Text characterization of trajectories

Abstract

In one embodiment, processing location data collected with a mobile device having a positioning system includes accepting trajectory data representing successive geographic positions of the mobile device, where the positions are associated with corresponding times. A set of coordinate segments is determined to represent in the accepted trajectory data, such that the trajectory data represent repeated traversals of at least some of the coordinate segments. A textual characterization is associated with each segment of the determined set of coordinate segments, and then a representation of the trajectory data (for example, an electronic diary) is formed using the textual characterization of the coordinate segments and stored. In some examples, a text based query associated with the accepted trajectory data is accepted and a response is determined using the stored representation of the trajectory data.