Method and apparatus for optimized object searching

• US 9,264,500 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Statler, Stephen Bryant, Kraar, Eric Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/494,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/556.1, 370/528, 370/241, 379/267, 379/42, 379/219, 379/224, 379/229, 375/347, 375/150, 375/130
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described herein for optimizing an object search. A communications device may be configured to initiate a request for a data set. The communications device may transmit its current location to a server, for example, which may return a data set including data representing each of one or more objects that may be located within a first search area proximate to the current location of the communications device. The communications device may then perform a search for an object of interest by comparing the data representing each of the one or more objects in the data set to data representing the object of interest.

Claims

1. A method for object searching on a communications device, comprising:

transmitting a request for a first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

transmitting a location of the communications device;

receiving, at the communications device, the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

performing, on the communications device, a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects within the first data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request for the first data set includes transmitting a search request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data representing the object to be matched includes a visual representation of the object to be matched.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

upon determining that a match cannot be found in the first data set, transmitting a request for a second data set, the second data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a second search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

receiving the second data set based on the second search area.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

performing a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects in the second data set.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the search request is performed in a retail store, and wherein the first search area comprises one or more aisles within the retail store.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search area is based on an accuracy value associated with the location of the communications device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request for the first data set is performed in an indoor venue.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the location comprises:

triangulating signals received from wireless access points associated with the indoor venue, and computing the location based on the triangulating.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the communications device comprises latitude and longitude coordinates.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set has longitude and latitude coordinates within the first search area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for the first data set is transmitted upon crossing a geofence.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for object searching on a communications device, comprising:

at least one instruction for causing a computer to transmit a request for a first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to transmit a location of the communications device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive, at the communications device, the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to perform, on the communications device, a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects within the first data set.

14. An apparatus for object searching on a communications device, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for a first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

means for transmitting a location of the communications device;

means for receiving, at the communications device, the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

means for performing, on the communications device, a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects within the first data set.

15. An apparatus for object searching on a communications device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

transmit a request for a first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

transmit a location of the communications device;

receive, at the communications device, the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

perform, on the communications device, a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects within the first data set.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor being configured to transmit the request for the first data set includes the at least one processor being configured to transmit a search request.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data representing the object to be matched includes a visual representation of the object to be matched.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

upon a determination that a match cannot be found in the first data set, transmit a request for a second data set, the second data set including data representing each of one or more objects within a second search area proximate to the location of the communications device; and

receive the second data set based on the second search area.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform a search by comparing the data representing the object to be matched to the data representing each of the one or more objects within the second data set.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the search request in a retail store, and wherein the first search area comprises one or more aisles within the retail store.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first search area is based on an accuracy value associated with the location of the communications device.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the request for the first data set in an indoor venue.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

triangulate signals received from wireless access points associated with the indoor venue; and

compute the location based on the triangulation.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location of the communications device comprises latitude and longitude coordinates.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set has longitude and latitude coordinates within the first search area.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to initiate the request for the first data set upon the communications device crossing a geofence.

27. A method for providing a first data set, comprising:

receiving a request for the first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

receiving an indication of a location of a communications device associated with the request for the first data set;

determining one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device;

generating the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the first search area; and

transmitting the first data set to the communications device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each of the one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set has a longitude and latitude associated therewith.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a request for a second data set;

determining one or more objects within a second search area proximate to the communications device, the second search area being different than the first search area and

generating the second data set, the second data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the second search area.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the longitude and latitude associated with each of the one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set is derived from one or more of a planogram, a product catalog, or a space plan.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing a first data set, comprising:

at least one instruction for causing a computer to receive a request for the first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to receive an indication of a location of a communications device associated with the request for the first data set;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to determine one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the first search area; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to transmit the first data set to the communications device.

32. An apparatus for providing a first data set, comprising:

means for receiving a request for the first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

means for receiving an indication of a location of a communications device associated with the request for the first data set;

means for determining one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device;

means for generating the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the first search area; and

means for transmitting the first data set to the communications device.

33. An apparatus for providing a first data set, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a request for the first data set, wherein the request does not include data representing an object to be matched;

receive an indication of a location of a communications device associated with the request for the first data set;

determine one or more objects within a first search area proximate to the location of the communications device;

generate the first data set, the first data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the first search area; and

transmit the first data set to the communications device; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein each of the one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set has a longitude and latitude associated therewith.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a request for a second data set;

determine one or more objects within a second search area proximate to the communications device, the second search area being different than the first search area; and

generate the second data set, the second data set including data representing each of the one or more objects within the second search area.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the longitude and latitude associated with each of one or more objects within the first search area represented by the data in the first data set is derived from one or more of a planogram, a product catalog, or a space plan.