Venue data prefetch

• US 9,838,848 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lovich, Vitali, Tay, Darin, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Joseph Ding-Jiu
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US14/866,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 455457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program product for prefetching location data based on predicted user behavior. A mobile device can request, from a user routine subsystem of the mobile device, a list of locations that a user of the mobile device routinely visits while the user carries the mobile device. The mobile device can determine a cluster of these locations that are within a specified distance between one another. The mobile device can request location data for these locations from a location server, even if the user is not at one of these locations. The location data can include a venue map and a venue location fingerprint. Upon detecting that the user entered a venue at one of these locations, the mobile device can determine a location of the user inside of the venue using the venue location fingerprint. The mobile device can then display the location on a venue map.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a mobile device during a location data prefetch by the mobile device from a location server, a cluster of one or more locations of interest predicted to be visited by a user of the mobile device before a scheduled time of a next location data prefetch, a size of the cluster corresponding to a time span between a time of the location data prefetch and the scheduled time of the next location data prefetch;

requesting location data from the location server using the one or more locations of interest in the cluster prior to visiting the one or more locations of interest by the user, the location data including data specific to each location of interest; and

performing, by the mobile device and based on the location data, a task that is specific to a location of interest among the one or more locations of interest upon determining that the mobile device is visiting the location of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the cluster of one or more locations of interest is based on a user movement radius, wherein the user movement radius corresponds to a distance that the user is able to travel in the time span.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data specific to each location of interest includes a respective location fingerprint data of each location of interest and a venue map of each location of interest, the location fingerprint data for each location of interest including expected wireless signal measurements at various portions of the respective location of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the cluster and requesting the location data occur periodically at prefetch time intervals determined by a download subsystem using one or more system metrics.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the task comprises estimating a location of the mobile device inside a venue located at the location of interest being visited.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising presenting for display on the mobile device a map of the venue and presenting for display the location inside the venue on the map.

7. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining, by the mobile device during a location data prefetch by the mobile device from a location server, a cluster of one or more locations of interest predicted to be visited by a user of the mobile device before a scheduled time of a next location data prefetch, a size of the cluster corresponding to a time span between a time of the location data prefetch and the scheduled time of the next location data prefetch;

requesting location data from the location server using the one or more locations of interest in the cluster prior to visiting the one or more locations of interest by the user, the location data including data specific to each location of interest; and

performing, based on the location data, a task that is specific to a location of interest among the one or more locations of interest upon determine that the mobile device is visiting the location of interest.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein performing the task comprises estimating a location of the mobile device inside a venue located at the location of interest being visited.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein determining the cluster of one or more locations of interest is based on a user movement radius, wherein the user movement radius corresponds to a distance that the user is able to travel in the time span.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the data specific to each location of interest includes a respective location fingerprint data of each location of interest and a venue map of each location of interest, the location fingerprint data for each location of interest including expected wireless signal measurements at various portions of the respective location of interest.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein determining the cluster and requesting the location data occur periodically at prefetch time intervals determined by a download subsystem using one or more system metrics.

12. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the mobile device during a location data prefetch by the mobile device from a location server, a cluster of one or more locations of interest predicted to be visited by a user of the mobile device before a scheduled time of a next location data prefetch, a size of the cluster corresponding to a time span between a time of the location data prefetch and the scheduled time of the next location data prefetch;

requesting location data from the location server using the one or more locations of interest in the cluster prior to visiting the one or more locations of interest by the user, the location data including data specific to each location of interest; and

performing, based on the location data, a task that is specific to a location of interest among the one or more locations of interest upon determine that the mobile device is visiting the location of interest.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the cluster of one or more locations of interest is based on a user movement radius, wherein the user movement radius corresponds to a distance that the user is able to travel in the time span.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the data specific to each location of interest includes a respective location fingerprint data of each location of interest and a venue map of each location of interest, the location fingerprint data for each location of interest including expected wireless signal measurements at various portions of the respective location of interest.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the cluster and requesting the location data occur periodically at prefetch time intervals determined by a download subsystem using one or more system metrics.