Systems and methods for deploying dynamic geo-fences based on content consumption levels in a geographic location

• US 9,584,968 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrand, Bryce, McDevitt, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Aspinwall, Evan
• Application Number:
  US14/283,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 707/708
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining in real-time geographic areas having a threshold level of content consumption and deploying dynamic geo-fences to contain these geographic areas. These dynamic geo-fences provide a means for timing message notifications in order to optimize the chances of delivering targeted content to a mobile device user based on the current geographic location of the user'"'"'s device relative to a threshold level of content consumption area. As mobile device users may be more likely to launch a client application in a place where other users are currently consuming content, a general message notification sent to the user'"'"'s device located in a dynamic geo-fence created based on real-time content consumption, may increase the likelihood that the user will launch the client application and thereby, allow targeted content to be delivered to the user'"'"'s mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for deploying a dynamic geo-fence to contain a geographic area having a threshold level of data usage, the method comprising:

queuing one or more messages in a message queue;

monitoring data usage by mobile devices across a plurality of users in a network;

determining a level of data usage by the mobile devices in a first geographic area over a predetermined amount of time; and

if the level of data usage by the mobile devices in the first geographic area over the predetermined amount of time is above a first threshold level of data usage, deploying a first dynamic geo-fence containing the first geographic area; and

in response to determining that a mobile device has entered the first geographic area corresponding to the first dynamic geo-fence, providing one or more messages in the message queue to the mobile device for display to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the level of the data usage in the first geographic area is above the first threshold level of data usage, determining whether a level of a data usage in a second geographic area, adjacent to the first geographic area, is above a second threshold level of data usage;

and

if the level of the data usage in the second geographic area is above the second threshold level of data usage, deploying a second dynamic geo-fence to contain both the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first threshold level of data usage is the same as the second threshold level of data usage.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a visual representation of mobile data usage and current geo-fences.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after deploying the first dynamic geo-fence, determining an updated level of a data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the updated level of the data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence is below the first threshold level of data usage; and

when the updated level of the data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence is below the threshold level of data usage, determining if a level of a data usage in a second geographic area, within the first dynamic geo-fence, is above the threshold level of data usage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, when the level of the data usage in the second geographic area is above the first threshold level of data usage, decreasing the size of the first dynamic geo-fence to contain only the second geographic area.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, when the level of the data usage in the second geographic area is below the first threshold level of data usage, deleting the first dynamic geo-fence.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining if a level of a data usage in a second geographic area, adjacent to the first dynamic geo-fence, is above the threshold level of data usage, and, if so, increasing a size of the first dynamic geo-fence to contain both the first geographic area and the second geographic area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided one or more messages in the message queue are displayed via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the updated level of the data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence has increased from the level of the data usage in the first geographic area; and

updating launch statistics based on the determination.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein updating launch statistics comprises:

updating a success rate when the level of the data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence is determined to have increased.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein updating launch statistics comprises:

updating a failure rate when the level of data usage within the first dynamic geo-fence is determined not to have increased.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data related to at least one of a geographic location, a duration of deployment, and a time of deployment for a plurality of dynamic geo-fences.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

analyzing the stored data to determine if there is a pattern associated with one of the plurality of dynamic geo-fences.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

if a pattern associated with one of the plurality of dynamic geo-fences is determined, creating a historic geo-fence for the geographic location contained within the one of the plurality of dynamic geo-fences.

17. A system for deploying a dynamic geo-fence to contain a geographic area having a threshold level of data usage, the system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to;

monitor data usage by mobile devices across a plurality of users;

determine a level of a data usage by the mobile devices in a first geographic area over a predetermined amount of time;

if the level of data usage by the mobile devices in the first geographic area over the predetermined amount of time is above a first threshold level of data usage, deploy a first dynamic geo-fence containing the first geographic area; and

in response to determining that a mobile device has entered the first geographic area corresponding to the first dynamic geo-fence, provide one or more messages in the message queue to the mobile device for display to a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the provided one or more messages in the message queue are displayed via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform functions to:

monitor data usage by mobile devices across a plurality of users;

determine a level of a data usage by the mobile devices in a first geographic area over a predetermined amount of time;

if the level of data usage by the mobile devices in the first geographic area over the predetermined amount of time is above a first threshold level of data usage, deploy a first dynamic geo-fence containing the first geographic area; and

in response to determining that a mobile device has entered the first geographic area corresponding to the first dynamic geo-fence, provide one or more messages in the message queue to the mobile device for display to a user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the provided one or more messages in the message queue are displayed via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.