Enhanced instant messaging social network system

• US 10,305,850 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majid Aziz
• Original Assignee: Majid Aziz
• Inventors: Aziz, Majid
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokuta, Shean
• Application Number:
  US15/351,614
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An enhanced instant messaging social network (IMSN) system, method, and application that allows its users to chat with one another while providing enhanced location-based features, enhanced privacy controls, custom notification, secure backups, augmented reality features, and integrated marketing features, among other advantages.

Claims

1. A method of managing an instant messaging social network on a mobile device, the method comprised of:

displaying a graphical element representing a locking or unlocking authentication module for a portal, and receiving one or more messages from one or more users while the portal is in a locked configuration;

receiving a request from a first user to unlock access to the portal via the graphical element and displaying the received messages to the first user while the portal was in the locked configuration;

displaying a contact list at the portal, wherein the contact list is comprised of at least a second user and a third user;

displaying one or more geographic locations of the second user and the third user on a geographical map;

receiving a request from the first user to initiate a chat session with the second user or the third user from either the contact list or the geographical map;

receiving a request from the first user to define one or more privacy settings, wherein the privacy settings are comprised of;

defining a first image and a second image to be displayed as one or more profile images to the second user and the third user, wherein the first image is viewable to the second user and the second image is viewable to the third user as a profile image of the first user, wherein the third user is unable to view the first image as the profile image and the second user is unable to view the second image as the profile image; and

defining a first geographical location and a second geographical location to be displayed as a current location of the first user having the first image as the profile image to the second user and the second image as the profile image to the third user, wherein the first location is viewable to the second user and the second location is viewable to the third user.

2. The method claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to define one or more notification settings.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification settings are comprised of exceptions, wherein the exceptions define which notification to receive or to not receive from the second user or the third user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to save or back-up the chat session.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a request to restore the chat session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to initiate a virtual reality or augmented reality session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more advertising or promotional information and delivery criteria to the first, second, or third users.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the delivery criteria is comprised of transmitting the promotional or advertising information depending on the geographical location of the first, second, or third users.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more points of interest on the geographical map and a plurality of information associated with the one or more points of interest.

10. An instant messaging social network system, the system comprised of:

an authentication module for authenticating one or more users for access to a portal, wherein the authentication module is comprised of a lock screen;

a messaging module for receiving one or more messages from the one or more users while the authentication module of the portal is in a secured and unsecured configuration;

a contact list module for displaying a plurality of users within the instant messaging social network;

a geographic location module for displaying the locations of the plurality of users of the instant messaging social network on a geographical map;

a privacy module for defining one or more privacy settings for the plurality of users of the instant messaging social network, wherein the privacy module is further comprised of;

a profile image module for defining a first image to be displayed as a first profile image of a first user and defining a second image to be displayed as a second profile image of the first user, wherein the first profile image is viewable by a second user but not a third user, and the second profile image is viewable by the third user but not the second user; and

a profile location module for defining a first geographical location of the first user to be displayed to the second user and a second geographical location of the first user to be displayed to the third user, wherein the first location is viewable to the second user but not the third user and the second location is viewable to third user but not the second user.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a notification module for defining one or more notification settings.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification settings are comprised of exceptions, wherein the exceptions define which notification to receive or to not receive from the second user or the third user.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a storage module for saving or backing-up the chat session.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a restore module for restoring the chat session.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a virtual reality or augmented reality module for initiating a virtual reality or augmented reality session between the plurality of users.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a marketing module for receiving one or more marketing or promotional information and delivery criteria to the first, second, or third users.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivery criteria of the marketing module is comprised of transmitting the marketing or advertising information depending on the geographical location of the first, second, or third users-.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising a points of interest module for displaying one or more points of interest on the geographical map and a plurality of information associated with the one or more points of interest.

19. A method of managing an instant messaging social network on a mobile device, the method comprised of:

receiving a request from a first user to unlock access to a portal;

displaying a contact list at the portal, wherein the contact list is comprised of at least a second user and a third user;

displaying one or more geographic locations of the second user and the third user on a geographical map;

receiving a request from the first user to initiate a chat session with the second user or the third user from either the contact list or the geographical map;

receiving a request from the first user to define one or more privacy settings, wherein the privacy settings are comprised of;

defining a first image and a second image to be displayed as one or more profile images to the second user and the third user, wherein the first image is viewable to the second user and the second image is viewable to the third user as a profile image of the first user, wherein the third user is unable to view the first image as the profile image and the second user is unable to view the second image as the profile image; and

defining a first geographical location and a second geographical location to be displayed as a current location of the first user having the first image as the profile image to the second user and the second image as the profile image to the third user, wherein the first location is viewable to the second user and the second location is viewable to the third user.