System for analyzing and improving device location as a function of time
A system for use with a system for providing predictive discovery data services to a user comprising processor means providing enhanced data reflecting one or more of: refined proximity boundaries around areas of user interest; analysis of time of a user device location relative to proximity boundaries; assessment of location of user attendance in and allowing selected user access to the enhanced data.
1. A method for determining attendance based on location data, comprising:
receiving, at a processor, a plurality of data triplets generated by a mobile device, each data triplet including a device identifier, a location of the device obtained from a positioning mechanism associated with the device, and a time at which the location was determined;
analyzing, by the processor, the plurality of data triplets to determine a time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to a place of interest;
determining, by the processor, an accuracy of the location of the device based on whether the device is moving at the time when the location is determined and based on whether high accuracy location is reported within a set of locations reported for the device within the time period;
analyzing, by the processor, the plurality of data triplets and at least the accuracy of the location of the mobile device to determine that a user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period;
recording, by the processor, the attendance in a memory in communication with the processor; and
sending a control signal from the processor to an advertising system associated with the place of interest when the user trips a boundary of the place of interest, the control signal configured to alert the advertising system of the user's attendance.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine the time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest includes:
determining a geofence; and
identifying a set of locations of the plurality of data triplets within the geofence.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the set of locations includes selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the set of locations includes:
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time except for at least one data triplet with a location outside the geofence; and
discarding the at least one data triplet with the location outside the geofence.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a geofence; and
determining a time at which the mobile device exited the geofence.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a geofence; and
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a geofence;
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time except for at least one data triplet with a location outside the geofence; and
discarding the at least one data triplet with the location outside the geofence.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a time range for an event associated with the place of interest; and
determining that the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest for a time period corresponding to the event.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a valid dwell time range for the place of interest; and
determining that the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest for a time period within the valid dwell time range.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes:
determining a speed at which the mobile device moved during the time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest; and
determining that the speed is below a maximum speed indicative of attendance at the place of interest.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes calculating a probability score based on a total number the plurality of data triplets including times within the time period, an accuracy for each of the locations of the device, a ratio of the accuracy to an area of the place of interest, a shape of the place of interest, or a combination thereof.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes calculating a deterministic score based on a total number of the plurality of data triplets including times within the time period compared to place of interest metadata including hours of operation and category metadata including minimum and maximum dwell time.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period includes determining that the attendance of the user associated with the mobile device was caused by the location of the user's home in respect to the location of the place of interest or the location of the user's work place in respect to the location of the place of interest.
14. A system for determining attendance based on location data, comprising:
a transceiver;
a memory; and
a processor in communication with the transceiver and the memory and configured to:
receive, by the transceiver, a plurality of data triplets generated by a mobile device, each data triplet including a device identifier, a location of the device obtained from a positioning mechanism associated with the device, and a time at which the location was determined;
analyze the plurality of data triplets to determine a time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to a place of interest;
determine an accuracy of the location of the device based on whether the device is moving at the time when the location is determined and based on whether high accuracy location is reported within a set of locations reported for the device within the time period;
analyze the plurality of data triplets and at least the accuracy of the location of the mobile device to determine that a user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period;
record the attendance in the memory; and
send a control signal from the processor to an advertising system associated with the place of interest when the user trips a boundary of the place of interest, the control signal configured to alert the advertising system of the user's attendance.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest by:
determining a geofence; and
identifying a set of locations of the plurality of data triplets within the geofence.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the identifying of the set of locations includes selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the identifying of the set of locations includes:
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time except for at least one data triplet with a location outside the geofence; and
discarding the at least one data triplet with the location outside the geofence.
18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a geofence; and
determining a time at which the mobile device exited the geofence.
19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a geofence; and
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time.
20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a geofence;
selecting a subset of the plurality of data triplets with locations within the geofence that appear consecutively in time except for at least one data triplet with a location outside the geofence; and
discarding the at least one data triplet with the location outside the geofence.
21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a time range for an event associated with the place of interest; and
determining that the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest for a time period corresponding to the event.
22. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a valid dwell time range for the place of interest; and
determining that the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest for a time period within the valid dwell time range.
23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by:
determining a speed at which the mobile device moved during the time period during which the mobile device was in consistent proximity to the place of interest; and
determining that the speed is below a maximum speed indicative of attendance at the place of interest.
24. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by calculating a probability score based on a total number the plurality of data triplets including times within the time period, an accuracy for each of the locations of the device, a ratio of the accuracy to an area of the place of interest, a shape of the place of interest, or a combination thereof.
25. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by calculating a deterministic score based on a total number of the plurality of data triplets including times within the time period compared to place of interest metadata including hours of operation and category metadata including minimum and maximum dwell time.
26. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the user associated with the mobile device was in attendance at the place of interest during the time period by determining that the attendance of the user associated with the mobile device was caused by the location of the user's home in respect to the location of the place of interest or the location of the user's work place in respect to the location of the place of interest.
27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the positioning mechanism is a global positioning system (GPS).
28. The system of claim 14 , wherein the positioning mechanism is a global positioning system (GPS).