Location-based services for calendar events

• US 9,843,895 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Ronald K., Cao, Lili, Marti, Lukas M., Dal Santo, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US14/502,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

Systems, methods, and program products for determining a location of a calendar item are described. A mobile device can receive a calendar item including a description and a time. The mobile device can determine that, at the time specified in the calendar item, the mobile device is located at a location that is estimated to be significant to a user. The mobile device can store the description in association with the significant location. Upon receive a new calendar item containing at least one term in the description, the mobile device can predict that the user will visit the significant location at the time specified in the new calendar item. The mobile device can provide user assistance based on the prediction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a first user-specified calendar item, the first calendar item comprising a first subject line specifying a first event and an indication of a first time period during which the first event is scheduled to occur;

determining, during the first time period, a location of the mobile device;

in response to the determining, associating, in a database, the first subject line with geographical coordinates describing the location;

subsequent to the first time period, receiving a second user-specified calendar item, the second calendar item comprising a second subject line specifying a second event and an indication of a second time period during which the second event is scheduled to occur, the second calendar item being different from the first calendar item, and the second time period being different from the first time period;

determining a match between at least a portion of the second subject line and at least a portion of the first subject line stored in the database;

determining, based on the match, that a user of the mobile device is likely to visit the location during the second time period; and

in response to determining that the user is likely to visit the location during the second time period, providing, by the mobile device and ahead of the second time period, a reminder to visit the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest, wherein determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest comprises:

determining that the mobile device is located in a location cluster for at least a threshold amount of time, the location cluster comprising detected locations of the mobile device filtered by a statistical filter; and

in response, determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest based on the location cluster.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reminder to visit the location occurs at a travel time ahead of a beginning of the second time period, the travel time being an estimated time to travel to the location.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the location is outside of a set of locations associated with a daily routine of the user, the daily routine comprising a respective set of likelihood values that the user is located at each of the locations at various times of a day; and

switching a predictive user assistance model from one that is based on the daily routine to one that is based on the location of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reminder comprises:

an audio alert or a visual alert indicating a travel time to reach the location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the audio or visual alert comprises:

determining, based on readings of a sensor of the mobile device, a mode of transport of the mobile device; and

determining the travel time corresponding to the mode of transport.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

receiving motion classifiers; and

reclassifying the classifiers using the mode of transport as context information, the context information usable to filter out one or more motion classifiers that misclassifies a motion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reminder occurs at a time that is determined using a beginning of the second time period designated in the second calendar item minus an estimated travel time from a current location of the mobile device to the location.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, upon execution by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first user-specified calendar item, the first calendar item comprising a first subject line specifying a first event and an indication of a first time period during which the first event is scheduled to occur;

determining, during the first time period, a location of the mobile device;

in response to the determining, associating, in a database, the first subject line with geographical coordinates describing the location;

subsequent to the first time period, receiving a second user-specified calendar item, the second calendar item specifying a second event and an indication of a second time period during which the second event is scheduled to occur, the second calendar item being different from the first calendar item, and the second time period being different from the first time period;

determining a match between at least a portion of the second subject line and at least a portion of the first subject line stored in the database;

determining, based on the match, that a user of the mobile device is likely to visit the location during the second time period; and

in response to determining that the user is likely to visit the location during the second time period, providing, ahead of the second time, a reminder to visit the location.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest, wherein determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest comprises:

determining that the mobile device is located in a location cluster for at least a threshold amount of time, the location cluster comprising detected locations of the mobile device filtered by a statistical filter; and

in response, determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest based on the location cluster.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein providing the reminder to visit the location occurs at a travel time ahead of a beginning of the second time period, the travel time being an estimated time to travel to the location.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, comprising:

determining that the location is outside of a set of locations associated with a daily routine of the user, the daily routine comprising a respective set of likelihood values that the user is located at each of the locations at various times of a day; and

switching a predictive user assistance model from one that is based on the daily routine to one that is based on the location of interest.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the reminder comprises:

an audio alert or a visual alert indicating a travel time to reach the location.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein providing the audio or visual alert comprises:

determining, based on readings of a sensor of the mobile device, a mode of transport of the mobile device; and

determining the travel time corresponding to the mode of transport.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations comprising:

receiving motion classifiers; and

reclassifying the classifiers using the mode of transport as context information, the context information usable to filter out one or more motion classifiers that misclassifies a motion.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein providing the reminder occurs at a time that is determined using a beginning of the second time period designated in the second calendar item minus an estimated travel time from a current location to the location.

17. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving a first user-specified calendar item, the first calendar item comprising a first subject line specifying a first event and an indication of a first time period during which the first event is scheduled to occur;

determining, during the first time period, a location of the mobile device;

in response to the determining, associating, in a database, the first subject line with geographical coordinates describing the location;

subsequent to the first time period, receiving a second user-specified calendar item, the second calendar item specifying a second event and an indication of a second time period during which the second event is scheduled to occur, the second calendar item being different from the first calendar item, and the second time period being different from the first time period;

determining a match between at least a portion of the second subject line and at least a portion of the first subject line stored in the database;

determining, based on the match, that a user of the mobile device is likely to visit the location during the second time period; and

in response to determining that the user is likely to visit the location during the second time period, providing, ahead of the second time, a reminder to visit the location.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest wherein determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest comprises:

determining that the mobile device is located in a location cluster for at least a threshold amount of time, the location cluster comprising detected locations of the mobile device filtered by a statistical filter; and

in response, determining that the location of the mobile device during the first time period is a location of interest based on the location cluster.

19. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein providing the reminder to visit the location occurs at a travel time ahead of a beginning of the second time period, the travel time being an estimated time to travel to the location.

20. The mobile device of claim 17, comprising:

determining that the location of interest is outside of a set of locations associated with a daily routine of the user, the daily routine comprising a respective set of likelihood values that the user is located at each of the locations at various times of a day; and

switching a predictive user assistance model from one that is based on the daily routine to one that is based on the location of interest.

21. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the reminder comprises:

an audio alert or a visual alert indicating a travel time to reach the location.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein providing the audio or visual alert comprises:

determining, based on readings of a sensor of the mobile device, a mode of transport of the mobile device; and

determining the travel time corresponding to the mode of transport.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, the operations comprising:

receiving motion classifiers; and

reclassifying the classifiers using the mode of transport as context information, the context information usable to filter out one or more motion classifiers that misclassifies a motion.

24. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein providing the reminder occurs at a time that is determined using a beginning of the second time period designated in the second calendar item minus an estimated travel time from a current location to the location.