IP Library Granted Patent US 9,924,321
Granted Patent B1
US 9,924,321 · App. 15/719,549 · Granted Mar 20, 2018

Quantifying mobility of mobile devices via a privacy preserving mobility metric

Inventor: Scott Michael Murff (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Quantcast Corporation
H04W4/023H04L29/08657H04W64/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,924,321
App. No.
15/719,549
Granted
Mar 20, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generate metrics quantifying the mobility of a mobile device without persisting information related to the device's specific location at any given time. Specifically, at multiple intervals, a value of a mobility metric is computed based on the distance between the current location of the mobile device and a previously identified origin location of the mobile device. The values of the mobility metric computed over a period of time quantify the overall mobility of the mobile device. The mobility metric does not provide any information regarding the specific location of the mobile device at any given time.

Claims (51)

1. A method comprising:

providing instructions to a plurality of mobile devices, the instructions comprising instructions for:

determining, at the mobile device, a location of the mobile device at each of a plurality of points in time;

computing, at the mobile device, at least one value of a mobility metric according to a first delta distance between an origin location and a first determined location at a first point in time and according to a second delta distance between the origin location and a second determined location at a second point in time, the mobility metric indicating how frequently the mobile device travels from the origin location; and

transmitting to a server system the at least one value of the mobility metric from the mobile device, wherein the mobility metric does not provide information regarding the determined locations of the mobile device at any of the plurality of points in time;

receiving, at the server system, a plurality of mobility metrics from the plurality of mobile devices;

associating each received mobility metric with a characteristic of the mobility metric's respective mobile device;

determining a mobility likelihood for an unquantifiable mobile device having an unquantifiable mobility according to mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device;

sending customized content to the unquantifiable mobile device, the customized content customized for the unquantifiable mobile device according to the mobility likelihood, regardless of the location of the unquantifiable mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a location of the mobile device at each of a plurality of points in time comprises requesting coordinates from a global positioning system included in the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of values.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of classifications.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobility metric reflects how far the mobile device travels from the origin location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein computing at least one value of the mobility metric comprises computing by a motion quantifying module.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the mobility likelihood comprises:

averaging mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: operating system, screen resolution, installed application, and operated application.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, the instructions configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method comprising:

providing instructions to a plurality of mobile devices, the instructions comprising instructions for:

determining, at the mobile device, a location of the mobile device at each of a plurality of points in time;

computing, at the mobile device, at least one value of a mobility metric according to a first delta distance between an origin location and a first determined location at a first point in time and according to a second delta distance between the origin location and a second determined location at a second point in time, the mobility metric indicating how frequently the mobile device travels from the origin location; and

transmitting to a server system the at least one value of the mobility metric from the mobile device, wherein the mobility metric does not provide information regarding the determined locations of the mobile device at any of the plurality of points in time;

receiving, at the server system, a plurality of mobility metrics from the plurality of mobile devices;

associating each received mobility metric with a characteristic of the mobility metric's respective mobile device;

determining a mobility likelihood for an unquantifiable mobile device having an unquantifiable mobility according to mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device;

sending customized content to the unquantifiable mobile device, the customized content customized for the unquantifiable mobile device according to the mobility likelihood, regardless of the location of the unquantifiable mobile device.

10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein determining a location of the mobile device at each of a plurality of points in time comprises requesting coordinates from a global positioning system included in the mobile device.

11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of values.

12. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of classifications.

13. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the mobility metric reflects how far the mobile device travels from the origin location.

14. The medium of claim 9 , wherein:

determining the mobility likelihood comprises averaging mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device.

15. The medium of claim 9 , wherein:

at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: operating system, screen resolution, installed application, and operated application.

16. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising instructions for:

providing instructions to a plurality of mobile devices, the instructions comprising instructions for:

determining, at the mobile device, a location of the mobile device at each of a plurality of points in time;

computing, at the mobile device, at least one value of a mobility metric according to a first delta distance between an origin location and a first determined location at a first point in time and according to a second delta distance between the origin location and a second determined location at a second point in time, the mobility metric indicating how frequently the mobile device travels from the origin location; and

transmitting to a server system the at least one value of the mobility metric from the mobile device, wherein the mobility metric does not provide information regarding the determined locations of the mobile device at any of the plurality of points in time;

receiving, at the server system, a plurality of mobility metrics from the plurality of mobile devices;

associating each received mobility metric with a characteristic of the mobility metric's respective mobile device;

determining a mobility likelihood for an unquantifiable mobile device having an unquantifiable mobility according to mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device;

sending customized content to the unquantifiable mobile device, the customized content customized for the unquantifiable mobile device according to the mobility likelihood, regardless of the location of the unquantifiable mobile device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of values.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of classifications.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

determining the mobility likelihood comprises averaging mobility metrics of mobile devices having one or more characteristics in common with the unquantifiable mobile device.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of: operating system, screen resolution, installed application, and operated application.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2024
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067807/0017 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2024
From: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
To: CRYSTAL FINANCIAL LLC D/B/A SLR CREDIT SOLUTIONS
Reel/Frame 067777/0613 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2022
From: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
To: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING IX, INC.; WTI FUND X, INC.
Reel/Frame 062066/0265 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2021
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: QUANTCST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057678/0832 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2021
From: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 057677/0297 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2021
From: TRIPLEPOINT VENTURE GROWTH BDC CORP.
To: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055599/0282 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2020
From: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 052717/0840 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2018
From: QUANTCAST CORPORATION
To: TRIPLEPOINT VENTURE GROWTH BDC CORP.
Reel/Frame 046733/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2018
From: MURFF, SCOTT MICHAEL
To: QUANTCAST CORP.
Reel/Frame 045279/0722 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 15662980 · Jul 28, 2017
Continuation 15476211 · Mar 31, 2017
Continuation 15387245 · Dec 21, 2016
Continuation 14983122 · Dec 29, 2015
Continuation 14752036 · Jun 26, 2015
Continuation 14529505 · Oct 31, 2014
Continuation 13927860 · Jun 26, 2013