Techniques for estimating demographic information

• US 10,304,086 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Skyhook Wireless Incorporated (Liberty Broadband Corp.)
• Inventors: Broadstone, Andrew J., Jones, Russel Kipp, Morgan, Edward James, Alizadeh-Shabdiz, Farshid, Brachet, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Abyaneh, Ali S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Shu C
• Application Number:
  US15/082,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

In one embodiment, techniques are provided for estimating demographic information. A current device demographic profile for a mobile device is retrieved. An estimated geographic location of the mobile device and a time at which the mobile device visited the estimated geographic location is determined. Based on this, a location demographic profile for a geographic area that includes the estimated geographic location and for a time frame that includes the determined time is retrieved. The current device demographic profile for the mobile device is updated based on the location demographic profile. Further, the location demographic profile is updated based on a plurality of device demographic profiles of a plurality of mobile devices that visit geographic locations within the geographic area, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for estimating demographic information, comprising:

retrieving a device demographic profile for a mobile device;

determining an estimated geographic location of the mobile device by a location service executing on an electronic device, the location service using at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) or a Wi-Fi positioning system to determine the estimated geographic location;

determining a time at which the mobile device visited the estimated geographic location;

assigning a substitute identifier for location to the estimated geographic location of the mobile device;

retrieving a location demographic profile for a geographic area based on the substitute identifier for location and for a time frame that includes the determined time;

updating, by a demographic service executing on the electronic device or another electronic device, the device demographic profile for the mobile device based on the location demographic profile;

updating the location demographic profile based on a plurality of device demographic profiles of a plurality of mobile devices that visit geographic locations within the geographic area, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device;

repeating at least the updating the device demographic profile and the updating the location demographic profile in a feedback mechanism that improves quality of the location demographic profile and the location demographic profile; and

using at least one of the updated location demographic profile or the updated device demographic profile to provide a service to at least one mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute identifier for location identifies geographic location with less specificity than the estimated geographic location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substitute identifier for location identifies a geometric shape that includes the estimated geographic location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a substitute identifier for time to the determined time, and

wherein the retrieving the location demographic profile is based on the substitute identifier for time to preserve privacy of a user of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the substitute identifier for time indicates a time with less specificity than the determined time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the substitute identifier for time is a representation of time lacking date information, a time range or an hour of a week designation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the electronic device or another electronic device, information from the updated device demographic profile to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the estimated geographic location of the mobile device, the determining the time, the retrieving the location demographic profile, and the updating the device demographic profile are all performed on the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the estimated geographic location of the mobile device and the determining the time are performed on the electronic device and the retrieving the location demographic profile, the updating the device demographic profile and the updating the location demographic profile are performed on the another electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is the mobile device and the another electronic device is a demographic server remote from the mobile device.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by one or more processors operable to:

retrieve a device demographic profile for a mobile device;

determine an estimated geographic location of the mobile device using at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) or a Wi-Fi positioning system;

assign a substitute identifier for location to the estimated geographic location of the mobile device,

retrieve a location demographic profile for a geographic area based on the substitute identifier for location;

update the device demographic profile for the mobile device based on the location demographic profile;

update the location demographic profile based on a plurality of device demographic profiles of a plurality of mobile devices that visit geographic locations within the geographic area, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device; and

use at least one of the updated location demographic profile or the updated device demographic profile to provide a service to at least one mobile device,

wherein at least the instructions that when executed update the device demographic profile and that update the location demographic profile are repeated in a feedback mechanism that improves quality of the location demographic profile and the location demographic profile.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the substitute identifier for location identifies geographic location with less specificity than the estimated geographic location.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions when executed by one or more processors are further operable to:

assign a substitute identifier for time to the determined time, and

wherein retrieval of the location demographic profile is based on the substitute identifier for time to preserve privacy of a user of the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the substitute identifier for time indicates a time with less specificity than the determined time.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that when executed determine the estimated geographic location of the mobile device, determine the time, retrieve the location demographic profile, and update the device demographic profile are all executed on a processor of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions that when executed determine estimated geographic location of the mobile device and determine the time are executed on a processor of the mobile device and the instructions that when executed retrieve the location demographic profile, update the device demographic profile and update the location demographic profile are executed on a processor of a demographic server remote from the mobile device.

18. A system configured to estimate demographic information, comprising:

a computing device operating as a location server and configured to maintain information used to determine an estimated geographic location of a mobile device; and

a computing device operating as a demographic server and configured with software that when executed estimates demographic information, the software including;

a device demographics profile logging module configured to receive a substitute identifier for location that relates to the estimated geographic location of the mobile device and a substitute identifier for time that relates to a time at which the mobile device visited the estimated geographic location,

a location demographics profile retrieval module configured to retrieve a location demographic profile including demographic information for a geographic area corresponding to the substitute identifier for location and the substitute identifier for the time,

a device demographics profile engine configured to update a device demographic profile for the mobile device based on the location demographic profile, and

a location demographics profile engine configured to update the location demographic profile based on a plurality of device demographic profiles of a plurality of mobile devices that visit geographic locations within the geographic area, the plurality of mobile devices including the mobile device, and

a location demographics summary process configured to send the updated location demographic profile to the mobile device or a device demographic summary process configured to send the updated device demographic profile to the mobile device,

wherein the device demographics profile engine and the location demographics profile engine provide a feedback mechanism that improves quality of the location demographic profile and the location demographic profile.