System and method for generating geographic zone information for consumers

1. An apparatus configured to programmatically generate a consumer geographic profile, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive an identification of a first geographic location associated with a consumer;

programmatically identify a first set of geographic zones including a selected geographic zone associated with the first geographic location, wherein the selected geographic zone is identified from a plurality of predetermined geographic zones comprising the selected geographic zone;

programmatically identify another set of geographic zones which also includes the selected geographic zone, each of the zones of the another set of geographic zones associated with a merchant;

programmatically generate a first importance score associated with the consumer for the selected geographic zone, wherein the first importance score is generated based at least in part on previously received identifications of geographic locations associated with the consumer;

programmatically generate the consumer geographic profile based on the first importance score;

programmatically generate a second importance score associated with the first merchant for the selected geographic zone;

programmatically generate an overlap score by generating a sum of the total importance scores at the selected geographic zone for at least the consumer and the first merchant programmatically use collaborative filtering to generate a consumer extended geographic profile to account for correlations between geographic zones across multiple profiles, the collaborative filtering comprising:

receive the consumer geographic profile for the consumer,

programmatically generate an extended geographic profile for identified consumers,

extend the consumer geographic profile for the consumer based on the extended geographic profile for the identified consumers,

prune the extended geographic profile for the consumer by removing geographic zones in the extended geographic profile of the consumer having importance scores less than a predetermined threshold value; and

store, on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the selected geographic zone and the consumer extended geographic profile associated with the consumer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

receive an indication of a second geographic location associated with the consumer, the first geographic location associated with a first time period, the second geographic location associated with a second time period, the first and second time periods within a predetermined range of each other; and

upon programmatically determining that the first and second geographic locations are within a predetermined range of each other, discard the second geographic location.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

generate a confidence score for the consumer geographic profile based on a total weighted sum of importance values associated with the selected geographic zone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first importance score is generated based on one or more of the following factors: a verification status of the selected geographic zone, a frequency at which the consumer is present at the selected geographic zone, an address status of the selected geographic zone for the consumer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

programmatically generate a first count for the selected geographic zone, the first count indicating a number of times the consumer was present at the selected geographic zone; and

store, on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the first count in association with the consumer, the selected geographic zone and the first importance score.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

programmatically generate the selected geographic zone by generating a hash value of latitude and longitude values of the first geographic location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

programmatically generate an association between the selected geographic zone and a second geographic zone associated with the consumer; and

programmatically generate a cross-zone importance score for the association, the cross-zone importance score generated based on the first importance score associated with the selected geographic zone for the consumer and based on a second importance score associated with the second geographic zone for the consumer.

8. A computer-implemented method for generating a consumer geographic profile, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, an identification of a first geographic location associated with a consumer;

programmatically identifying, by the at least one processor, a selected geographic zone associated with the first geographic location, wherein the selected geographic zone is identified from a plurality of predetermined geographic zones;

programmatically identifying, by the at least one processor, another set of geographic zones which also includes the selected geographic zone, each of the zones of the another set of geographic zones associated with a merchant;

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, a first importance score associated with the selected geographic zone and associated with the consumer, wherein the first importance score is generated based at least in part on previously received identifications of geographic locations associated with the consumer; and

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, the consumer geographic profile based on the first importance score;

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, a second importance score associated with the first merchant for the selected geographic zone;

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, an overlap score by generating a sum of the total importance scores at the selected geographic zone for at least the consumer and the first merchant;

programmatically use collaborative filtering to generate a consumer extended geographic profile to account for correlations between geographic zones across multiple profiles, the collaborative filtering comprising:

receive the consumer geographic profile for the consumer,

programmatically generate an extended geographic profile for identified consumers, extend the consumer geographic profile for the consumer based on the extended geographic profile for the identified consumers,

prune the extended geographic profile for the consumer by removing geographic zones in the extended geographic profile of the consumer having importance scores less than a predetermined threshold value; and

storing, by the at least one processor, on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the selected geographic zone and the consumer extended geographic profile associated with the consumer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating a confidence score for the consumer geographic profile based on a total weighted sum of importance values associated with the selected geographic zone.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, an indication of a second geographic location associated with the consumer, the first geographic location associated with a first time period, the second geographic location associated with a second time period, the first and second time periods within a predetermined range of each other; and

upon programmatically determining that the first and second geographic locations are within a predetermined range of each other,

discarding, by the at least one processor, the second geographic location.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the first importance score is generated based on one or more of the following factors: a verification status of the selected geographic zone, a frequency at which the consumer is present at the selected geographic zone, an address status of the selected geographic zone for the consumer.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, a first count for the selected geographic zone, the first count indicating a number of times the consumer was present at the selected geographic zone; and

storing, by the at least one processor, on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the first count in association with the consumer, the selected geographic zone and the first importance score.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, the selected geographic zone by generating a hash value of latitude and longitude values of the first geographic location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, an association between the selected geographic zone and a second geographic zone associated with the consumer; and

programmatically generating, by the at least one processor, a cross-zone importance score for the association, the cross-zone importance score generated based on the first importance score associated with the selected geographic zone for the consumer and based on a second importance score associated with the second geographic zone for the consumer.

15. A computer program product configured to programmatically generate a consumer geographic profile, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer executable program code instructions therein, the computer executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:

receive an identification of a first geographic location associated with a consumer;

programmatically identify a selected geographic zone associated with the first geographic location, wherein the selected geographic zone is identified from a plurality of predetermined geographic zones;

programmatically identify another set of geographic zones which also includes the selected geographic zone, each of the zones of the another set of geographic zones associated with a merchant;

programmatically generate a first importance score associated with the selected geographic zone and associated with the consumer, wherein the first importance score is generated based at least in part on previously received identifications of geographic locations associated with the consumer;

programmatically generate the consumer geographic profile based on the first importance score;

programmatically generate a second importance score associated with the first merchant for the selected geographic zone;

programmatically generate an overlap score by generating a sum of the total importance scores at the selected geographic zone for at least the consumer and the first merchant;

programmatically use collaborative filtering to generate a consumer extended geographic profile to account for correlations between geographic zones across multiple profiles, the collaborative filtering comprising:

receive the consumer geographic profile for the consumer,

programmatically generate an extended geographic profile for identified consumers, extend the consumer geographic profile for the consumer based on the extended geographic profile for the identified consumers,

prune the extended geographic profile for the consumer by removing geographic zones in the extended geographic profile of the consumer having importance scores less than a predetermined threshold value; and

store, on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the consumer extended geographic profile associated with the consumer.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer program code instructions further comprise program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:

generate a confidence score for the consumer geographic profile based on a total weighted sum of importance values associated with the selected geographic zone.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the computer program code instructions further comprise program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:

receive an indication of a second geographic location associated with the consumer, the first geographic location associated with a first time period, the second geographic location associated with a second time period, the first and second time periods within a predetermined range of each other; and

upon programmatically determining that the first and second geographic locations are within a predetermined range of each other, discard the second geographic location.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first importance score is generated based on one or more of the following factors: a verification status of the selected geographic zone, a frequency at which the consumer is present at the selected geographic zone, an address status of the selected geographic zone for the consumer.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the computer program code instructions further comprise program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:

programmatically generate a first count for the selected geographic zone, the first count indicating a number of times the consumer was present at the selected geographic zone; and

store, on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the first count in association with the consumer, the selected geographic zone and the first importance score.