Patent · US Active

Location-based place determination using online social networks

US9602965B1 · kind B1 · utility

12Cited by
64References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 6, 2015
Grant dateMar 21, 2017
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 6, 2035

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W4/029
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes, by one or more computing devices of an online social network, receiving, from a mobile-client system of a first user of the online social network, geographic-location information associated with the mobile-client system. The method further includes identifying multiple candidate place-entities associated with the online social network that correspond to the geographic-location information, where each candidate place-entity is associated with a particular geographic location. The method also includes determining, for each candidate place-entity, a confidence score based on the geographic-location information associated with the mobile-client system and a location-probability distribution associated with the candidate place-entity, where the confidence score represents a probability that the first user is located at the candidate place-entity. The method also includes sending, to the mobile-client system of the first user, information associated with one or more of the candidate place-entities having a confidence score above a threshold confidence score.

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