Geo-spatial recommendation and discovery system

• US 8,930,132 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Vellaikal, Asha, Akinchan, Anant, Geller, Chai
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US13/538,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701400-541
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A system, method, device, computer program, user interface, and apparatus for method of transmitting content to a user equipment. The method includes receiving an intent from a user of the user equipment; gathering a time window of validity for the intent; receiving location information from the user equipment; determining a mode of transportation based on the location information; and, for the duration of the time window, querying a location database of points of interest (POIs) to retrieve candidate POIs that match the user intent and are located within reach of the user equipment based on the time left of the time window and the mode of transportation; presenting the candidate POIs to the user equipment.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting content to a user equipment, the method comprising acts of:

receiving an intent from a user of the user equipment;

gathering a time window of validity for the intent;

receiving location information from the user equipment;

determining a mode of transportation based on the location information;

for the duration of the time window, querying a location database of points of interest (POIs) to retrieve candidate POIs that match the user intent and are located within reach of the user equipment based on the time left of the time window and the mode of transportation; and

presenting the candidate POIs to the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, the querying of the location database further comprising:

determining the user equipment current location using updated location information;

determining terrestrial routes starting from the current location; and

for each determined terrestrial route, determining an end point that can be reached on said terrestrial route within the time left of the time window using the selected mode of transportation;

the candidate POI(s) within reach corresponding to the POI(s) the location of which falls within a perimeter formed by the determined end points.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the direction of travel of user equipment using the location information;

the determining of the terrestrial routes further comprising discarding the terrestrial routes that do not match the determined direction within a confidence test.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving an intent further comprises:

determining that the received intent comprises a location element, the act of determining the direction of travel further comprising

determining the direction of travel using the location information and the location element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location database comprises a plurality of POI(s), each POI being associated for a number of time intervals and various modes of transportation to a geo-fence which perimeter is defined by end points that can be reached for a given mode of transportation within one of the time intervals on terrestrial routes starting from the POI,

the querying of the location database further comprising:

determining the user equipment current location using updated location information; and

determining that a POI(s) is within reach when its geo-fence in the location database associated to the determined mode of transportation and a time interval smaller or equal to the time left of the time window comprises the user equipment current location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of presenting the candidate POI(s) further comprises filtering the candidate POI(s) based on preset filters prior to presentation.

7. A recommendation server for transmitting content to a user equipment, the recommendation server being configured to:

receive an intent from a user of the user equipment;

gather time window of validity for the intent;

receive location information from the user equipment;

determine a mode of transportation based on the location information;

for the duration of the time window, query a location database of points of interest (POIs) to retrieve candidate POIs that match the user intent and are located within reach of the user equipment based on the time left of the time window and the mode of transportation; and

present the candidate POIs to the user equipment.

8. The recommendation server of claim 7, further configured during the time window to:

determine the user equipment current location using updated location information;

determine terrestrial routes starting from the current location;

for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reached on said terrestrial route within the time left of the time window using the selected mode of transportation; and

determine the candidate POI(s) within reach by selecting the POI(s) the location of which falls within a perimeter formed by the determined end points.

9. The recommendation server of claim 8, further configured to:

determine the direction of travel of user equipment using the location information; and

discard the terrestrial routes that do not match the determined direction within a confidence test.

10. The recommendation server of claim 9, further arranged to:

determine that the received intent comprises a location element, and

determine the direction of travel using the location information and the location element.

11. The recommendation server of claim 7, wherein the location database comprises a plurality of POI(s), each POI being associated for a number of time intervals and various modes of transportation to a geo-fence which perimeter is defined by end points that can be reached for a given mode of transportation within one of the time intervals on terrestrial routes starting from the POI,

the server being further arranged to:

determine the user equipment current location using updated location information; and

determine that a POI(s) is within reach when its geo-fence in the location database associated to the determined mode of transportation and a time interval smaller or equal to the time left of the time window comprises the user equipment current location.

12. The recommendation server of claim 7, further arranged to filter the candidate POI(s) based on preset filters prior to presentation.

13. A computer readable non-transitory memory medium comprising a computer program stored thereon and being configured for transmitting content to a user equipment, the computer program comprising instructions to:

receive an intent from a user of the user equipment;

gather time window of validity for the intent;

receive location information from the user equipment;

determine a mode of transportation based on the location information;

for the duration of the time window, query a location database of points of interest (POIs) to retrieve candidate POIs that match the user intent and are located within reach of the user equipment based on the time left of the time window and the mode of transportation; and

present the candidate POIs to the user equipment.

14. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 13, the computer program further comprising instructions to, during the time window:

determine the user equipment current location using updated location information;

determine terrestrial routes starting from the current location;

for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reached on said terrestrial route within the time left of the time window using the selected mode of transportation; and

determine the candidate POI(s) within reach by selecting the POI(s) the location of which falls within a perimeter formed by the determined end points.

15. The computer readable non-transitory memory medium of claim 13, wherein the location database comprises a plurality of POI(s), each POI being associated for a number of time intervals and various modes of transportation to a geo-fence which perimeter is defined by end points that can be reached for a given mode of transportation within one of the time intervals on terrestrial routes starting from the POI, the computer program comprising further instructions to:

determine the user equipment current location using updated location information; and

determine that a POI(s) is within reach when its geo-fence in the location database associated to the determined mode of transportation and a time interval smaller or equal to the time left of the time window comprises the user equipment current location.

16. A recommendation system comprising:

a location database;

a location enabled user equipment;

a recommendation server for transmitting content to the user equipment, the recommendation server being configured to;

receive an intent from a user of the user equipment;

gather time window of validity for the intent;

receive location information from the user equipment;

determine a mode of transportation based on the location information;

for the duration of the time window, query a location database of points of interest (POIs) to retrieve candidate POIs that match the user intent and are located within reach of the user equipment based on the time left of the time window and the mode of transportation; and

present the candidate POIs to the user equipment.

17. The recommendation system of claim 16,

the user equipment being configured to provide, during the time window, updated location information to the recommendation server;

the recommendation server being further configured to;

determine the user equipment current location using the received updated location information;

determine terrestrial routes starting from the current location;

for each determined terrestrial route, determine an end point that can be reached on said terrestrial route within the time left of the time window using the selected mode of transportation; and

determine the candidate POI(s) within reach by selecting the POI(s) the location of which falls within a perimeter formed by the determined end points.

18. The recommendation system of claim 16, wherein:

the location database comprises a plurality of POI(s), each POI being associated for a number of time intervals and various modes of transportation to a geo-fence which perimeter is defined by end points that can be reached for a given mode of transportation within one of the time intervals on terrestrial routes starting from the POI;

the user equipment is further arranged to provided, during the time window, updated location information to the recommendation server; and

the server is further configured to;

determine the user equipment current location using the received updated location information; and

determine that a POI(s) is within reach when its geo-fence in the location database associated to the determined mode of transportation and a time interval smaller or equal to the time left of the time window comprises the user equipment current location.