Automatic association of reference data with primary process data based on time and shared identifier

• US 8,397,037 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Naaman, Mor, Nair, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, ZHUO H
• Application Number:
  US13/437,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 711/101, 711/154, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 707/705, 707/713, 707/722, 707/726, 707/727, 707/802
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method and system for automatically associating primary process data with reference data. The primary process data may include image, video, audio, text, search data, and the like. The reference data may include location, temperature, pressure, and the like. A primary process data processor device, such as a digital camera, is used to acquire the primary process data with time information, but without any reference data. A reference data collector device, such as a cellular telephone, is used to acquire the reference data with time information. The primary process data and the reference data are uploaded to a server and each are associated with a shared identifier, such as a user ID. Of the content and reference data associated with the shared ID, the server determines which primary process data and reference data were acquired near the same time, and automatically associates the reference data with the primary process data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server device, a first search query from a primary process data device;

receiving, at the server device, a first location from a reference data collector device, wherein the first location is substantially near the primary process data device when the first search query was submitted;

generating, at the server device, a first association between the first search query and the first location;

receiving, at the server device, a second search query from the primary process data device and a second location from the reference data collector device, wherein the reference data collector device was removed from and then returned to the first location after receiving the first location, wherein the second location is substantially near the first location; and

employing the server device to generate search results based on the second search query, the second location, and the first association, wherein the search results are different than if the search query were submitted but the first association had not been generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the primary process data device or the reference data collector device is configured to automatically activate when the other one of the reference data collector device or the primary process data device is detected within a predefined proximity to each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated search results includes at least one advertisement not included in results from the first search query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary process data device and the reference data collector device are different devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference data collector device is configured to provide reference data that further includes at least one of a temperature, time, or attitude data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results include medical information that is based on the first association and at least one of a reference altitude or heart rate data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein employing the server device further comprises the server device performing a filter to generate the search results based on the second search query and first location.

8. A network device, comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform actions, including;

receiving a first search query from a primary process data device;

receiving a first location from a reference data collector device, wherein the first location is substantially near the primary process data device when the first search query was submitted;

generating a first association between the first search query and the first location;

receiving a second search query from the primary process data device and a second location from the reference data collector device, wherein the reference data collector device was removed from and then returned to the first location after receiving the first location, wherein the second location is substantially near the first location; and

generating search results based on the second search query, the second location, and the first association, wherein the search results are different than if the search query were submitted but the first association had not been generated.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the primary process data device and the reference data collector device are separate and distinct devices.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the first association comprises at least one of a shared identifier that includes one of a user identifier, a mobile device identifier, a user-specified identifier, or a machine-specified identifier.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein:

the first search query is automatically associated with a shared identifier when received at the network device;

the first location is automatically associated with the shared identifier when the first location is received at the network device; and

the shared identifier is used to generate the first association between the first search query and the first location.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein one of the primary process data device or the reference data collector device is configured to automatically activate when the other one of the reference data collector device or the primary process data device is detected within a predefined proximity to each other.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the generated search results includes at least one advertisement not included in results from the first search query.

14. The network device of claim 8, wherein the search results include location specific information to a game running on the primary process data device.

15. A storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that are enabled to perform actions, comprising:

receiving a first search query from a primary process data device;

receiving a first location from a reference data collector device, wherein the first location is substantially near the primary process data device when the first search query was submitted;

generating a first association between the first search query and the first location;

receiving a second search query from the primary process data device and a second location from the reference data collector device, wherein the reference data collector device was removed from and then returned to the first location after receiving the first location, wherein the second location is substantially near the first location; and

generating search results based on the second search query, the second location, and the first association, wherein the search results are different than if the search query were submitted but the first association had not been generated.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein one of the primary process data device or the reference data collector device is configured to automatically activate when the other one of the reference data collector device or the primary process data device is detected within a predefined proximity to each other.

17. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the generated search results includes at least one advertisement not included in results from the first search query.

18. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the primary process data device and the reference data collector device are separate and distinct devices.

19. The storage device of claim 15, wherein:

the first search query is automatically associated with a shared identifier when received at a network device executing the computer-executable instructions;

the first location is automatically associated with the shared identifier when the first location is received at the network device; and

the shared identifier is used to generate the first association between the first search query and the first location.

20. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the search results pertain to one of a computer game or a medical device.