Method for Passive Mining of Usage Information In A Location-Based Services System

Abstract

A method and system for providing advertising effectiveness searching capabilities, predictive modeling capabilities and usage mining in a location-based services system is disclosed. During operation of the location-based services system, usage information for advertising campaigns placed on the location-based services system is stored. Advertisers are provided with the ability to enter a search request form on a remote terminal to mine the usage information. The search request is then transmitted to an application that searches usage information to generate a response to said search request.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer system and from a client computing device, a request that identifies a product that is of interest to a user;   identifying, by the computer system, a geographic indicator that is associated with the client computing device and indicates a location for the client computing device;   selecting, by the computer system, a group of candidate restaurants from among a plurality of restaurants based, at least in part, on the request;   accessing, by the computer system, location information that identifies locations of the candidate restaurants;   comparing the location for the client computing device with the locations of the candidate restaurants;   selecting, by the computer system, a particular restaurant from among the candidate restaurants based, at least in part, on the comparison of the location for the client computing device with the locations of the candidate restaurants; and   using, by the computer system, the particular restaurant to process the request from the client computing device.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the client computing device comprises a mobile computing device, and   the location for the client computing device comprises a current location of the mobile computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the geographic indicator is received from the mobile computing device and comprises GPS information identifying the current location of the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the geographic indicator comprises at least a portion of a telephone number that is associated with the client computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the location for the client computing device is specified by the user of the client computing device and is different from a current location of the client computing device. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the particular restaurant is selected based on the particular restaurant being closest to the location for the client computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies hours of operation for each of the candidate restaurants;   determining a current time; and   comparing the current time to the hours of operation for each of the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the current time with the hours of operation for the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies products offered at each of the candidate restaurants; and   comparing the product identified in the request with the products offered at the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the product identified in the request with the products offered at each of the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies prices for the products offered by each of the candidate restaurants; and   comparing the prices for the products offered by the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the prices for the products offered by the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies current discounts that are being offered by each of the candidate restaurants; and   comparing the product identified in the request with the current discounts that are being offered by the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the product identified in the request with the current discounts that are being offered by the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies available services at each of the candidate restaurants; and   comparing the product identified in the request with the available services at each of the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the product identified in the request with the available services at each of the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that categorizes one or more favorite restaurants of the user; and   comparing the one or more favorite restaurants of the user with the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the one or more favorite restaurants of the user with the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the computer system, information that identifies ratings for the each of the candidate restaurants; and   comparing the ratings for the candidate restaurants,   wherein the particular restaurant is selected further based on the comparison of the ratings for the candidate restaurants.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 19 , wherein the ratings are generated from external services through which users submit evaluations of the candidate restaurants. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the request comprises a voice-based input from the user. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computer system, a response to the request based, at least in part, on processing of the request using the particular restaurant; and   providing, by the computer system, the response to the client computing device.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the response include information identifying, at least, the particular restaurant. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the request includes information that identifies a restaurant chain, and   the group of candidate restaurants comprises restaurants that are part of the restaurant chain.   
     
     
         25 . A computer system comprising:
 an interface to receive, from client computing devices, requests that identify products that are of interest to users associated with the client computing devices;   a location gateway that is programmed to identify geographic indicators that are associated with the client computing devices and indicate locations for the client computing device;   a location application platform that is programmed to:
 select a group of candidate restaurants from among a plurality of restaurants based, at least in part, on the requests, 
 access location information that identifies locations of the candidate restaurants, 
 compare the locations for the client computing devices with the locations of the candidate restaurants, 
 select particular restaurants from among the candidate restaurants based, at least in part, on the comparison of the locations for the client computing devices with the locations of the candidate restaurants, and 
 use the particular restaurants to process the requests from the client computing devices. 
   
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the client computing devices comprise mobile computing devices, and   the locations for the client computing devices comprises current locations of the mobile computing devices.