Determination and monetization of future location

• US 9,947,014 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Krishnareddy, Suresh Kumar, Chand, Ashootosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US13/175,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1458, 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for monetizing future location of users includes identifying indicator(s) retrieved from log data or an electronic declaration that indicate a possibility that a user will be at a specific location in the future; generating a probability that the user will be at the specific location in the future based on the indicator(s); and charging an advertiser a cost for an impression to which to serve a location-specific advertisement targeted to the user, the cost charged being greater when the probability is greater that the user will be at the specific location in the future. The method may be extended to targeting a group of users that expect to be at the same location at the future point in time. Monetization of future locations may depend on the quality and/or quantity of the log data and declarations of future locations and on a number of users in a group of users if monetized according to the group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a communication interface to access, through a communication network, a log database storing user future location information obtained from a social networking application platform presented as a graphical user interface running on a mobile device corresponding to a user, wherein the user future location information corresponds to a declaration by the user on the social networking application platform of an intended future location at a specific location and at a certain time;

receiving, through the communication interface communicating via the communication network, the user future location information from the log database;

controlling the communication interface to access, through the communication network, a social networking database storing past online activity information of the user;

receiving, through the communication interface communicating via the communication network, the past online activity information of the user from the social networking database;

identifying, by a processor, a current location of the user;

generating a prediction including a quality score, by the processor, that identifies a probability the user will be located at the specific location at the certain time based on the past online activity information of the user, the user future location information, and the current location;

selecting, by the processor, a location-relevant advertisement based on the prediction;

delivering, by the processor, the location-relevant advertisement to an application running on the mobile device of the user;

tracking, by the processor, user interactions with the location-relevant advertisement reported by the application running on the mobile device of the user; and

assigning, by the processor, an impression cost to an advertiser of the location-relevant advertisement based on the prediction, wherein the impression cost increases when the prediction probability increases.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user future location information comprises detecting the user sending or accepting a calendar invitation for an event at the specific location through an application platform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the prediction that the user will be at the specific location at the certain time is further based on one or more activities or events in which the user has made plans to participate through an application platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the prediction that the user will be at the specific location at the certain time is further based on the user booking one or more services selected from a group comprising of a hotel room, an airline ticket, and a venue at the specific location, the prediction probability increasing when more than one service is booked.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, receiving, tithe processor, online activity of the user that includes:

a default location by the user;

saved locations affiliated with common locations selected from a group including at least one of home, work, or school; and

queried locations related to one or more database or search engine queries entered by the user.

6. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a communication interface configured to access a social networking database storing past online activity information and configured to access a log database storing user future location information obtained from a social networking application platform presented as a graphical user interface running on a mobile device corresponding to a user, wherein the user future location information corresponds to a declaration by the user on the social networking application platform of an intended future location at a specific location and at a certain time; and

wherein the processor is configured to;

control the communication interface to receive the past online activity information and the user future location information;

identify a current location of the user;

generate, a prediction including a quality score identifying a probability the user will be located at the specific location at the certain time based on the past online activity information, the user future location information, and the current location;

select a location-relevant advertisement based on the prediction;

deliver the location-relevant advertisement to an application running on the mobile device of the user;

track user interactions with the location-relevant advertisement reported by the application running on the mobile device of the user; and

assign an impression cost to an advertiser of the location-relevant advertisement based on the prediction, wherein the impression cost increases when the prediction probability increases.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the prediction based on a past history of the user frequenting the specific location as compared with a history of rarely visiting the specific location.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the prediction based on one or more declarations of a future location for the user that are within a predetermined distance of the specific location as compared with an absence of, or fewer, declarations of the future location for the user that are within the predetermined distance of the specific location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the declarations of the future location comprises the user booking one or a combination of a hotel room, an airline ticket, and a venue at or near the specific location, the prediction probability increasing with a number of bookings.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to generate the prediction to identify a higher probability the user will be located at the specific location at the certain time when the specific location corresponds to a declaration of a future location of a close friend of the user in the social networking application platform when compared with a friend of a friend.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the online activity of the user includes:

a default location updateable by the user;

saved locations affiliated with common locations selected from a group including at least one of home, work, or school; and

queried locations related to one or more database or search engine queries entered by the user.