Analyzing geo-spatial data in layers

• US 11,140,232 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 10/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bratsman, Scott J., Hofleitner, Aude, Perkowski, Jacob, Chen, Tsuwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/633,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/909 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location spatiotemporally dependent retrieval from the web G06F16/9537
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a location history of a user of a social-networking system. The social-networking system includes a social graph that includes multiple nodes and edges connecting the nodes. At least node corresponds to the user. The method includes accessing a data set from a third-party source independent of the social-networking system. The data set references one or more locations. The method includes comparing the location history of the user with the locations referenced by the data set to determine an overlap between the location history and the data set and determining based on the comparison one or more labels to assign to the user or to one or more locations where the location history and the data set overlap.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computing devices, accessing a location history of a user of a social-networking system comprising geopositioning data previously captured from a mobile computing device of the user, wherein;

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes; and

at least one node corresponds to the user;

by the one or more computing devices, accessing a data set from a third-party source operating outside of the social-networking system, wherein the data set from the third-party source comprises activities of the user of the social-networking system with respect to one or more locations on the third-party source and information regarding the one or more locations, and wherein the user of the social-networking system interfaces with the third-party source via an application programming interface;

by the one or more computing devices, comparing (1) the geopositioning data previously captured from the mobile computing device of the user and (2) the activities of the user with respect to the one or more locations on the third-party source to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the locations associated with the data set from the third-party source;

by the one or more computing devices, determining a relevance of the overlap location to the user based on the comparison and information regarding the overlap location from the third-party source;

by the one or more computing devices, updating the social graph of the social-networking system to add an edge between the node corresponding to the user of the mobile computing device and a node corresponding to the overlap location; and

by the one or more computing devices, sending to the user one or more content objects that are identified based on the information regarding the overlap location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one node corresponds to each of a plurality of other users;

the method further comprises, by the one or more computing devices, accessing within the social-networking system location information associated with one or more of the other users;

the location history of the user is compared with at least some of the location information associated with the one or more of the other users, in addition to the one or more locations referenced by the data set from the third-party source, to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the location information associated with the one or more of the other users; and

one or more additional edges are added to the social graph based on the comparison between the location history and the location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one node corresponds to each of a plurality of places;

the method further comprises, by the one or more computing devices, accessing within the social-networking system location information associated with one or more of the places;

the location history of the user is compared with at least some of the location information associated with the one or more of the places, in addition to the locations in the data set from the third-party source, to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the location information associated with the one or more of the places; and

one or more additional edges are added to the social graph based on the comparison between the location history and the location information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the one or more locations in the data set describes the locations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the one or more locations in the data set indicates a classification of the locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location associates the overlap location with respect to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location describes an activity of the user inferred from the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location indicates a classification of the user inferred from the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set from the third-party source is publicly available.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data set from the third-party source comprises one or more of the following:

a listing of real estate for sale;

crime statistics;

a listing of events;

an income map;

a listing of residential addresses;

a listing of business addresses;

census data;

voting data;

zoning data;

tourism data;

demographic data;

migration data;

weather data;

or

restaurant data.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to;

access a location history of a user of a social-networking system comprising geopositioning data previously captured from a mobile computing device of the user, wherein;

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes; and

at least one node corresponds to the user;

access a data set from a third-party source operating outside of the social-networking system, wherein the data set from the third-party source comprises activities of the user of the social-networking system with respect to one or more locations on the third-party source and information regarding the one or more of the locations, and wherein the user of the social-networking system interfaces with the third-party source via an application programming interface;

compare (1) the geopositioning data previously captured from the mobile computing device of the user and (2) the activities of the user with respect to the one or more locations on the third-party source to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the locations associated with the data set from the third-party source;

determine a relevance of the overlap location to the user based on the comparison and information regarding the overlap location from the third-party source;

update the social graph of the social-networking system to add an edge between the node corresponding to the user of the mobile computing device and a node corresponding to the overlap location; and

send to the user one or more content objects that are identified based on the information regarding the overlap location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

at least one node corresponds to each of a plurality of other users;

the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to access within the social-networking system location information associated with one or more of the other users;

the location history of the user is compared with at least some of the location information associated with the one or more of the other users, in addition to the one or more locations referenced by the data set from the third-party source, to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the location information associated with the one or more of the other users; and

one or more additional edges are added to the social graph based on the comparison between the location history and the location information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

at least one node corresponds to each of a plurality of places;

the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to access within the social-networking system location information associated with one or more of the places;

the location history of the user is compared with at least some of the location information associated with the one or more of the places, in addition to the locations in the data set from the third-party source, to determine an overlap between the location history of the user and the location information associated with the one or more of the places; and

one or more additional edges are added to the social graph based on the comparison between the location history and the location information.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the information regarding the one or more locations in the data set describes the locations.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the information regarding the one or more locations in the data set indicates a classification of the locations.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location associates the overlap location with respect to the user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location describes an activity of the user inferred from the comparison.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the edge connecting the node corresponding to the user to the node corresponding to the overlap location indicates a classification of the user inferred from the comparison.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the data set from the third-party source is publicly available.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the data set from the third-party source comprises one or more of the following:

a listing of real estate for sale;

crime statistics;

a listing of events;

an income map;

a listing of residential addresses;

a listing of business addresses;

census data;

voting data;

zoning data;

tourism data;

demographic data;

migration data;

weather data;

or

restaurant data.

21. A system comprising:

means for accessing a location history of a user of a social-networking system comprising geopositioning data previously captured from a mobile computing device of the user, wherein;

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes; and

at least one node corresponds to the user;

means for accessing a data set from a third-party source operating outside of the social-networking system, wherein the data set from the third-party source comprises activities of the user of the social-networking system with respect to one or more locations on the third-party source and information regarding the one or more locations, and wherein the user of the social-networking system interfaces with the third-party source via an application programming interface;

means for comparing (1) the geopositioning data previously captured from the mobile computing device of the user and (2) the activities of the user with respect to the one or more locations on the third-party source to determine an overlap location between the location history of the user and the locations associated with the data set from the third-party source;

means for determining a relevance of the overlap location to the user based on the comparison and information regarding the overlap location from the third-party source;

means for updating the social graph of the social-networking system to add an edge between the node corresponding to the user of the mobile computing device and a node corresponding to the overlap location; and

means for sending to the user one or more content objects that are identified based on the information regarding the overlap location.