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 mobile computing device and using a microphone, a voice signal from a user of the mobile computing device, wherein the voice signal comprises a voice-based request that identifies a product;   accessing, by the mobile computing device, a geographic indicator that identifies a location for the mobile computing device;   providing, by the mobile computing device and over one or more communication networks, a request for the product to a remote computer system, wherein the request includes the voice signal and the geographic indicator, wherein the remote computer system is programmed to (i) identify a particular restaurant from among a group of candidate restaurants based, at least in part, on the product identified in voice signal and the location for the mobile computing device and (ii) process the request for the product using the particular restaurant;   receiving, at the mobile computing device and from the remote computer system, text and a computer-generated voice signal that include information related to processing of the request for the product by the remote computer system;   visually outputting, by the mobile computing device and using a display device, the text to the user, wherein the text identifies the particular restaurant used to process the request for the product; and   audibly outputting, by the mobile computing device and using a speaker device, the computer-generated voice signal to the user, wherein the computer-generated voice signal comprises a response to the request.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein accessing the geographic indicator comprises:
 determining, by the mobile computing device, the geographic indicator based on wireless signals that are detected by the mobile computing device,   wherein the location for the mobile computing device comprises the current location of the mobile computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the wireless signals comprise GPS signals that are detected by the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the geographic indicator comprises preset information stored by the mobile computing device that indicates the location for the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the preset information comprises geographic information entered by the user of the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the preset information comprises a telephone number for the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more communication networks include one or more of: internet, wireless data networks, and cellular networks. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the mobile computing device provides the request wirelessly to a wireless communication system that transmits the request to the remote computer system over the one or more communication networks. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the group of candidate restaurants comprises a restaurant chain that includes a plurality of restaurants, and   the particular restaurant is one of the plurality of restaurants in the restaurant chain.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified by the remote computer system based, at least in part, on the particular restaurant being closest to the location for the mobile computing device among the plurality of restaurants in the restaurant chain. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified by the remote computer system based, at least in part, on the product being included in a group of products offered at the particular restaurant. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified by the remote computer system based, at least in part, on hours of operation for the particular restaurant that indicate that the particular restaurant is currently open. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified by the remote computer system based, at least in part, on discounts for the product being offered at the particular restaurant. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the text comprises an address for the particular restaurant. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the computer-generate voice signal comprises a structured response to the request that has been converted into the computer-generated voice signal using a voice synthesis process. 
     
     
         22 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer system and from a mobile computing device, a request for a product, wherein the request includes a voice signal that identifies the product and a geographic indicator that identifies a location for the mobile computing device;   converting, by the computer system, the voice signal to a structured request using a voice recognition process, wherein the structured request identifies the product;   identifying, by the computer system, a particular restaurant from among a group of candidate restaurants based, at least in part, on the structured request and the location for the mobile computing device;   processing, by the computer system, the request for the product using the particular restaurant;   generating, by the computer system, text and a computer-generated voice signal that include information related to the processing of the request for the product, wherein the text identifies the particular restaurant used to process the request for the product and the computer-generated voice signal comprises a response to the request; and   providing, by the computer system and to the mobile computing device, the text and the computer-generated voice signal.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the group of candidate restaurants comprises a restaurant chain that includes a plurality of restaurants, and   the particular restaurant is one of the plurality of restaurants in the restaurant chain.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified based, at least in part, on the particular restaurant being closest to the location for the mobile computing device among the plurality of restaurants in the restaurant chain. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified based, at least in part, on the product being included in a group of products offered at the particular restaurant. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the particular restaurant is identified based, at least in part, on hours of operation for the particular restaurant that indicate that the particular restaurant is currently open.