BACKGROUND

Consumers carry and use mobile or portable computing devices nearly everywhere. These mobile computing devices increasingly are connected to wireless networks, such as cellular service networks and the Internet. Connectivity is often provided by mobile service providers which offer vast network capability, typically implemented by a complex network of cellular towers installed in a large number of physical locations, in addition to local Wi-Fi networks connected to the Internet. When consumers use their mobile computing devices to access a network, such as to place a phone call, send a text message, use an application on their mobile device, or access the Internet, mobile service providers can often receive or detect an approximate geographic location of the mobile computing device. This geographic location data which may be of value to mobile service providers as well as businesses and advertisers, who may generate and provide targeted advertising to consumers based on the geographic location data.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for providing enhanced location analysis and consumer insights using mobile sightings data. An approximate geographic location is useful to mobile service providers and advertisers who wish to provide targeted content to consumers based on their location. However, the location analysis provided by the systems and methods described herein provide more depth and detail not just about the detected geographic location of the consumer, but also insights into business locations visited by the user of the device, consumer/market segments and patterns of behavior (for an individual consumer and/or for aggregated group of consumers), retail trends and patterns, and other profile information.

In many instances a mobile service provider can only detect an approximate geographic location associated with a mobile sighting generated by a mobile computing device used by a consumer. A location profile analytics system, such as the one described herein, can analyze data associated with the mobile sighting to determine a probability that the approximate geographic location actually corresponds to a specific geographic location, such as a business location. Thus, the location profile analytics system may determine that a mobile sighting within a certain range of a plurality of business locations is most likely to have originated from a particular business location.

The analysis performed by the location profile analytics system may be further refined and concentrated to a particular business location based on a number of input parameters in addition to the approximate geographic location. For example, a mobile sighting might include additional data regarding the time and date of the sighting, which the location profile analytics system can comparatively analyze along with other sightings (both concurrent and prior sightings) and sightings trends, in order to assess a general likelihood that the mobile sighting originated from one business location over another. For example, one business location may receive higher retail traffic than another at certain times or days of the week, and such profile information can be used to analyze a mobile sighting to determine a business location from which the mobile sighting likely occurred.

In another example, the location profile analytics system may comparatively analyze patterns of mobile sightings associated with a device or with a user of a device in order to derive a behavior profile as an input to assess a general likelihood that the mobile sighting originated from one business location over another based on, for example, the user's observed tendencies to visit different types of business location by category, time of day, etc. Further, a mobile sighting might include additional data indicating a unique identifier associated with an anonymous consumer profile, which the location profile analytics system can use to develop, access, or link to consumer attributes such as consumer behavior/trends, market segments, demographics, and so on. These “expanded” consumer attributes, linked to the mobile computing device of the consumer, may be also analyzed to assess a general likelihood that the mobile sighting originated from one business location over another. For example, a consumer profile may including sightings trend data that suggests that the consumer using the mobile computing device prefers stopping for coffee on the way to work. The location profile analytics system may in turn use this consumer profile data to analyze a new sighting which occurred nearby to several businesses, including a coffee shop, and determine that the sighting most likely occurred at the coffee shop. Additional consumer insights may also be determined based on the consumer's profile or associated attributes—for example, that the coffee-on-the-way-to-work-consumer is associated with a group of consumers who have above average incomes and generally buy a lot of books.

The location profile analytics system can provide the detailed location information, consumer profile/attributes, and/or other business location data back to the mobile service provider or other third party entity (such as business locations themselves), which can in turn use the analysis to improve marketing efforts and/or provide more targeted content to consumers associated with the mobile sightings. For example, a mobile service provider may find data indicating that a mobile sighting most likely occurred at a certain retail establishment useful in providing targeted content (such as a coupon or a special offer) related to that retail establishment for the consumer to use. Or, a business location may desire to have information regarding retail traffic trends, based on associated mobile sightings, to improve business operations and customer service or assess the attractiveness of a potential new location.

