Optimizing notification transmission

1. A system for enabling clients to claim spots on segments, comprising:

one or more front-end servers that interact, over a data communication network, with devices of creators; and

one or more back-end servers in data communication with the one or more front-end servers and that include one or more data processors, the one or more front-end servers or the one or more back-end servers being configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a device of a creator, data specifying a client-initiated segment created by the creator through an interface presented at the device, the data including at least a departure geographic identifier that identifies a departure geographic location from which the client-initiated segment will depart, a destination geographic identifier that identifies a destination geographic location at which the client-initiated segment will arrive, and a number of spots being claimed by the creator;

determining, based on the number of spots being claimed by the creator, that the client-initiated segment includes one or more available spots that are available to be claimed by clients other than the creator;

creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, the proper subset being created by:

including, in the proper subset, each client from the set of clients having a set of one or more geographic identifiers that matches one or more of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment; and

including, in the proper subset, one or more clients that have spent at least a threshold percentage of the client's time in the geographic location identified by the destination geographic identifier of the client-initiated segment;

for each client in the proper subset of clients:

transmitting, to the client, the notification that the client-initiated segment is available; and

enabling the client to claim a spot on the client-initiated segment through a client-side application.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more client-specified location identifiers specified by the client as frequent locations for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more client-specified location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more home location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client comprises:

identifying, using location data provided by a device of the given client, geographic areas at which the given client spent time;

determining, for each geographic area at which the given client spent time, a respective percentage of time the client spent in the geographic area; and

for each geographic area for which the respective percentage of time satisfies a percentage of time, classifying a location identifier for the geographic area as a home location identifier for the given client.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has selected to view segment information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has searched for information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has claimed a spot on a segment between a first geographic location that corresponds to the departure geographic identifier and a second geographic location that corresponds to the destination geographic identifier;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

8. A method for enabling clients to claim spots on segments, comprising:

receiving, from a device of a creator, data specifying a client-initiated segment created by the creator through an interface presented at the device, the data including at least a departure geographic identifier that identifies a departure geographic location from which the client-initiated segment will depart, a destination geographic identifier that identifies a destination geographic location at which the client-initiated segment will arrive, and a number of spots being claimed by the creator;

determining, based on the number of spots being claimed by the creator, that the client-initiated segment includes one or more available spots that are available to be claimed by clients other than the creator;

creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, the proper subset being created by:

including, in the proper subset, each client from the set of clients having a set of one or more geographic identifiers that matches one or more of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment; and

including, in the proper subset, one or more clients that have spent at least a threshold percentage of the client's time in the geographic location identified by the destination geographic identifier of the client-initiated segment;

for each client in the proper subset of clients:

transmitting, to the client, the notification that the client-initiated segment is available; and

enabling the client to claim a spot on the client-initiated segment through a client-side application.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more client-specified location identifiers specified by the client as frequent locations for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more client-specified location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more home location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client comprises:

identifying, using location data provided by a device of the given client, geographic areas at which the given client spent time;

determining, for each geographic area at which the given client spent time, a respective percentage of time the client spent in the geographic area; and

for each geographic area for which the respective percentage of time satisfies a percentage of time, classifying a location identifier for the geographic area as a home location identifier for the given client.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has selected to view segment information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has searched for information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has claimed a spot on a segment between a first geographic location that corresponds to the departure geographic identifier and a second geographic location that corresponds to the destination geographic identifier;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a device of a creator, data specifying a client-initiated segment created by the creator through an interface presented at the device, the data including at least a departure geographic identifier that identifies a departure geographic location from which the client-initiated segment will depart, a destination geographic identifier that identifies a destination geographic location at which the client-initiated segment will arrive, and a number of spots being claimed by the creator;

determining, based on the number of spots being claimed by the creator, that the client-initiated segment includes one or more available spots that are available to be claimed by clients other than the creator;

creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, the proper subset being created by:

including, in the proper subset, each client from the set of clients having a set of one or more geographic identifiers that matches one or more of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment; and

including, in the proper subset, one or more clients that have spent at least a threshold percentage of the client's time in the geographic location identified by the destination geographic identifier of the client-initiated segment;

for each client in the proper subset of clients:

transmitting, to the client, the notification that the client-initiated segment is available; and

enabling the client to claim a spot on the client-initiated segment through a client-side application.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more client-specified location identifiers specified by the client as frequent locations for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more client-specified location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client; and

determining that at least one of the one or more home location identifiers corresponds to a geographic location that is (i) within a threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the departure geographic identifier or (ii) within the threshold distance of a geographic location corresponding to the destination geographic identifier and, in response, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 17 , wherein identifying, for a given client, a set of one or more home location identifiers for the client comprises:

identifying, using location data provided by a device of the given client, geographic areas at which the given client spent time;

determining, for each geographic area at which the given client spent time, a respective percentage of time the client spent in the geographic area; and

for each geographic area for which the respective percentage of time satisfies a percentage of time, classifying a location identifier for the geographic area as a home location identifier for the given client.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has selected to view segment information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein creating, from a set of clients, a proper subset of the clients that are transmitted a notification that the client-initiated segment is available, comprises:

determining a number of times a given client has searched for information for one or more routes that include at least one of the departure geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment or the destination geographic identifier for the client-initiated segment;

determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the number of times satisfies the threshold, including the given client in the proper subset of clients.