Selecting location-based content

• US 9,179,252 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Yifang, Wu, Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US14/047,691
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/566, 455/145, 715/273, 715/703, 715/761, 715/828, 715/864
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods include retrieving data indicative of a sequence of content that were previously selected for presentation by a mobile device based in part on physical locations of the mobile device. The sequence of selected content may be used with the current location of the mobile device to determine a likelihood score for a piece of content. Based on the likelihood score, the piece of content may be selected and provided to the mobile device for presentation.

Claims

1. A method of selecting location-based content comprising:

retrieving, from a memory device, data indicative of a sequence of third-party content that were previously selected for presentation by a mobile device based in part on physical locations of the mobile device;

receiving, at one or more processors, a current location of the mobile device;

analyzing, by one or more processors, a piece of third-party content, the sequence of third-party content that were selected for presentation by the mobile device, and the current location of the mobile device to determine a likelihood score for the piece of third-party content that represents a likelihood of an interaction occurring with the piece of third-party content at the mobile device if the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation by the mobile device;

selecting, by the one or more processors, the piece of third-party content for presentation by the mobile device based in part on the likelihood score; and

providing the piece of third-party content to the mobile device for presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the sequence of third-party content to train a machine learning model; and

using the machine learning model to determine the likelihood score for the piece of third-party content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving data indicative of a second sequence of third-party content that were determined to be relevant to the mobile device based on the physical locations of the mobile device but were not selected for presentation by the mobile device; and

using the second sequence of third-party content to train the machine learning model.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the machine learning model is a logistic regression model.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting the current location of the mobile device after the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using one or more interest categories to train the machine learning model.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

preventing the use of the current location of the mobile device to determine likelihood scores after the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation.

8. A system for selecting location-based content comprising one or more processors operable to:

retrieve, from a memory device, data indicative of a sequence of third-party content that were previously selected for presentation by a mobile device based in part on physical locations of the mobile device;

receive a current location of the mobile device;

analyze a piece of third-party content, the sequence of third-party content that were selected for presentation by the mobile device, and the current location of the mobile device to determine a likelihood score for the piece of third-party content that represents a likelihood of an interaction occurring with the piece of third-party content at the mobile device if the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation by the mobile device;

select the piece of third-party content for presentation by the mobile device based in part on the likelihood score; and

provide the piece of third-party content to the mobile device for presentation.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

use the sequence of third-party content to train a machine learning model; and

use the machine learning model to determine the likelihood score for the piece of third-party content.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

retrieve data indicative of a second sequence of third-party content that were determined to be relevant to the mobile device based on the physical locations of the mobile device but were not selected for presentation by the mobile device; and

use the second sequence of third-party content to train the machine learning model.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the machine learning model is a logistic regression model.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

delete the current location of the mobile device after the likelihood score is determined.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

use one or more interest categories to train the machine learning model.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

prevent the use of the current location of the mobile device to determine likelihood scores after the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

retrieving, from a memory device, data indicative of a sequence of third-party content that were previously selected for presentation by a mobile device based in part on physical locations of the mobile device;

receiving a current location of the mobile device;

analyzing a piece of third-party content, the sequence of third-party content that were selected for presentation by the mobile device, and the current location of the mobile device to determine a likelihood score for the piece of third-party content that represents a likelihood of an interaction occurring with the piece of third-party content at the mobile device if the piece of third-party content is selected for presentation by the mobile device;

selecting the piece of third-party content for presentation by the mobile device based in part on the likelihood score; and

providing the piece of third-party content to the mobile device for presentation.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

using the sequence of third-party content to train a machine learning model; and

using the machine learning model to determine the likelihood score for the piece of third-party content.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise:

retrieving data indicative of a second sequence of third-party content that were determined to be relevant to the mobile device based on the physical locations of the mobile device but were not selected for presentation by the mobile device; and

using the second sequence of third-party content to train the machine learning model.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the machine learning model is a logistic regression model.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

deleting the current location of the mobile device after the likelihood score is determined.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise:

using one or more interest categories to train the machine learning model.