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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising;
 a loudspeaker;   a memory to store a unique identifier;   a specially designed input key that, upon actuation, initiates the device to prompt a user of the device with an audibly generated search parameter request provided via the loudspeaker;   a microphone to receive a vocal response from the user to the search parameter request, the vocal response being a search request for information comprising an extemporaneous conversational statement;   a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to determine a current geographic location of the device and generate a geographic indicator indicative of the current geographic location of the device, the GPS receiver to update the current geographic location and the corresponding geographic indicator as the device changes geographic location;   a wireless transceiver to transmit and receive wireless signals, the wireless transceiver to transmit the vocal response, the unique identifier, and the geographic indicator as a digital signal for receipt by a location based application server computer, the wireless transceiver to receive a reply response to the vocal response in a form of a wireless transmitted digital signal that includes the unique identifier, the reply response being responsive to the vocal response and including information corresponding to the geographic indicator; and   an output device to provide output of the reply response to the user of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reply response comprises text and an audible message corresponding to the text, wherein the output device is a display device to display the text, and wherein the loudspeaker is further to output the audible message to the user responsive to the vocal response. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reply response comprises a text and graphical based menu of listings of businesses responsive to the vocal response to the search parameter request. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the listing of businesses are listed as being geographically proximate to the current geographic location of the device. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reply response comprises a text and graphical based menu of location based services that satisfy the vocal response to the search parameter request, the text and graphical based menu including selectable links to webpages that are selectable via the display device. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the microphone is further to receive audible vocal commands spoken into the device by a user to interact with the text and graphical based menu. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is a unique identifier of the device that is included in at least some wireless communications by the device. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the geographic indicator is a user specified geographic location. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the actuation of the specially designed input key is uniquely assigned to initiation of the device to prompt a user. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 receiving from a specialized button included on a device a signal indicative of actuation of the specialized button;   generating an audible verbal search parameter request via a loudspeaker of the device in response to receipt of the signal indicative of actuation of the specialized button included on the device, the audible search parameter request being a prompt to a user of the device to provide an audible verbal response;   receiving with a microphone included in the device a vocal response from the user, the vocal response being a search request for information comprising a non-menu parsing conversational statement;   generating with the device a geographic indicator indicative of a current geographic location of the device;   wirelessly transmitting, with a transceiver included in the device, a digital signal comprising the search request for information, the geographic indicator, and a unique identifier;   wirelessly receiving, with the transceiver, a reply response to the search request, the reply response including the unique identifier and information responsive to the search request and corresponding to the geographic indicator; and   generating, with the device, an output of the reply response to the user of the device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein generating, with the device, an output of the reply response comprises generating text on a display device included in the device, the text being responsive to the search request for information, and generating an audible output with the loudspeaker included in the device, the audible output being in the form of speech and being responsive to the search request for information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein generating text on the display device of the device comprises displaying on the display device a web page comprising selectable links to other web pages. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein generating an audible search parameter request via the loudspeaker of the device comprises generating the search parameter request on the device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein generating with the device a geographic indicator indicative of a current geographic location of the device comprises determining, with the device, a geographic position of the device using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and updating the geographic indicator as the current geographic location of the device changes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising retrieving the unique identifier from a memory device included in the device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the unique identifier is a unique identifier of the device, the method further comprising including the unique identifier of the device in at least some wireless communications by the device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving from the specialized button included on the device the signal indicative of actuation of the specialized button further comprises interpreting the signal indicative of actuation as uniquely requesting that the audible verbal search parameter request be generated. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 receiving indication of operation of a specialty key included on a wireless mobile communication device, the operation of the specialty key designated as a request to access enhanced directory assistance services or business services;   audibly generating, by the wireless mobile communication device, a search parameter request as a verbal message prompting a user;   receiving, in response to the search parameter request, as an input audio signal to the wireless mobile communication device, a voice signal containing a request for information, the voice signal being an improvised phrase spoken conversationally as the request for information;   determining, by the wireless mobile communication device, a geographic location of the wireless mobile communication device;   generating, by the wireless mobile communication device, a geographic indicator that is indicative of the determined geographic location;   transmitting, by the wireless mobile communication device, as a digital signal, the voice signal containing the request for information, the geographic indicator, and a unique identifier, the digital signal being transmitted for receipt by a location based services system;   receiving, with the wireless mobile communication device, from the location based services system, a reply response to the voice signal containing the request for information, the reply response including the unique identifier and being provided in accordance with the geographic indicator; and   outputting the reply response, by a user interface of the wireless mobile communication device, to the user.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein outputting the reply response comprises outputting a list of businesses and/or services included in the reply response on a display device included in the mobile communication device, and outputting an audible signal included in the reply response, the audible signal output with a loudspeaker included in the mobile communication device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein receiving, with the wireless mobile communication device, from the location based services system, the reply response to the voice signal containing the request for information comprises receiving the reply response in a wireless internet protocol, converting the wireless internet protocol to a list of location based services, and displaying the list of location based services on a display device included in the wireless mobile communication device. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising receiving, with the wireless mobile communication device, a selection of one of the location based services on the list via a keypad input or a pointer device input generated from a user interface of the wireless mobile communication device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising receiving, with the wireless mobile communication device, a selection of one of the location based services on the list via a verbal signal received as an audible input from the user of the wireless mobile communication device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein receiving, with the wireless mobile communication device, from the location based services system, the reply response to the voice signal containing the request for information comprises: receiving, in a wireless internet protocol, the reply response as a web page that includes hypertext links to other web pages for location based services; interpreting the wireless internet protocol with the wireless mobile communication device; displaying, with a display device included in the wireless mobile communication device, the wireless internet protocol as the web page that includes hypertext links to other web pages for location based services; and enabling selection of the hypertext links.