated with the content;

determining, by the one or more processors, geotag data from the metadata, the geotag data indicating;

(i) an automatically derived location, or (ii) a manually input location where the content was created;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a geotag source related to the geotag data, the geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated, wherein the geotag source comprises a GPS-enabled device, a user input, a content provider, and/or a user profile of a content creator who created the content;

obtaining, by the one or more processors, non-profile-based geotagged content related to the one or more geographically definable locations, wherein the non-profile-based geotagged content is associated with geotag data generated by a geotag source other than a user profile;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a profile location associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content based on location information defined in a user profile of a content creator who created the non-profile-based geotagged content;

determining, by the one or more processors, whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match; and

determining, by the one or more processors, a confidence level associated with the geotag data based on the geotag source and the determination of whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match, wherein the confidence level is indicative of a likelihood that the geotag data accurately describes a location where the content was created.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining the confidence level further comprises:

determining, by the one or more processors, a percentage of the non-profile-based geotagged content whose geotag data match the profile location in the non-profile-based geotagged content.

23. A system for determining an accuracy of location information that indicates a location at which content was created, the system comprising:

one or more processors programmed with computer program instructions to;

obtain a geofeed definition comprising an indication of one or more geographically definable locations;

obtain content based on the geofeed definition, the content aggregated from a plurality of content providers based on the indication of the one or more geographically definable locations, the content being provided by the plurality of content providers based on respective requests formatted specifically for individual ones of the plurality of content providers, wherein the respective requests comprise the one or more geographically definable locations; and

obtain metadata associated with the content;

determine geotag data from the metadata, the geotag data indicating;

(i) an automatically derived location, or (ii) a manually input location where the content was created;

identify a geotag source related to the geotag data, the geotag source being a source from which the geotag was generated, wherein the geotag source comprises a GPS-enabled device, a user input, a content provider, and/or a user profile of a content creator who created the content;

obtain non-profile-based geotagged content related to the one or more geographically definable locations, wherein the non-profile-based geotagged content is associated with geotag data generated by a geotag source other than a user profile;

identify a profile location associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content based on location information defined in a user profile of a content creator who created the non-profile-based geotagged content;

determine whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match; and

determine a confidence level associated with the geotag data based on the geotag source and the determination of whether the geotag data associated with the non-profile-based geotagged content and the profile location match, wherein the confidence level is indicative of a likelihood that the geotag data accurately describes a location where the content was created.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

determine a percentage of the non-profile-based geotagged content whose geotag data match the profile location in the non-profile-based geotagged content, wherein the determined confidence level is based further on the percentage.