Venue inference using data sensed by mobile devices

• US 8,078,152 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Partridge, Kurt E., Chu, Maurice K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/540,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20110039522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/405, 455/456.5, 455/556.1, 455/457, 455/420, 455/533.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/558, 455/575.2, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/421, 455/422.1, 455/427, 455/12.1, 701/117, 701/2, 701/300, 726/4, 370/474, 382/305, 382/306, 705/10
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/45 by combining measurements of signals from the satellite radio beacon positioning system with a supplementary measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for determining venue information associated with a mobile device user. During operation, the system collects contextual information recorded by one or more sensors located on the mobile device and extracts a behavior pattern of the user as a function of time and/or an environmental indicator based on the collected contextual information. The system then compares the behavior pattern and/or the environmental indicator with known behavior patterns and/or environmental indicators associated with a number of venues stored in a database, and determines a venue associated with the user based at least on the comparison.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method for determining venue information associated with a mobile device user, the method comprising:

collecting contextual information recorded by plurality of sensors located on the mobile device, wherein the sensors include a global positioning system (GPS) sensor;

extracting a behavior pattern of the user as a function of time and/or an environmental indicator based at least on the collected contextual information;

comparing the behavior pattern and/or the environmental indicator with known behavior patterns and/or environmental indicators associated with a number of venues stored in a database;

determining a venue associated with the user based at least on the comparison; and

determining whether the user enters and/or exits the venue based on a dilution of precision (DOP) value of the GPS sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an approximate location of the user; and

identifying a number of venues associated with the approximate location, thereby facilitating the determination of the venue associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s behavior pattern as a function of time is extracted based on outputs of the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user'"'"'s behavior pattern comprises the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern comprises at least one of:

a sequence of physical motions; and

a duration of a physical motion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a time duration for which the user is expected to stay in the venue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors comprise at least one of:

an accelerometer;

a clock;

a microphone;

a light sensor;

a camera;

a gyroscope; and

a magnetometer.

8. A system for determining venue information associated with a mobile device user, comprising:

a plurality of sensors for collecting contextual information, wherein the sensors include a global positioning system (GPS) sensor;

an extraction mechanism configured to extract a behavior pattern of the user as a function of time and/or an environmental indicator based at least on the collected contextual information;

a database storing known user behavior patterns and/or environmental indicators associated with a number of venues; and

a determination mechanism configured to determine a venue associated with the user based at least on a comparison between the extracted behavior pattern and/or environmental indicator and the ones stored in the database,. wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine whether the user enters and/or exits the venue based on a dilution of precision (DOP) value of the GPS sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second determining mechanism configured to determine an approximate location of the user; and

an identification mechanism configured to identify a number of venues associated with the approximate location, thereby facilitating the determination of the venue associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein while extracting the behavior pattern, the extraction mechanism is configured to extract the user'"'"'s behavior pattern as a function of time based on outputs of the one or more sensors.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user'"'"'s behavior pattern comprises the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern comprises at least one of:

a sequence of physical motions; and

a duration of a physical motion.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine a time duration for which the user is expected to stay in the venue.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

an accelerometer;

a clock;

a microphone;

a light sensor;

a camera;

a gyroscope; and

a magnetometer.

15. A server facilitating determination of venue information associated with a mobile device user, comprising:

a receiving mechanism configured to receive contextual information recorded by a plurality of sensors located on the mobile device wherein the sensors include a global positioning system (GPS) sensor;

an extraction mechanism configured to extract a behavior pattern of the user as a function of time and/or an environmental indicator based at least on the collected contextual information;

a database storing known user behavior patterns and/or environmental indicators associated with a number of venues; and

a determination mechanism configured to determine a venue associated with the user based at least on a comparison between the extracted behavior pattern and/or environmental indicator and the ones stored in the database, wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine whether the user enters and/or exits the venue based on a dilution of precision (DOP) value of the GPS sensor.

16. The server of claim 15, further comprising:

a second determining mechanism configured to determine an approximate location of the user; and

an identification mechanism configured to identify a number of venues associated with the approximate location, thereby facilitating the determination of the venue associated with the user.

17. The server of claim 15, wherein while extracting the behavior pattern, the extraction mechanism is configured to extract the user'"'"'s behavior pattern as a function of time based on outputs of the one or more sensors.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the user'"'"'s behavior pattern comprises the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the user'"'"'s physical motion pattern comprises at least one of:

a sequence of physical motions; and

a duration of a physical motion.

20. The server of claim 15, wherein the determination mechanism is further configured to determine a time duration for which the user is expected to stay in the venue.