Meetings Finder
Overview
Meetings Finder identifies meetings between people or identifiers based on recorded positions in a time range. You select one or more target identifiers, set proximity parameters, and run the analysis to find co-located positions. Results appear on an interactive map and a timeline chart so you can review who was near whom, where, and when. Results depend on the available position data and require review before you treat a co-location as a confirmed meeting.
When to Use This Application
- You need to find which identifiers were physically near a target during a time range.
- You need to check whether a group of selected identifiers met each other and when.
- You need a map view and a time view to review co-location evidence quickly.
- You need to rank neighbors by meeting count and meeting duration for triage.
Before You Begin
- Ensure position data exists for the identifiers you want to analyze.
- Decide whether you want to discover unknown neighbors (single target) or test co-location between known targets (multiple targets).
- Decide the time range and proximity settings you will use.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Step 1 — Select target identifiers
Select Search Entities and search for people or identifiers. Select the identifiers you want to analyze as targets. After you select targets, the app uses their position data during the selected time range to prepare the meeting analysis.
Step 2 — Set the time range
Set a start and end time for the analysis. The app searches for positions for the selected targets within this time range. If the app finds no positions for a target in the selected range, the analysis cannot produce meetings for that target.
Step 3 — Choose analysis mode
Meetings Finder runs in two modes depending on how many identifiers you select.
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Neighbor discovery mode | Used when exactly one target is selected. The app finds other identifiers that were near the target during the time range. |
| Co-location mode | Used when two or more targets are selected. The app finds meetings only between the selected targets. |
Step 4 — Set proximity parameters
Configure how the application determines whether two identifiers were near each other.
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Max distance | Two identifiers count as near each other when their positions are within this radius. | 15 meters |
| Time window | Positions are compared only when they fall within this time window of each other. | 10 minutes |
| Time granularity | Positions are sampled at this interval to reduce data volume and speed up analysis. | 5 minutes |
These parameters apply to both analysis modes.
Step 5 — Run the analysis
After targets, time range, and parameters are configured, start the analysis.
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Neighbor discovery | Scans position records in the time range and returns identifiers that match distance and time criteria. |
| Co-location | Compares positions between selected targets only. |
Step 6 — Review results in the visualizations page
Open the visualizations page to explore the results. The page includes:
- Identifiers legend
- Map
- Timeline scatter plot
Understanding the Output
Meetings Finder presents results in three coordinated views.
Identifiers legend
The legend is a scrollable list of identifier cards. Each card includes:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Color-coded label | Used across the map and timeline |
| Role indicator | Shows whether the identifier is a target or neighbor |
| Meeting count | Number of detected meetings |
| Total meeting duration | Combined time spent near the target |
| Show/Hide toggle | Controls visibility on the map |
| Focus toggle | Displays full trajectory for the identifier |
| Tags | Optional classification labels |
Use the legend to limit how many identifiers appear on the map and to filter the list.
Map
The map shows positions associated with meetings.
| Marker Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Crosshair-style marker (hollow circle with inner dot) | Target identifier positions |
| Filled circle | Neighbor identifier positions |
When Focus is enabled for an identifier, the map displays the full trajectory connecting all recorded positions over time.
Timeline scatter plot
The timeline scatter plot shows positions over time:
- Time appears on the horizontal axis.
- Identifiers appear on the vertical axis. Drag on the plot to select a sub time period. The map, focused trajectories, and legend update to match the selected period. Select Clear time range to return to the full view.
Tips for Best Results
- Start with the default parameters, then tighten Max distance (meters) when you need stricter co-location.
- Increase Time window (minutes) when position sampling is sparse and you want to catch near-simultaneous detections.
- Use co-location mode when you already have a defined group and want meetings only among them.
- Use the legend filters and identifier limit to keep the map readable.
- Use timeline brushing to isolate a specific period, then review the map for that window.
Known Limitations
| Limitation | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Results depend on position data quality | Missing or sparse data reduces recall |
| Large time ranges increase runtime | Longer ranges can produce crowded visualizations |
| Time granularity sampling can omit short meetings | Coarse sampling may miss brief encounters |
| Co-location mode filters results | Identifiers that never meet another selected target do not appear |