Measuring Retail Visitation Amounts Based on Locations Sensed by Mobile Devices

Abstract

Provided is a computer-implemented method that includes obtaining a user location dataset indicative of a location visited by a user, the user location dataset being based at least in part on a location signal received from a mobile computing device associated with the user, determining that the location visited corresponds to a geographic location of a place of interest, determining, using a computer, a visit count corresponding to the location dataset, adjusting a visit count for the place of interest to include the visit count corresponding to the location dataset, and storing the adjusted visit count for the place of interest in a visitation rate datastore.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of measuring an amount of persons that have physically visited a retail store over one or more periods of time, the method comprising:
 obtaining location histories of a plurality of users,
 each location history corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of users and being indicative of geographic locations visited by the respective one of the plurality of users, 
 each location history including one or more time-stamped geographic locations sensed by a respective mobile user device of the respective one of the plurality of users, 
   obtaining a plurality of geographic areas corresponding to a plurality of retail stores,
 each of the geographic areas being data describing the geographic area occupied by a respective one of a plurality of retail stores; 
   obtaining a plurality of periods of time,
 each of the periods of time being data describing a respective range of time over which a respective amount of persons that have physically visited one or more of the plurality of retail stores is to be measured; 
   for each geographic area among the plurality of geographic areas, determining, with a processor, an amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time by determining whether the one or more time-stamped geographic locations are inside the respective geographic area during the one or more corresponding periods of time; and   storing resulting determined amounts in memory, each determined amount being stored in association with the respective retail store corresponding to the respective geographic area.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 multiple periods of time among the plurality of periods of time are associated with at least one of the retail stores,   the multiple periods of time each correspond to a period of time after a different respective user among the plurality of users was sent an advertisement relating to the at least one of the retail stores, and   determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time comprises:
 determining an effectiveness of the advertisement by determining the likelihood of the users sent the advertisement of visiting the at least one of the retail stores within a duration of time after being sent the advertisement, 
 wherein the multiple periods of time each correspond to the same duration of time after a different instance in which the advertisement was sent. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time comprises:
 estimating an amount of undetected persons who visited the respective geographic area; and   reduce undercounting of undetected persons by increasing the resulting determined amount based on the estimated amount of undetected persons.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein estimating an amount of undetected persons who visited the respective geographic area comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users; and   estimating that the at least one user accounts for the at least one user and the obtained estimated amount of undercounting.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an identifier of an application executed by a mobile device of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having mobile devices with the application that are not detectable.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an attribute of a user profile of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having the attribute that are not detectable.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an identifier of an operating system executed by a mobile device of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having mobile devices with the operating system that are not detectable.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods comprises:
 determining amounts of groups of the plurality of users who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time, wherein
 each amount among the amounts corresponds to one of the groups, and 
 each group among the groups corresponds to a subset of the plurality of users sharing a user profile demographic attribute. 
   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time comprises:
 identifying a subset of users among the plurality of users who were sent an advertisement while in a given geographic area by obtaining profiles of the subset of users and determining that each respective profile indicates that the respective user among the subset of users was sent the advertisement while the respective user was within the given geographic area; and   determining an effectiveness of the advertisement in the given geographic area by determining an amount of the subset of users who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , comprising:
 selecting an advertisement based on one or more of the stored resulting determined amounts in memory; and   sending the advertisement to a user device.   
     
     
         31 . A system configured to measure an amount of persons that have physically visited a retail store over one or more periods of time, the system comprising:
 one or more processors;   memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising:
 obtaining location histories of a plurality of users,
 each location history corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of users and being indicative of geographic locations visited by the respective one of the plurality of users, 
 each location history including one or more time-stamped geographic locations sensed by a respective mobile user device of the respective one of the plurality of users, 
 
 obtaining a plurality of geographic areas corresponding to a plurality of retail stores,
 each of the geographic areas being data describing the geographic area occupied by a respective one of a plurality of retail stores; 
 
 obtaining a plurality of periods of time,
 each of the periods of time being data describing a respective range of time over which a respective amount of persons that have physically visited one or more of the plurality of retail stores is to be measured; 
 
 for each geographic area among the plurality of geographic areas, determining, with a processor, an amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time by determining whether the one or more time-stamped geographic locations are inside the respective geographic area during the one or more corresponding periods of time; and 
 storing resulting determined amounts in memory, each determined amount being stored in association with the respective retail store corresponding to the respective geographic area. 
   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein:
 multiple periods of time among the plurality of periods of time are associated with at least one of the retail stores,   the multiple periods of time each correspond to a period of time after a different respective user among the plurality of users was sent an advertisement relating to the at least one of the retail stores, and   determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time comprises:
 determining an effectiveness of the advertisement by determining the likelihood of the users sent the advertisement of visiting the at least one of the retail stores within a duration of time after being sent the advertisement, 
 wherein the multiple periods of time each correspond to the same duration of time after a different instance in which the advertisement was sent. 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time comprises:
 estimating an amount of undetected persons who visited the respective geographic area; and   reduce undercounting of undetected persons by increasing the resulting determined amount based on the estimated amount of undetected persons.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein estimating an amount of undetected persons who visited the respective geographic area comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users; and   estimating that the at least one user accounts for the at least one user and the obtained estimated amount of undercounting.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an identifier of an application executed by a mobile device of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having mobile devices with the application that are not detectable.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an attribute of a user profile of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having the attribute that are not detectable.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting corresponding to at least one user among the plurality of users comprises:
 obtaining an estimated amount of undercounting based on an identifier of an operating system executed by a mobile device of the at least one user, the estimated amount of undercounting being based on an amount of persons having mobile devices with the operating system that are not detectable.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods comprises:
 determining amounts of groups of the plurality of users who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time among the plurality of periods of time, wherein
 each amount among the amounts corresponds to one of the groups, and 
 each group among the groups corresponds to a subset of the plurality of users sharing a user profile demographic attribute. 
   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein determining the amount of persons who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time comprises:
 identifying a subset of users among the plurality of users who were sent an advertisement while in a given geographic area by obtaining profiles of the subset of users and determining that each respective profile indicates that the respective user among the subset of users was sent the advertisement while the respective user was within the given geographic area; and   determining an effectiveness of the advertisement in the given geographic area by determining an amount of the subset of users who visited the respective geographic area during one or more corresponding periods of time.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 31 , the operations comprising:
 selecting an advertisement based on one or more of the stored resulting determined amounts in memory; and   sending the advertisement to a user device.