Patent ID: 8818340

Claim:
A method for collecting demographic information of users of active mobile telephones, each of the active mobile telephones having a unique mobile telephone number, wherein the users have a location within one or more defined cells between two specified points in time, wherein each cell is defined by at least three adjacent communication masts used for mobile communications, the method comprising the steps of: receiving data in a database for storing events with the active mobile telephones, wherein the events are calling, sending/receiving a message or data, or the mobile telephones leave the cell, wherein the data comprises the location and the points in time of the events; converting the unique mobile telephone numbers of the active mobile telephones into anonymous unique numbers; storing postal codes of the addresses of owners of the active mobile telephones; retrieving from the database data, including demographic information, about the owners of the active mobile telephones, between said points in time in the defined cells, and the postal codes of the owners of the active mobile telephones; associating the anonymous unique numbers to the corresponding statistical data utilizing a further database containing statistical data about the income and educational level of the residents of the postal codes; and defining the cells, if the postal codes are not in the database, or if there are more than one active mobile telephones associated with the owners of the active mobile telephones, wherein the cells are defined by retrieving patterns of movement of the active mobile telephones, after the active mobile telephones have left the predetermined cells and occurring outside the two points in time, to generate a probable postal code for the owner.