Quantifying mobility of mobile devices via a privacy preserving mobility metric
View Patent ↗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.
1. A method comprising:
providing instructions integrated with an application to a mobile device, 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;
detecting transaction information corresponding to the at least one value of the mobility metric according to operation of the application between the first point in time and the second point in time;
and
transmitting to a server system the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information, 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, the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information from the mobile device;
selecting content according to the at least one value of the mobility metric and transaction information, regardless of mobile device location; and
sending the selected content to the mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the 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 detecting transaction information comprises detecting a request for media content.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting transaction information comprises detecting a purchase.
8. 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;
detecting transaction information corresponding to the at least one value of the mobility metric according to operation of the application between the first point in time and the second point in time;
and
transmitting to a server system the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information, 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, the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information from the mobile device;
selecting content according to the at least one value of the mobility metric and transaction information, regardless of mobile device location; and
sending the selected content to the mobile device.
9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the 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.
10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of values.
11. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of classifications.
12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the mobility metric reflects how far the mobile device travels from the origin location.
13. The medium of claim 8 , wherein detecting transaction information comprises detecting a request for media content.
14. The medium of claim 8 , wherein detecting transaction information comprises detecting a purchase.
15. 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;
detecting transaction information corresponding to the at least one value of the mobility metric according to operation of the application between the first point in time and the second point in time; and
transmitting to the system the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information, 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 system, the at least one value of the mobility metric and corresponding detected transaction information from the mobile device;
selecting content according to the at least one value of the mobility metric and transaction information, regardless of mobile device location; and
sending the selected content to the mobile device.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein determining the 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.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mobility metric is selected from an index of classifications.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mobility metric reflects how far the mobile device travels from the origin location.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein detecting transaction information comprises detecting a request for media content.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein detecting transaction information comprises detecting a purchase.