Method, system, and graphical user interface for meeting-spot-related contact lists

• US 10,139,996 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Joseph F
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Kevin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stitt, Erik V
• Application Number:
  US14/305,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a client device associated with a first user: receives from a server computer information about a plurality of other users associated with a meeting spot; displays an identifier for the meeting spot and at least some of the information for the plurality of other users; receives from the first user a selection of information that corresponds to a second user associated with the meeting spot; displays information about a third user, wherein the third user is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user; receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user; sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a server computer, comprising a processor and memory;

associating a first user, who is currently online and active, with a first physical location of a first plurality of physical locations by determining that a client device associated with the first user is within a predetermined physical distance or an estimated driving time of the first physical location;

identifying a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the first physical location as one of a respective second plurality of physical locations;

sending information about at least some of the plurality of other users to a client device associated with the first user, wherein the information includes an identity of a second user in the plurality of other users, and wherein the second user has selected the first physical location using a graphical user interface that includes the first physical location and that is displayed on a client device associated with the second user;

receiving, from the client device associated with the first user, a selection of the second user from the plurality of other users, wherein the selection of the second user from the plurality of other users is based at least in part on a number of common physical locations between the first plurality of physical locations and the respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein the number is at least two and includes the first physical location;

identifying, responsive to the selection of the second user, a third user who is online and active, wherein the third user is associated with the first user and wherein the third user is associated with the second user;

sending information about the third user to the client device associated with the first user to provide an indication to the first user that the first user may be introduced to the second user through the third user; and

facilitating online communication between the client device associated with the first user, the client device associated with the second user, and a client device associated with the third user responsive to a request from the client device associated with the first user to the client device associated with the third user to be introduced by the third user to the second user, while the second user has still selected the first physical location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third user is in a contact list of the first user and is also in a contact list of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, including identifying an online status of the third user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes online status information about the third user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first physical location is a restaurant, bar, club, library, gym, bookstore, park, or store.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user has selected the first physical location by selection of a predefined region of a map within the graphical user interface that includes the first physical location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the client device associated with the first user is within the predetermined physical distance or the estimated driving time of the first physical location using a GPS ability of the client device associated with the first user.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a server computer, comprising a processor and memory;

determining that a client device associated with a first user is within a predetermined physical distance or an estimated driving time of a first physical location of a first plurality of physical locations;

identifying a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the first physical location as one of a respective second plurality of physical locations; and

sending information about at least some of the plurality of other users to the client device associated with a first user, wherein the information includes an identity of a second user in the plurality of other users, and wherein the second user has selected the first physical location using a graphical user interface that includes the first physical location and that is displayed on a client device associated with the second user;

wherein the client device associated with the first user;

receives from the first user a selection of the second user from the plurality of other users, wherein the selection of the second user from the plurality of other users is based at least in part on a number of common physical locations between the first plurality of physical locations and the respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein the number is at least two and includes the first physical location;

responsive to receiving the selection of the second user, displays information about a third user who is currently online and active, wherein the third user is associated with the first user and wherein the third user is associated with the second user;

receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user to be introduced by the third user to the second user; and

participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and the client device associated with the second user while the second user has still selected the first physical location, when permitted by the client device associated with the third user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first user is associated with the first physical location by a reference to the first physical location in a record for the first user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reference to the first physical location is added to the record for the first user when the first user activates an icon corresponding to the first physical location and wherein the identifying and sending occurs when the first user is associated with the first physical location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the icon corresponding to the first physical location is displayed on a digital geographic map.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the icon corresponding to the first physical location is displayed in a contact list.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the information about the other users includes online status information about the other users.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a client device associated with a first user, the client device associated with the first user comprising a processor and memory;

determining that the client device is within a predetermined physical distance or an estimated driving time of a first physical location of a first plurality of physical locations;

receiving a selection of a second user in a plurality of other users that are online and active and have selected the first physical location as one of a respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein;

the selection of the second user from the plurality of other users is based at least in part on a number of common physical locations between the first plurality of physical locations and the respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein the number is at least two and includes the first physical location;

the first physical location represented by an identifier on the display of the client device associated with the first user; and

the second user has selected the first physical location using a graphical user interface that includes the first physical location and that is displayed on a client device associated with the second user;

displaying, responsive to receiving the selection of the second user, information about a third user associated with the first user and also associated with the second user, wherein, and wherein the third user is online and active and has currently selected the same first physical location;

receiving from the first user a request to be introduced by the third user to the second user;

sending a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

participating in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and the client device associated with the second user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the identifier for the first physical location is displayed on a digital geographic map.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the identifier for the first physical location is displayed in a contact list.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the selection of the second user from the first user comprises detecting activation of a link or icon corresponding to the second user.

18. The method of claim 14, including:

sending information that corresponds to the selected second user to a server computer; and

receiving from the server computer information about the third user.

19. A graphical user interface on a client device associated with a first user who is currently online and active, the client device associated with the first user comprising a processor and memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

an icon and/or an identifier for a first physical location of a first plurality of physical locations when it is determined that the client device associated with the first user is within a predetermined physical distance or an estimated driving time of the first physical location of the first plurality of physical locations;

information about a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the first physical location as one of a respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein the information about the plurality of other users includes information about a second user associated with the first physical location, wherein the second user has selected the first physical location using a graphical user interface that includes the first physical location and that is displayed on a client device associated with the second user; and

information about a third user who is currently online and active;

wherein;

the third user is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user;

in response to receiving a selection of the second user from the plurality of other users by the first user, the information about the third user is displayed, wherein the selection of the second user from the plurality of other users is based at least in part on a number of common physical locations between the first plurality of physical locations and the respective second plurality of physical locations, wherein the number is at least two and includes the first physical location; and

in response to receiving from the first user a request to communicate with the third user, a request is sent to a client device associated with the third user to be introduced by the third user to the second user while the second user while the second user has currently selected the first physical location, and

the client device associated with the first user participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and the client device associated with the second user when permitted by the client device associated with the third user.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19, wherein the identifier is a name or logo for the first physical location.