Providing points of interest to user devices in variable zones

Abstract

Receiving point of interest zones and alerts on user devices comprises communicating, by a user computing device to a remote computing device, a request for point of interest data corresponding to points of interest within a proximity of the user device; presenting the received point of interest data; identifying a particular point of interest; and outputting an alert regarding the particular point of interest. Receiving point of interest zones on user devices comprises communicating a request for point of interest data; receiving the point of interest data from the remote network device wherein a size of the point of interest zone is determined based on a density of points of interest in the proximity of the user, and wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in the opposite direction; and presenting the received point of interest data.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system to receive server-controlled point of interest zones on user computing devices, comprising:
 a user computing device; and   a point of interest location system;   the point of interest location network device comprising a processor and a point of interest location system application executing therein, the point of interest location system application configured to:
 receive location data from the user computing device; 
 search the database for points of interest proximate to the user computing device based on the location data and the one or more offers associated with the points of interest; 
 determine a set of boundaries to define the point of interest zone around the user computing device, the point of interest zone being sized to comprise the one or more points of interest; 
 determine a direction of travel of the user computing device and a speed of the user computing device; 
 adjust the shape of the point of interest zone based at least in part on the direction of travel and the speed of the user computing device, wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in a direction opposite the direction of travel; 
 transmit, to the user computing device, the boundaries of the adjusted point of interest zone, the points of interest comprised therein, and the one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest; 
 determine that one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest has been revised; and 
 transmit the revised one or more offers to the user computing device. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the point of interest alert application is further configured to:
 determine whether a specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   request an updated transmission of point of interest data in response to a determination that the specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   receive updated point of interest data; and   present the updated point of interest data.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , the user computing device comprising a processor, a web browser application, and a point of interest alert application logically coupled to the web browser application, the point of interest alert application configured to:
 communicate, to the network device operated by the point of interest location system, the location data of the user computing device; and   receive the point of interest data from the network device operated by the point of interest location system, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of point of interest identity, point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for one or more points of interest in a point of interest zone defined by server configured boundaries around the user computing device.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the point of interest alert application is further configured to:
 display the point of interest data to the user;   identify the proximate point of interest identity associated with the point of interest of the one or more points of interest at such time as the user enters within a configured range of the proximate point of interest;   alert the user to the proximate point of interest; and   display an offer associated with the proximate point of interest.   
     
     
         25 . The system  claim 21 , wherein the direction of travel is determined by a comparison of changing locations of the user computing device. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the point of interest alert application is further configured to establish a database of points of interest for a user account and one or more offers associated with one or more of the points of interest. 
     
     
         27 . A method to receive server-controlled point of interest zones on user computing devices, comprising:
 receiving, using the one or more computing devices, location data from the user computing device;   searching, using the one or more computing devices, the database for points of interest proximate to the user computing device based on the location data and the one or more offers associated with the points of interest;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, a set of boundaries to define the point of interest zone around the user computing device, the point of interest zone being sized to comprise a configured number of points of interest;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, a direction of travel of the user computing device and a speed of the user computing device;   adjusting, using the one or more computing devices, the shape of the point of interest zone based at least in part on the direction of travel and the speed of the user computing device;   transmitting, using the one or more computing devices, the adjusted boundaries of the point of interest zone, the points of interest comprised therein, and the one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest;   determining, using the one or more computing devices, that one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest has been revised; and   transmitting, using the one or more computing devices, the revised one or more offers to the user computing device.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 determining, using the user computing device, whether a specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   requesting, using the user computing device, an updated transmission of point of interest data in response to a determination that the specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   receiving, using the user computing device updated point of interest data; and   presenting, using the user computing device, the updated point of interest data.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 communicating, using a user computing device and to a network device operated by a point of interest location system, location data of the user computing device; and   receiving, using the point of interest alert application on the user computing device, point of interest data from the network device operated by the point of interest location system, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of point of interest identity, point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for the points of interest in the point of interest zone defined by server configured boundaries.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 displaying, using the point of interest alert application on the user computing device, the point of interest data to the user;   identifying, using the point of interest alert application on the user computing device, a proximate point of interest identity at such time as the user enters within a configured range of the point of interest;   alerting, using the point of interest alert application on the user computing device, the user to the proximate point of interest; and   displaying, using the point of interest alert application on the user computing device, an offer associated with the point of interest.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising establishing, using one or more computing devices, a database of points of interest for a user account and one or more offers associated with one or more of the points of interest. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the direction of travel is determined by a comparison of changing locations of the user computing device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in a direction opposite the direction of travel. 
     
     
         34 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by one or more computing devices cause the one or more computing devices to receive server-controlled point of interest zones on user computing devices, the computer-executable program instructions comprising:
 computer-executable program instructions to receive, using the one or more computing devices, location data from the user computing device associated with a user account; 
 computer-executable program instructions to search, using the one or more computing devices, a database of points of interest associated with the user account for points of interest proximate to the user computing device based on the location data and the one or more offers associated with the points of interest; 
 computer-executable program instructions to determine, using the one or more computing devices, a set of boundaries to define the point of interest zone around the user computing device, the point of interest zone being sized to comprise a configured number of points of interest; 
 computer-executable program instructions to determine, using the point of interest location system application operating on the one or more computing devices, a direction of travel of the user computing device and a speed of the user computing device; 
 computer-executable program instructions to adjust, using the point of interest location system application operating on the one or more computing devices, the shape of the point of interest zone based at least in part on the direction of travel and the speed of the user computing device; 
 computer-executable program instructions to transmit, using the one or more computing devices, the adjusted boundaries of the point of interest zone, the points of interest comprised therein, and the one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest; 
 computer-executable program instructions to determine, using the one or more computing devices, that one or more offers associated with the transmitted points of interest has been revised; and 
 computer-executable program instructions to transmit, using the one or more computing devices, the revised one or more offers to the user computing device. 
   
     
     
         35 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 computer-executable program instructions to determine, using the user computing device, whether a specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   computer-executable program instructions to request, using the user computing device, an updated transmission of point of interest data in response to a determination that the specified period of time has passed since the user computing device received the point of interest data;   computer-executable program instructions to receive, using the user computing device, updated point of interest data; and   computer-executable program instructions to present, using the user computing device, the updated point of interest data.   
     
     
         36 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 computer-executable program instructions to communicate, using a user computing device, to a network device operated by a point of interest location system, location data of the user computing device; and   computer-executable program instructions to receive, using the user computing device, point of interest data from the network device operated by the point of interest location system, the point of interest data comprising at least a portion of point of interest identity, point of interest location, and point of interest marketing data for the points of interest in the point of interest zone defined by server configured boundaries.   
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 computer-executable program instructions to display, using the user computing device, the point of interest data;   computer-executable program instructions to identify, using the user computing device, a proximate point of interest identity at such time as the user computing device enters within a configured range of the point of interest;   computer-executable program instructions to output, using the user computing device, an alert regarding the proximate point of interest; and   computer-executable program instructions to display, using the user computing device, an offer associated with the point of interest.   
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , further comprising computer-executable program instructions to establish, using one or more computing devices, a database of points of interest for the user account and one or more offers associated with one or more of the points of interest. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the direction of travel is determined by a comparison of changing locations of the user computing device. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in a direction opposite the direction of travel.