Method and device for determining service area

• US 9,998,861 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Bai, Zhiyong, Wang, Guangjian, Wang, Shuo
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US15/373,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 455440, 455437, 4554562, 455423, 370338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for determining a service area corresponding to a provider communication account includes determining candidate communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a historical time period of a preset time length, acquiring geographical positions corresponding to the candidate communication accounts, and determining a service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions.

Claims

1. A method for determining a service area corresponding to a provider communication account, comprising:

determining candidate communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a historical time period of a preset time length;

acquiring geographical positions corresponding to the candidate communication accounts;

determining a service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions; and

recommending the provider communication account to a communication account, according to the determined service area corresponding to the provider communication account;

wherein determining the service area corresponding to the provider communication account includes;

for a selected geographical position selected from the acquired geographical positions;

determining distances between the selected geographical position and other geographical positions, and

deleting, if a number of other geographical positions that have a distance to the selected geographical position larger than a preset threshold distance is greater than a preset threshold number, the selected geographical position; and

determining the service area according to remaining geographical positions after the deleting is performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the preset time length is a first preset time length, and

determining the candidate communication accounts includes determining communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account for a communication time length not exceeding a second preset time length within the historical time period as the candidate communication accounts.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the candidate communication accounts includes:

determining communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a preset time range within the historical time period as the candidate communication accounts.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the candidate communication accounts includes:

determining communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a detection period as the candidate communication accounts at an end of the detection period.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the geographical positions includes:

acquiring the geographical positions of the candidate communication accounts during communication between the candidate communication accounts and the provider communication account.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recommending of the provider communication account to a communication account, according to the determined service area corresponding to the provider communication account comprises:

receiving a service area query request from a terminal, the service area query request containing information about a terminal geographical position of the terminal;

determining a target service area matching the terminal geographical position from stored service areas corresponding to provider communication accounts;

determining a recommended provider communication account corresponding to the target service area; and

sending a service area feedback message to the terminal, the service area feedback message containing the recommended provider communication account.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the target service area includes:

determining a service area to which the terminal geographical position belongs as the target service area.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein determining the target service area includes:

determining a service area that has a minimum distance to the terminal geographical position not exceeding a preset threshold distance as the target service area.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service area corresponding to the provider communication account is a geographical area covered by a door-to-door service provided by the provider communication account to other communication accounts.

10. A device for determining a service area corresponding to a provider communication account, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

determine candidate communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a historical time period of a preset time length;

acquire geographical positions corresponding to the candidate communication accounts;

determine a service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions; and

recommend the provider communication account to a communication account, according to the determined service area corresponding to the provider communication account;

wherein in determining the service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions, the instructions further cause the processor to;

for a selected geographical position selected from the acquired geographical positions;

determine distances between the selected geographical position and other geographical positions, and

delete, if a number of other geographical positions that have a distance to the selected geographical position larger than a preset threshold distance is greater than a preset threshold number, the selected geographical position; and

determine the service area according to remaining geographical positions after the deleting is performed.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein:

the preset time length is a first preset time length, and

the instructions further cause processor to determine communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account for a communication time length not exceeding a second preset time length within the historical time period as the candidate communication accounts.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a preset time range within the historical time period as the candidate communication accounts.

13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a detection period as the candidate communication accounts at an end of the detection period.

14. The device according to claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

acquire the geographical positions of the candidate communication accounts during communication between the candidate communication accounts and the provider communication account.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a service area query request from a terminal, the service area query request containing information about a terminal geographical position of the terminal;

determine a target service area matching the terminal geographical position from stored service areas corresponding to provider communication accounts;

determine a recommended provider communication account corresponding to the target service area; and

send a service area feedback message to the terminal, the service area feedback message containing the recommended provider communication account.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a service area to which the terminal geographical position belongs as the target service area.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a service area that has a minimum distance to the terminal geographical position not exceeding a preset threshold distance as the target service area.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a terminal, cause the terminal to:

determine candidate communication accounts that have communicated with the provider communication account within a historical time period of a preset time length;

acquire geographical positions corresponding to the candidate communication accounts;

determine a service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions; and

recommend the provider communication account to a communication account, according to the determined service area corresponding to the provider communication account;

wherein in determining the service area corresponding to the provider communication account according to the geographical positions, the instructions further cause the terminal to;

for a selected geographical position selected from the acquired geographical positions;

determine distances between the selected geographical position and other geographical positions, and

delete, if a number of other geographical positions that have a distance to the selected geographical position larger than a preset threshold distance is greater than a preset threshold number, the selected geographical position; and

determine the service area according to remaining geographical positions after the deleting is performed.