Place Graph Recommendation System for Real-Time Location Awareness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional recommendation systems face challenges in providing real-time location-aware recommendations due to limited inputs and the need for on-the-fly calculations, especially with the integration of user location data, which is not effectively handled by traditional collaborative filtering methods.

Innovation Solution

A network-based system generates a place graph using user interactions, location data, and machine learning algorithms to project user preferences onto new locations, employing techniques like principal component analysis and singular value decomposition for dimensionality reduction and matrix factorization to uncover hidden connections among places, enabling real-time location-aware recommendations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional collaborative filtering is used for recommendation systems, then the system structure is simple and easy to implement, but the system cannot effectively handle location-aware recommendations and provides limited personalization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation-aware recommendation capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the traditional recommendation problem by adding a spatial dimension through place graphs. Instead of only considering user-item interactions, the system incorporates location data and spatial relationships between places, converting a flat recommendation matrix into a multi-dimensional structure that includes geographical context, thereby enabling location-aware recommendations without completely redesigning the core collaborative filtering engine

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces place graphs as an intermediary layer between users and items. The place graph serves as a mediator that connects user preferences with location-based recommendations by representing places as nodes and relationships between places as edges, allowing the system to leverage existing collaborative filtering techniques while adding location awareness through this intermediate structural layer

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If real-time location-aware recommendations are generated using user profile data and location information, then recommendation personalization and relevance are improved, but computational complexity and processing time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecommendation accuracyVSAvoidcalculation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-computes and stores place graphs that capture spatial relationships and user preferences offline. By preparing these structural representations in advance, the system avoids performing complex calculations in real-time when generating recommendations, instead quickly querying pre-built place graphs to provide location-aware recommendations with minimal latency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional matrix factorization approaches with a place graph-based system that uses graph traversal and spatial querying instead of heavy numerical computations. This substitution reduces the computational burden from O(n^3) matrix operations to more efficient graph-based operations, enabling real-time performance while maintaining recommendation accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If dimensionality reduction techniques like PCA and SVD are applied to uncover hidden connections among places, then the ability to handle sparse data and find patterns is improved, but computational requirements and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepattern recognition capabilityVSAvoidcomputational energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential spatial and relational features from place data to construct place graphs, rather than performing full dimensionality reduction on all available data. By selecting and extracting only the most relevant features (such as place categories, spatial relationships, and user interaction patterns), the system achieves pattern recognition capability while avoiding the computational overhead of comprehensive PCA or SVD analysis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10114901B2Systems and methods for real-time location-aware recommendations
Publication Date: 2018.10.30 EBAY INC
  • US10114901B2 patent drawing
  • US10114901B2 patent drawing
  • US10114901B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems and methods for real-time location-aware recommendations are discussed herein. In an example, a method for generating location-aware recommendations can include receiving a current location of a user, calculating a place graph for the user, traversing the place graph, selecting a recommendation, and communicating the recommendation. In this example, the place graph is calculated based on the current location. Traversing the place graph can identify one or more potential recommendations within a pre-defined distance of the current location.