Updating geographic data based on a transaction

• US 8,868,522 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zennaro, Marco, Cheung, Kong Man, Arnoud, Sacha Christophe, Ibarz, Julian, Yatziv, Liron
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US13/691,532
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 707/648, 707/682, 707694-696, 707701-704, 707/725, 707737-740, 707758-760
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

Systems and methods for updating geographic data based on a transaction are provided. In some aspects, one or more transaction records associated with a business are accessed from a memory. Each transaction record identifies a transaction time, geographic location data, and transaction information. A geocoded record of the business is selected to update, based on the geographic location data of the one or more transaction records. The selected geocoded record is updated based on at least one of the transaction time or the transaction information identified in the transaction records.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

processing hardware; and

a memory,

the processing hardware configured to;

access, from the memory, one or more transaction records associated with a business, each transaction record identifying a transaction time, geographic location data, and transaction information;

select a geocoded record of the business to update, based on the geographic location data of the one or more transaction records; and

update the selected geocoded record based on at least one of the transaction time or the transaction information identified in the transaction records.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein updating the geocoded record of the business comprises:

determining a pattern of the transaction times and, based on the pattern, inferring business hours associated with the business.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein updating the geocoded record of the business comprises:

determining a pattern of the transaction times and, based on identifying a drop in the pattern, inferring that the business is closed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction record comprises a purchase record.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein updating the geocoded record comprises:

determining an address of the business based on payment information associated with the purchase; and

updating the geocoded record to include the address of the business or to correct an existing address of the business previously in the geocoded record.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein updating the geocoded record comprises:

determining, based on the geographic location data of the one or more transaction records, that the business is a mobile business; and

storing an indication that the business is the mobile business in the geocoded record.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein updating the geocoded record further comprises:

storing, in conjunction with the geocoded record, an indication of a set of past geographic locations for the business.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein updating the geocoded record further comprises:

predicting a future geographic location for the business based on the set of past geographic locations for the business.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction record comprises a record of a redemption of a promotional offer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to receive the one or more transaction records from a transaction data repository.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to receive the one or more transaction records from a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device used to carry out a transaction.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to filter personal identifiable information from the one or more transaction records received from the plurality of mobile devices.

13. A computer-implemented method for updating geographic data based on a transaction, the method comprising:

accessing, from a data repository, one or more transaction records, each transaction record identifying a transaction time, geographic location data, and transaction information;

identifying a cluster of transaction records having geographic location data corresponding to a particular geographic area;

creating a geocoded record of a business based on the cluster; and

using at least one of the transaction time or the transaction information identified in the transaction records to populate the created geocoded record.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the particular geographic area is defined by a center point and a predetermined radius.

15. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction record, the transaction record identifying a transaction time, geographic location data, and transaction information;

associating the transaction record with a geocoded record stored in a geographic data repository based on the geographic location data in the transaction record; and

updating the geocoded record based on at least one of the transaction time or the transaction information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

removing personal identifiable information from the received transaction record.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the geocoded record is associated with a business.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein updating the geocoded record comprises:

determining an address of the business based on payment information associated with the transaction record, and

updating the geocoded record to include the address of the business or to correct an existing address of the business previously in the geocoded record.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transaction record comprises a purchase record.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the transaction record comprises a record of a use of a coupon.