A system to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device is described. A server system may be configured to receive communications from a GPS-enabled mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone), extract a stream of locations from the received communications, and use the location information to determine whether a boundary-crossing event has occurred with respect to the mobile device. In response to detecting a boundary-crossing event, the server may communicate a message, such as a recommendation, to the mobile device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the technical fields of software and/or hardware technology and, in one example embodiment, to system and method to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device.

BACKGROUND

A geo-fence is a virtual boundary corresponding to a shape on the surface of the Earth. Geographic location may be detected by the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Using geo-fences (also referred to as merely “fences”) together with GPS-enabled devices may be referred to as geo-fencing. An event associated with a user crossing from outside a geo-fence shape to inside that shape, based on the geographic location of the user determined by the GPS, is referred to as the fence being broken. GPS-enabled mobile devices may be used in combination with geo-fences for the purpose of triggering an action when mobile location-enabled devices enter and/or exit said boundaries. For example, a user may get a notification via their mobile device of an item being on sale. A merchant who operates inside that geo-fence may get a notification that the user is coming to pick up their item. A typical way that geo-fencing is done is that the fence gets sent down to a GPS-enabled device, such as, for example, a mobile device. The mobile device monitors the user's location. When the user crosses that fence, the mobile device takes a pre-defined action.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example methods and systems to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device are described. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of example embodiments. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive or exclusive sense. Similarly, the term “exemplary” is merely to mean an example of something or an exemplar and not necessarily a preferred or ideal means of accomplishing a goat. Additionally, although various exemplary embodiments discussed below may utilize Java-based servers and related environments, the embodiments are given merely for clarity in disclosure. Thus, any type of server environment, including various system architectures, may employ various embodiments of the application-centric resources system and method described herein and is considered as being within a scope of the present invention.

As mentioned above, a mobile device may store one or more geo-fences and may also host a geo-fencing application configured to trigger an action in response to detecting that a stream of locations recorded by the mobile device indicates a crossing of a particular geo-fence. The processing of a stream of locations with respect to one or more geo-fences,4m well as storing one or more goo-fences on a device, may consume considerable resources that may be limited in a mobile electronic device. In one embodiment, the processing of location information may be pushed from a mobile device to a server computer system (a server). A server system may be configured to receive communications from a GPS-enabled mobile device e.g., a mobile phone), extract the stream of locations from the received communications, use the location information to determine whether a boundary-crossing event has occurred with respect to the mobile device, and, if so, communicate a message to the mobile device. A boundary-crossing event is an event indicating that the user's current and previous location indicate that the user has crossed a boundary of a geo-fence. An approach where a server collects the stream of locations from a mobile device, without the user explicitly indicating a wish to report their location, may be referred to as passive check-in. A system hosted by a server that is configured to process a stream of locations received from a mobile device and detect fence-breaking events may be termed a passive check-in system. A server hosting a passive check-in system may also host a web-based platform that maintains profiles of registered members of an associated service. For example, such a web-based platform may be an on-line trading platform, a social networking system, etc.

A passive check-in system may receive a location stream from a mobile device via any application that reports location together with other information or requests communicated to the server. For example, a user of a mobile device may activate a mobile application on their mobile phone to inquire about a particular type of restaurants that can be found in close proximity to the user's current location. The passive check-in system may receive this request from the mobile device, determine, from the request, the user's current location, compare it to the previously stored user's earlier location, and, based on the result of comparison, determine that a particular geo-fence has been broken. The passive check-in system may also obtain the location stream from requests originated from a web browser accessed from a mobile device. While the passive check-in system may be configured to extract location information of a user from requests received at the server from the user's mobile device, location detection doesn't have to piggyback on a request. In some embodiments, the passive check-in system may be configured to periodically pull location information from a mobile device.

An example method and system to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device may be implemented in the context of a network environment100illustrated inFIG. 1. As shown inFIG. 1, the network environment100may include client systems, such as mobile devices110and120and a server system140. The server system140, in one example embodiment, may host an on-line trading platform142. The on-line trading platform142may be configured to maintain member profiles, where respective profiles store identification, personal information, preferences, etc. of the users of the on-line trading platform142. Member profiles and related information may be stored in a database150as member profiles152.

The mobile devices110and120may be GPS-enabled devices and may run respective browser applications (such as, e.g., a browser application112) and/or respective mobile applications (such as, e.g., a mobile app122) and may have access to the server system140via a communications network130. The communications network130may be a public network (e.g., the Internet, a mobile communication network, or any other network capable of communicating digital data). As shown inFIG. 1, the server system140also hosts a passive check-in system144. In one example embodiment, the passive check-in system144is configured to receive, from a mobile device, a stream of locations obtained by the GPS provided with the mobile device, access one or more previously-stored geo-fences, and, based on the received stream of locations and the one or more geo-fences, determine an occurrence of an event indicative of the mobile device having crossed a geo-fence boundary. The monitored location stream and the associated boundary-crossing events may be stored in the database150as events data154.

Also shown inFIG. 1is a recommendation system146. The recommendation system146may be provided as part of the check-in system144, as part of the on-line trading platform142or any other web-based platform that cooperates with the passive check-in system14.4, or it can be a stand-alone system. The recommendation system146may be configured to generate recommendations that may be based on the goo-location data monitored by the passive check-in system144. An example system comprising a passive check-in system and a recommendation system is illustrated inFIG. 2.

FIG. 2is a block diagram of a system200to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device, in accordance with one example embodiment. As shown inFIG. 2, the system200includes a request detector210, a geo-location collector220, a crossing event detector230, and a recommendation generator240. The request detector210is configured to detect, at a server computer system, a request from a mobile device. The geo-location collector220is configured to collect current geo-location data for the mobile device from the request detected at the server computer system. As explained above, such a request may be initiated from a mobile device using a browser application or a mobile app. The request may be directed to the on-line trading platform142ofFIG. 1, or to any other web-based platform configured to cooperate with the passive check-in system144ofFIG. 1.

The crossing event detector230is configured to determine a crossing of a geo-fence event for the mobile device at the server computer system based on the current geo-location data and previous geo-location data for the mobile device. The crossing event detector230is also configured to access a database of geo-fence data to determine lack of a crossing of a geo-fence event tier the mobile device. The geo-location data, as well as one or more geo-fences, may be stored in the database150ofFIG. 1. The recommendation generator240is configured to generate a recommendation for a user of the mobile device responsive to the crossing of a geo-fence event. The recommendation generator240may be included with the passive check-in system144ofFIG. 1, with the on-line trading platform142, or it may be part of a stand-alone recommendation system that cooperates with the passive check-in system144.

Also shown inFIG. 2are a storing module250and a communications module260. The storing module250is configured to store the current geo-location data as previous geo-location data, as new location data is received from a mobile device. The communications module260is configured to provide the recommendation generated by the recommendation generator240from the server computer system to the mobile device. Example operations performed by the passive check-in system144, which may be in cooperation with the on-line trading platform142and/or with the recommendation system146are described with refrence toFIG. 3.

FIG. 3is a flow chart of a method300to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device, according to one example embodiment. The method300may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (such as run on a general purpose computer system or a dedicated machine), or a combination of both. In one example embodiment, the processing logic resides at the server system140ofFIG. 1and, specifically, at the system200shown inFIG. 2.

As shown inFIG. 3, the method300commences at operation310, when the request detector210detects a request from a mobile device. At operation320, the geo-location collector220collects current geo-location data for the mobile device from the detected request. At operation330, the crossing event detector230determines a crossing of a geo-fence event for the mobile device, based on the current geo-location data and previous geo-location data for the mobile device. The recommendation generator240generates a recommendation for a user of the mobile device responsive to the crossing of a geo-fence event, at operation340.

Method and system to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device may be utilized beneficially in conjunction with on-line services, on-line marketplaces, social networks, and any user data collection services that track user behavior on-line and offline, On-line behavior of users may be tracked in various ways by recording the user's search history, browsing history, purchase history, and social networking history. On-line services may further track user offline behavior using, for example, GPS location services, purchase histories, and other information. In various embodiments, the user behavior is stored in a user profile. The user profile can include characteristics of the user (e.g., demographic data, hobbies, organizations that the user is a member of), past behavior of the user, on-going behavior of the user, and current behavior of the user. The user profile may include a list of “special locations” associated with the user, such as the user's home, the user's place of works, the user's place of worship, the user's gym, etc. These “special locations” may be determined based on the location stream monitored by a passive check-in system by tracking the periods of time during which the user is located within respective boundaries of those “special locations.”

The special locations are unique to the user. If for example, a first user regularly shops at a store, the user profile indicates that the location is a store where the user likes to shop. If a second user works at the store (e.g., the location date monitored by a passive check-in system indicates that the user is present at the store for over twenty hours per week), the user profile of the second user may be updated to indicate that the store location is the second user's workplace.

Using the passive check-in data and the user's profile data, time-sensitive recommendations may be identified and presented to the user. Recommendations may be determined by a recommendation system provided with the passive check-in system or by a recommendation system provided with an associated web-based platform, such as, e.g., an on-line trading platform, a social networking system, etc.

For example, if it is 7 pm on a weeknight and the user's passive check-in data indicates that the user has been at work for 11 hours and has last visited the cafeteria 6 hours ago, a recommendation system will identify that the user may be hungry for dinner. The recommendation system, upon accessing the user's profile, identifies that the user enjoys Italian food. The system matches the user's location and preference to a record of an Italian restaurant nearby. The recommendation system, by reviewing the user behavioural data, may identify an on-line review written by the user 6 months ago giving the restaurant a bad rating. The recommendation system may then find another restaurant to recommend in the area (or along the user's normal route home from work) that the user has not yet visited, has reviewed franchise location positively, or has reviewed positively in the past.

In another example, a user may have several recent passive check-ins at toy stores in the user's neighbourhood. If the user's profile indicates that the user does not have any children, the recommendation system may identify an upcoming baby shower that the user has been invited to via a social network. The recommendation system may then filter recommendations to identify local toy stores that the user may not know about but are stores where his friends regularly shop. The recommendation system may also provide recommendations for on-line stores based on, for example, a registry identified in the shower invitation, a blog article recommending baby toys, or expedited shipping options available from on-line businesses (depending on the date of the shower).

In some instances, the recommendation system may determine that two users, who are “friends” in the context of a social network, are geographically near each other. The friends may be preparing to go to an event, for which they both have electronic tickets or one friend may have flown in from out of town for the weekend (which could be determined based on an on-line airline ticket purchase). The recommendation system may access both users' profiles to identify recommendations for them to do together. For example, if it is dinner time and they are in a downtown area and the time is fairly early for an event, the recommendation system will provide recommendations based on both users' profiles. For example, the profile of the first user may indicate that the first user has searched for Ethiopian restaurants in the past week and the profile of the second user may indicate that the second user is vegan. The system, using this data and the locations of the users and the event, may then identify a nearby Ethiopian restaurant that is open and is popular with on-line reviewers who are vegan.

The example computer system700includes a processor702(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory704and a static memory706, which communicate with each other via a bus707. The computer system700may further include a video display unit710(e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system700also includes an alpha-numeric input device712(e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation device714(e.g., a cursor control device), a drive unit716, a signal generation device718(e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device720.

The drive unit716includes a machine-readable medium722on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software724) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software724may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory704and/or within the processor702during execution thereof by the computer system700, with the main memory704and the processor702also constituting machine-readable media.

The software724may further be transmitted or received over a network726via the network interface device720utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)).

While the machine-readable medium722is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing and encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of embodiments of the present invention, or that is capable of storing and encoding data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media. Such media may also include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memory (RAMs), read only memory (ROMs), and the like. Furthermore, the tangible machine-readable medium is non-transitory in that it does not embody a propagating signal. However, labeling the tangible machine-readable medium as “non-transitory” should not be construed to mean that the medium is incapable of movement the medium should be considered as being transportable from one physical location to another. Additionally, since the machine-readable medium is tangible, the medium may be considered to be a machine-readable device.

The embodiments described herein may be implemented in an operating environment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be related to herein, individually or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact, disclosed.

Modules, Components and Logic

Thus, method and system to effectuate passive check-in with respect to a user's mobile device has been described. Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.