CONFIGURABLE POINT OF INTEREST ALERTS

• US 20140257747A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Repenning, Debra Lin, Wang, Ray Xiaohang, Okshtein, Yakov, Shamsi, Farhan, Singleton, David, Zhang, Lixin, Newberger, Alan, Thota, Chandrasekhar, Gresham, Douglas Alexander, Fey, Nicholas, Folster, Marcus Alexander, Cross, Petra, Morales, Andres
• Granted Patent: US 9,341,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Receiving point of interest zones and alerts on user devices comprises communicating, by a user computing device to a remote computing device, a request for point of interest data corresponding to points of interest within a proximity of the user device; presenting the received point of interest data; identifying a particular point of interest; and outputting an alert regarding the particular point of interest. Receiving point of interest zones on user devices comprises communicating a request for point of interest data; receiving the point of interest data from the remote network device wherein a size of the point of interest zone is determined based on a density of points of interest in the proximity of the user, and wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in the opposite direction; and presenting the received point of interest data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for receiving server-controlled point of interest alerts on user computing devices, comprising:

communicating, by a user computing device to a second computing device, a request for point of interest data corresponding to points of interest within a proximity of the user computing device, the request comprising location data associated with the user computing device, wherein the second computing device is separate and distinct from the user computing device;

receiving, by the user computing device, the point of interest data from the second network device, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of a point of interest identity, a point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for each of a plurality of points of interest in a point of interest zone defined by the second network device, wherein the point of interest zone is determined based at least in part on the location data associated with the user computing device;

identifying, by the user computing device, a particular point of interest at such time as the user computing device enters within a configured range of the particular point of interest;

requesting, by the user computing device, an alert format for the particular point of interest from the second computing device;

outputting, by the user computing device, an alert regarding the particular point of interest, wherein the alert is provided by the user computing device in a manner based at least in part on the alert format received from the second computing device, and wherein the alert comprises point of interest data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert format is determined by a configured alert procedure, the alert procedure specifying the alert format based at least in part on the number of instances that the particular point of interest has been identified in a configured period of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the user computing device, the received point of interest data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the alert procedure resets to the beginning of the alert procedure if a configured period of time has elapsed since the alert procedure began.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alerts comprises one or more of a visual notification, an audible alert, or tactile alert.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intensity of the alert reduces with each subsequent usage of the alert procedure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert procedure is managed by the user computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the user computing device, whether a specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;

requesting, by the user computing device, an updated transmission of point of interest data in response to a determination that the specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;

receiving, by the user computing device, updated point of interest data; and

presenting, via the user computing device, the updated point of interest data.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to deliver server-controlled point of interest alerts to user computing devices, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions for receiving initial user account configuration from a user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions for establishing a database of points of interest for the user account and one or more offers associated with one or more of the points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions for receiving location data from a user computing device associated with the user account;

computer-executable program instructions for searching the database for points of interest proximate to the user computing device based on the location data and the one or more offers associated with the points of interest;

computer-executable program instructions for transmitting point of interest data to the user computing device, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of a point of interest identity, a point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for each of a plurality of points of interest in a point of interest zone defined by the remote network device, wherein the point of interest zone is determined based at least in part on the location data associated with the user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions for receiving an identification of a particular point of interest at such time as the user computing device enters within a configured range of the particular point of interest;

computer-executable program instructions for identifying an alert procedure associated with the point of interest;

computer-executable program instructions for determining the alert format for an alert associated with the particular point of interest based at least in part on the alert procedure; and

computer-executable program instructions for transmitting the alert format and the point of interest data for the alert associated with the particular point of interest.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the alert format is determined by a configured alert procedure, the alert procedure specifying the alert format based at least in part on the number of instances that the particular point of interest has been identified in a configured period of time.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the alert procedure resets to the beginning of the alert procedure if a configured period of time has elapsed since the alert procedure began

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the alerts comprises one or more of a visual notification, an audible alert, or tactile alert.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the intensity of the alert reduces with each subsequent usage of the alert procedure.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the alert procedure is managed by the user computing device.

15. A system for receiving server-controlled point of interest alerts on user computing devices, the system comprising:

a user computing device; and

a point of interest location system;

the user computing device comprising a processor, a web browser application, and a point of interest alert application logically coupled to the web browser application, the point of interest alert application configured to;

communicate a request for point of interest data corresponding to points of interest within a proximity of the user computing device, the request comprising location data associated with the user computing device;

receive the point of interest data from the point of interest location system, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of a point of interest identity, a point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for each of a plurality of points of interest in a point of interest zone defined by the point of interest location system, wherein the point of interest zone is determined based at least in part on the location data associated with the user computing device;

identify a particular point of interest at such time as the user computing device enters within a configured range of the particular point of interest;

request an alert format for the particular point of interest from the point of interest location system;

output an alert regarding the particular point of interest, wherein the alert is provided by the user computing device in a manner based at least in part on the alert format received from the point of interest location system, and wherein the alert comprises point of interest data, and

the point of interest location system network device comprising a processor and a point of interest location system application executing therein, the point of interest location system application configured to;

receive initial user account configuration from a user computing device;

establish a database of points of interest for the user account and one or more offers associated with one or more of the points of interest;

receive location data from a user computing device associated with the user account;

search the database for points of interest proximate to the user computing device based on the location data and the one or more offers associated with the points of interest;

transmit point of interest data to the user computing device, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of a point of interest identity, a point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for each of a plurality of points of interest in a point of interest zone defined by the remote network device, wherein the point of interest zone is determined based at least in part on the location data associated with the user computing device;

receive an identification of a particular point of interest at such time as the user computing device enters within a configured range of the particular point of interest;

identify an alert procedure associated with the point of interest;

determine the alert format for an alert associated with the particular point of interest based at least in part on the alert procedure; and

transmit the alert format and for the alert associated with the particular point of interest and point of interest data for the identified point of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the alert format is determined by a configured alert procedure, the alert procedure specifying the alert format based at least in part on the number of instances that the particular point of interest has been identified in a configured period of time.

17. The system claim 16, wherein the alert procedure resets to the beginning of the alert procedure if a configured period of time has elapsed since the alert procedure began.

18. The system claim 15, wherein the alert comprises one or more of a visual notification, an audible alert, or tactile alert.

19. The system claim 15, wherein the intensity of the alert reduces with each subsequent usage of the alert procedure.

20. The system claim 15, wherein the alert procedure is managed by the user computing device.

21. The system claim 15, the point of interest alert application further configured to:

determine whether a specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;

request an updated transmission of point of interest data in response to a determination that the specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;

receive updated point of interest data; and

present the updated point of interest data.