Predictive delivery of information based on device history

Abstract

A server sends information to user devices based on not only the current location of those devices but also predicted future locations of those devices. A number of actions are associated with one or more predetermined locations, a predetermined maximum amount of time, and a predetermined minimum likelihood. When the server determines that a given user device is likely to be in one of the predetermined locations within the predetermined maximum amount of time with at least the predetermined minimum likelihood, the server performs the associated acts with respect to the user device. An example of such an action is sending a promotion or advertisement to the user device, e.g., as an SMS message.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for delivering information to a user device, the method comprising:
 predicting whether the user device will be at any of one or more predetermined locations within a predetermined maximum amount of time with at least a predetermined likelihood;   in response to the predicting, performing one or more predetermined actions that are associated with the predetermined locations, the predetermined maximum amount of time, and the predetermined likelihood;   wherein at least one of the actions includes delivering the information to the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for day- and time-based patterns related to a current time and a current day. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for movement patterns related to a current location of the user device. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for patterns that involve day- and time-based and movement related to a current time, a current day, and a current location of the user device. 
 
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer readable medium useful in association with a computer that includes one or more processors and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions that are configured to cause the computer, by execution of the computer instructions in the one or more processors from the memory, to deliver information to a user device by at least:
 predicting whether the user device will be at any of one or more predetermined locations within a predetermined maximum amount of time with at least a predetermined likelihood;   in response to the predicting, performing one or more predetermined actions that are associated with the predetermined locations, the predetermined maximum amount of time, and the predetermined likelihood;   wherein at least one of the actions includes delivering the information to the user device.   
     
     
         7 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device. 
 
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for day- and time-based patterns related to a current time and a current day. 
 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for movement patterns related to a current location of the user device. 
 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 6  further comprising:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for patterns that involve day- and time-based and movement related to a current time, a current day, and a current location of the user device. 
 
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a computer readable medium that is operatively coupled to the processor;   network access circuitry that is operatively coupled to the processor; and   location assessment logic (i) that executes at least in part in the processor from the computer readable medium and (ii) that, when executed, causes the processor to deliver information to a user device by at least:
 predicting whether the user device will be at any of one or more predetermined locations within a predetermined maximum amount of time with at least a predetermined likelihood; 
 in response to the predicting, performing one or more predetermined actions that are associated with the predetermined locations, the predetermined maximum amount of time, and the predetermined likelihood; 
 wherein at least one of the actions includes delivering the information to the user device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for day- and time-based patterns related to a current time and a current day. 
 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11  wherein predicting comprises:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for movement patterns related to a current location of the user device. 
 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 analyzing a location history of the user device for patterns that involve day- and time-based and movement related to a current time, a current day, and a current location of the user device.