Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of location estimation using a probability density function are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective altitude of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. The server can calculate an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway using a probability density function of the harvested data. The probability density function can be a sufficient statistic of the received set of location coordinates for calculating an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway. The server can send the effective altitude of the wireless access gateway to other mobile devices for estimating altitudes of the other mobile devices.

Abstract: In some implementations, a computing device can send a priming command to a media application to cause the media application to load media items and media item metadata into memory associated with the media application. The computing device can predict a media application that is likely to be invoked by a user. The computing device can launch the media application. The computing device can send the priming command to the media application to cause the media application to prepare media items for playback or presentation to the user. After the media application loads the media items, the computing device can receive metadata associated with the loaded media items and present the metadata and appropriate media application controls on a display of the computing device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for a mobile device determining its location based on a location of a companion device are described. A mobile device can receive a request for determining a location of the mobile device from an application. The request can include an accuracy specification providing a lower limit on accuracy of the determined location. The mobile device can determine that the mobile device is incapable of achieving that accuracy. The mobile device can then submit a location request to a companion device that has paired with the mobile device. The companion device, upon receiving the location request, can determine a location of the companion device and provide the location of the companion device to the mobile device. The mobile device can then designate the location of the companion device as the location of the mobile device, and provide the location to the application.

Abstract: An application manager of a mobile device can provide a user with the ability to control whether an application can use location information provided by a location subsystem of the mobile device. The application can request to be notified by the location subsystem when the mobile device crosses a geofence. When the mobile device crosses the geofence, the location subsystem provides a notice to the application. The application manager can intercept the notice to the application, and present an alert on a user interface. The application manager can then provide the notice to the application only upon receiving an input through the user interface confirming that the application still has permission to use location information.

Abstract: Apps may be tagged with location data when they are used. Mobile device may anonymously submit app usage data. Aggregated app usage data from many mobile devices may be analyzed to determine apps that are particularly relevant to a given location (i.e., exhibiting a high degree of localization). Analysis may include determining the app usage intensity, whether hotspots exist or not at a given location, the spatial entropy of a particular app, the device populations in a particular area, etc. Based on the localized app analysis, apps may be ranked according to local relevance, and, based on this ranking, app recommendations may be provided to a user.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of using a mobile WAP for location and context purposes are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective location of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. In some implementations, the server can identify a mobile wireless access gateway based on a distance comparison. Data indicating the mobility of a wireless access gateway can be used by a mobile device to initiate one or more actions, including managing power of the mobile device, modifying entrance and exit conditions of virtual fences and determining a context of the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of location estimation using a probability density function are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective altitude of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. The server can calculate an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway using a probability density function of the harvested data. The probability density function can be a sufficient statistic of the received set of location coordinates for calculating an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway. The server can send the effective altitude of the wireless access gateway to other mobile devices for estimating altitudes of the other mobile devices.

Abstract: An application can specify a location service authorization type to be enforced by a mobile device. After the user authorizes the location service through an authorization dialog, the application can receive location service according to the authorization type. A first authorization type allows the application to receive continuous location updates and location events from a location service on the mobile device only when the application is in use. A second authorization type allows the application to always receive continuous location updates and location events when the application is running in a foreground or background. The text of the authorization dialog can be customized by the application to provide more detail on how the location data will be used by the application.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for determining the location and direction of travel of a mobile device using map vector constraints is disclosed.

Abstract: A method for collecting the information from the mobile devices for producing real-time traffic data is provided. The process ensures that the collection of data from a mobile device to be non-intrusive to the user of the mobile device by using only communication channels that are already open and by using only Global Positioning System (GPS) data from an application that is already running on the mobile device. The mobile device will participate in the data collection only if its battery power is above certain threshold level or if its battery is currently being charged. The method will not let a mobile device participate in the data collection process if the mobile device has already provided more than a threshold amount of data to the traffic data collection during a particular period of time. The method let only mobile devices that are moving beyond certain speed to participate.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for proximity-based notifications are described. A proximity-based notification system can receive a request to be notified when a contact's mobile device is in proximity to a user's mobile device, obtain permission to receive information associated with the contact, receive the information associated with the contact, detect that the contact's mobile device is in proximity to the user's mobile device based on the information associated with the contact, and notify the user that the contact's mobile device is in proximity to the user's mobile device.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of using a mobile WAP for location and context purposes are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective location of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. In some implementations, the server can identify a mobile wireless access gateway based on a distance comparison. Data indicating the mobility of a wireless access gateway can be used by a mobile device to initiate one or more actions, including managing power of the mobile device, modifying entrance and exit conditions of virtual fences and determining a context of the mobile device.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems for multi-tier detection of a geofence are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can be configured to perform a task when the mobile device enters a geographic region. The mobile device can monitor a current location using a multi-tiered approach. A baseband subsystem can monitor a coarse location of the mobile device using a CDMA system identifier, a CDMA network identifier, a CDMA zone identifier, or a CDMA base station identifier, in that order, as the mobile device moves closer to the geographic region. The baseband subsystem can notify an application subsystem when the mobile device is in a cell that intersects the geographic region. The application subsystem can perform the task upon notification.

Abstract: Techniques of determining a point of interest (POI) location using anonymous application usage data are described. A POI location determination system can determine geographic coordinates of a POI based on anonymous application usage data received from multiple mobile devices. The system can associate an application program with a POI. The anonymous application usage data can include an identifier or a category of the application program launched by the mobile devices, and a device location of each mobile device at time of launching the application program. Based on the device locations, the system can determine that launching of the application program is concentrated in a geographic area. The system can designate a centroid of the geographic area as a location of the POI.

Abstract: Reduced resolution location determination for improved anonymity of a user location is disclosed. In some implementations, a first location of a computing device operating in a geographic area is determined. A population density of the geographic area is estimated. A grid overlay is generated, including a number of cells based on the estimated population density. Using the grid overlay, a second location is generated for the computing device that is less precise than the first location. The less precise second location can be used in a local search or other application to improve the anonymity of the user location.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method including obtaining, by a heart rate sensor of a fitness tracking device, a heart rate measurement of a user of the fitness tracking device; obtaining, by at least one motion sensor, motion data of the user; analyzing, by the fitness tracking device, the motion data of the user to estimate a step rate of the user; estimating, by the fitness tracking device, a load associated with a physical activity of the user by comparing the heart rate measurement with the step rate of the user; and estimating, by the fitness tracking device, an energy expenditure rate of the user using the load and at least one of the heart rate measurement and the step rate.

Abstract: Mobile devices can provide app recommendations that are relevant to a location of interest. A localized app recommendation can be triggered (e.g., by a mobile device coming within a threshold distance of an application hotspot or some other user action). A location of interest can be determined. The location of interest can be the current location of the mobile device or another location (e.g., the destination in a mapping app). Using the location of interest, a localized application ranking database with app hotspot data can be queried with location data representing the location of interest. App recommendations can be received and displayed on the mobile device. Icons for apps that are relevant to the location of interest can be visually distinguished from other apps.

Abstract: Methods, program products, and systems of location estimation using a probability density function are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective altitude of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. The server can calculate an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway using a probability density function of the harvested data. The probability density function can be a sufficient statistic of the received set of location coordinates for calculating an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway. The server can send the effective altitude of the wireless access gateway to other mobile devices for estimating altitudes of the other mobile devices.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, a method includes receiving, on a mobile device, an indication that an application executing on the mobile device has entered a background state, determining, based on data received from a location system of the mobile device, that the mobile device has remained within a geographic area during a time interval, the geographic area being defined by a radius determined according to an application type of the application, and disabling at least a portion of the location system of the mobile device.

Abstract: Data provided by an access point of a wireless local area network (“WLAN”) is used to assist a mobile device in cell reselection. If a serving cell of a cellular communications network is unsuitable for providing cellular service, a candidate cell co-located with the serving cell can be selected as the serving cell based on quality of service metrics associated with the serving cell and the candidate cell. The mobile device can be proactively commanded to switch to the candidate cell for receiving cellular service. In some implementations, the quality of service metrics are calculated from call logs collected from mobile devices operating in the cellular communications network. In some implementations, network information regarding serving cell performance can be used with the call logs to generate the quality of service metrics.