Method and apparatus for determining contextually relevant geographical locations

• US 9,122,693 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piece Future Pte., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Blom, Jan Otto, Perrucci, Gian Paolo, Laurila, Juha Kalevi, Kiukkonen, Niko Tapani, Eberle, Julien, Gatica-Perez, Daniel, Nolan, Julian Charles, Lnngren, Mats, Montoliu-Colas, Raul
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, KUEN S
• Application Number:
  US12/956,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 707/692
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/173 Customisation support for file systems, e.g. localisation, multi-language support, personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining and utilizing geographical locations contextually relevant to a user. A contextually relevant location platform determines location-based data associated with a user and/or user device. The contextually relevant location platform determines stationary points based, at least in part, on the location-based data. The contextually relevant location platform determines context data associated with the stationary points. The contextually relevant location platform determines at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the stationary points and the associated context data, wherein the at least one location anchor represents a bounded geographical area of contextual relevance to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a plurality of location points associated with a user, at least one device associated with the user, or a combination thereof;

at least one determination of a plurality of stationary points based, at least in part, on the plurality of location points, wherein the stationary points refer to clusters of location points of geographical regions in which the user remains substantially stationary for some predetermined period of time;

context data associated with the plurality of stationary points; and

at least one determination of at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the plurality of stationary points and the associated context data,

wherein the at least one location anchor is represented using coordinates of a centroid of a cluster of the stationary points, and minimum and maximum coordinates of the stationary points belonging to the cluster of stationary points.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of one or more clusters of at least a portion of the stationary points within at least one predetermined boundary based, at least in part, on one or more predetermined criteria;

at least one determination of respective contextual relevance of the one or more clusters of stationary points based, at least in part, on the associated context data; and

at least one determination of the at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the respective context relevance of the one or more clusters of stationary points.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined boundary is of varying size, varying shape, or a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria include one or more temporal criteria, one or more spatial criteria, or a combination thereof.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein at least two location anchors are determined, and wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a hierarchy of the at least two location anchors.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the at least two location anchors at least partially overlap.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

content, functions, or a combination thereof associated with one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof; and

at least one determination to cause, at least in part, presentation of the content, functions, or a combination thereof with respect to the at least one location anchor.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to cause, at least in part, transmission of at least a portion of the content, the functions, or a combination thereof to the at least one device.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the plurality of location points, the plurality of stationary points, the context data, the at least one location anchor, or a combination thereof is performed continuously, periodically, according to a schedule, or a combination thereof.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of a plurality of location points associated with a user, at least one device associated with the user, or a combination thereof;

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of a plurality of stationary points based, at least in part, on the plurality of location points, wherein the stationary points refer to clusters of location points of geographical regions in which the user remains substantially stationary for some predetermined period of time;

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of context data associated with the plurality of stationary points; and

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the plurality of stationary points and the associated context data,

wherein the at least one location anchor is represented using coordinates of a centroid of a cluster of the stationary points, and minimum and maximum coordinates of the stationary points belonging to the cluster of stationary points.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of one or more clusters of at least a portion of the stationary points within at least one predetermined boundary based, at least in part, on one or more predetermined criteria;

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of respective contextual relevance of the one or more clusters of stationary points based, at least in part, on the associated context data; and

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of the at least one location anchor based, at least in part, on the respective context relevance of the one or more clusters of stationary points.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined boundary is of varying size, varying shape, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more predetermined criteria include one or more temporal criteria, one or more spatial criteria, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least two location anchors are determined, and the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of a hierarchy of the at least two location anchors.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the at least two location anchors at least partially overlap.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a local and/or remote determination of content, functions, or a combination thereof associated with one or more applications, one or more services, or a combination thereof; and

determine to cause, at least in part, presentation of the content, functions, or a combination thereof with respect to the at least one location anchor.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determining to cause, at least in part, transmission of at least a portion of the content, the functions, or a combination thereof to the at least one device.

18. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the local and/or remote determination of the plurality of location points, the plurality of stationary points, the context data, the at least one location anchor, or a combination thereof is performed continuously, periodically, according to a schedule, or a combination thereof.