Using location-based request data for identifying beacon locations

• US 9,392,572 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Naaman, Mor
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thai
• Application Number:
  US12/042,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,052 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414, 455 1-4143, 455/440, 4554561-4566, 455/457, 455/414.2, 455/456.5, 379/142.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

System and method are directed towards determining an approximate location of a cell tower (CT), using at least implicit location information obtained from a plurality of mobile devices obtained while each mobile device user employs a location based application. Also obtained are CT identifiers associated with a cell tower each mobile device is currently employing. When a sufficient number of mobile devices provide implicit location information for a given CT identifier, an approximate location may be determined. Subsequently, when a mobile device provides a CT identifier for which an approximate location has been determined, the approximate location information may be used to assist the user of the mobile device. For example, the user might access a location based application and automatically have an approximate location of the user'"'"'s mobile device be provided to the application transparent to the user.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium;

a processor in communication with a non-transitory storage medium and configured to execute computer instructions stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the computer instructions comprising;

instructions for receiving from each mobile device within a plurality of mobile devices, a cell tower identifier, the cell tower identifier being identical for all mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices;

instructions for extracting from each of the mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices implicit location information accessible during a use of at least one location based application by the respective mobile device, wherein the implicit location information is not explicitly requested by the at least one location based application;

instructions for determining an approximate location for a cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier based on the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices, the determining of the approximate location for the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier further comprises aggregating the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices for the same cell tower identifier to determine a most popular location as the location of the cell tower; and

independent of explicit location information;

refining the determined approximate location of the cell tower based on weighting of other location information from other sources, the other location information comprising explicit location information;

receiving from at least one mobile device other than a mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices, the cell tower identifier; and

instructions for transmitting to the at least one other mobile device the refined determined cell tower location.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute further computer instructions comprising:

receiving at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information by a user for the cell tower identifier; and

employing the received at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information as the other location information to refine the determined approximate location of the cell tower.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the implicit location information further comprises information implicitly obtained from a display cursor position within a map application.

4. The network device of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to each mobile device in the plurality of mobile devices, and to the at least one mobile device, a downloadable component to obtain and provide the cell tower identifier during wireless network communications with the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the cell tower location is used as the location of the at least one mobile device within the at least one location based application that is configured to provide a location based result for display at the at least one other device.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

cell tower identifier receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from each mobile device within a plurality of mobile devices, a cell tower identifier, the cell tower identifier being identical for all mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices;

extracting logic executed by the processor for extracting, from each of the mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices, implicit location information accessible during use of at least one location based application by the respective mobile device, wherein the implicit location information is not explicitly requested by the at least one location based application;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining an approximate location for a cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier based on the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices and independent of explicit location information, the determining of the approximate location for the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier further comprises aggregating the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices for the same cell tower identifier to determine a most popular location as the location of the cell tower;

refining logic executed by the processor for refining the determined approximate location of the cell tower based on weighting of other location information from other sources, the other location information comprising explicit location information;

receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, from at least one mobile device other than a mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices, the cell tower identifier; and

transmitting logic executed by the processor for transmitting, to the at least one other mobile device, the refined determined cell tower location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the determining logic for determining, based on the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices for said tower identifier, the approximate location for the cell tower further comprises determining a geographical region in which the cell tower likely resides.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the program logic further comprises:

global positioning location information receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information by a user for the cell tower identifier; and

approximate location refining logic executed by the processor for employing the received at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information as the other location information to refine the determined approximate location of the cell tower.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one location based application includes at least one of a map application, a search application, and a graphics application.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions when installed onto a computing device enable the computing device to perform steps comprising:

receiving from each mobile device within a plurality of mobile devices, a cell tower identifier, the cell tower identifier being identical for all mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices;

extracting from each of the mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices implicit location information accessible during a use of at least one location based application by the respective mobile device, wherein the implicit location information is not explicitly requested by the at least one location based application and wherein the implicit location information further comprises information useable to restrict search query results entered during use of the at least one location based application for a location based search;

determining an approximate location for a cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier based on the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices and independent of explicit location information, the determining of the approximate location for the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier further comprises aggregating the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices for the same cell tower identifier to determine a most popular location as the location of the cell tower; and

refining the determined approximate location of the cell tower based on weighting of other location information from other sources, the other location information comprising explicit location information;

receiving from at least one mobile device other than a mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices, the cell tower identifier; and

providing to the at least one other mobile device the refined determined cell tower location.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions enable the computing device to perform further actions, including:

receiving at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information by a user for the cell tower identifier; and

employing the received at least one of global positioning location information and explicitly entered location information as the other location information to refine the determined approximate geographic coverage area for the cell tower.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the at least one location based application used by the mobile device is selected by the user from at least one of a search application, a map application, or a social networking application.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the implicit location information is extracted from a search query received from the mobile device performed during the use of the at least one location based application.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein extracting implicit location information comprises:

parsing a user entry to the at least one location based application;

identifying location information; and

employing the identified location information as implicit location information.

15. A method comprising:

receiving from each mobile device within a plurality of mobile devices, a cell tower identifier, the cell tower identifier being identical for all mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices;

extracting from each of the mobile devices within the plurality of mobile devices implicit location information accessible during a use of at least one location based application by the respective mobile device, wherein the implicit location information is not explicitly requested by the at least one location based application and wherein the implicit location information further comprises information useable to restrict search query results entered during use of the at least one location based application for a location based search;

determining an approximate location for a cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier based on the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices and independent of explicit location information, the determining of the approximate location for the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier further comprises aggregating the implicit location information from each mobile device within the plurality of mobile devices for the same cell tower identifier to determine a most popular location as the location of the cell tower;

refining the determined approximate location of the cell tower based on weighting of other location information from other sources, the other location information comprising explicit location information;

receiving from at least one mobile device other than a mobile device included in the plurality of mobile devices, the cell tower identifier; and

providing to the at least one other mobile device the refined determined cell tower location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said extracting implicit location information comprises:

parsing a user entry into the at least one location based application;

extracting from the parsed user entry terms indicating a location; and

employing the extracted terms as the implicit location information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said refining comprises:

refining the approximate location for the cell tower associated with the cell tower identifier based on at least one of a global positioning location input received from yet another mobile device for the cell tower identifier.