Patent · US Active

Handling crowd requests for large geographic areas

US8321509B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
21References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 2009
Grant dateNov 27, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W64/00
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are provided for processing a request for crowd data for a large geographic area. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices and form crowds of three or more users based on the current locations of the users. In order to provide access to crowd data for crowds for a large geographic area, the central system receives a request for crowd data from a requesting device, establishes a bounding region for the request, and identifies one or more starting points within the bounding region for the request. Crowds are identified, crowd data for the crowds is generated, and the crowd data is returned to the requesting device in an iterative manner for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting points.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.