Methods and systems for managing a task based on geographical locations

• US 10,305,998 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Zhang, Shaofeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Randy A
• Application Number:
  US15/900,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20180183884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 709223, 709226, 705 712, 705 713, 705 714, 705 725
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

The present application discloses a location based task management method. A computational device obtains first location information concerning one or more geographical locations where a first client device has been located, and assigns a task to the first client device based on the one or more geographical locations. The task includes a task performance location. The computational device then receives from the first client device a first message that includes second location information corresponding to the task performance location and at least one additional information item. The at least one additional information item is captured by first client device at or near the task performance location after completing the task. The progress of the task is then managed based on the second location information, the at least one additional information item and a time difference between the assignment of the task and the receipt of the first message.

Claims

1. A method of managing a task based on geographical locations, comprising:

at a server having one or more processors and memory storing program modules to be executed by the one or more processors;

receiving, from a first client device, first location information concerning one or more geographical locations where the first client device has been located, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user account of a social networking platform supported by the server;

transmitting, from the server to the first client device, a task according to the one or more geographical locations of the first client device, the task including a task-performance location, wherein the task is associated with a task list including a plurality of subtasks of the task;

receiving, from the first client device, information of a second client device identified by the first client device, wherein the second client device is associated with a second user account of the social networking platform, and wherein the first user account and the second user account have a predetermined relationship established on the social networking platform;

transmitting, from the server to the second client device, a first subtask selected from the task list of the task assigned to the first client device, the first subtask including a first subtask performance location;

periodically receiving, from the first client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of completing the task according to the current geographical location of the first client device;

periodically receiving, from the second client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of the first subtask according to the current geographical location of the second client device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first client device is at the task performance location and the second client device is at the first subtask performance location, assigning a reward attribute to a user of each of the first and second client devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first message from each of the first and second client devices after the corresponding client device is at a respective performance location, wherein the first message includes at least one additional information item captured by the corresponding client device at the corresponding performance location after completing the corresponding task.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one additional information item is selected from a message group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a picture.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the reward attribute is assigned based on a duration of a time difference between the assignment of the corresponding task and the receipt of the first message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second client devices exchange an information item that is selected from an information group consisting of a text message, a voice message, and a picture.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving first current location information concerning a current location of the first client device;

receiving second current location information concerning a current location of the second client device;

determining a distance between the first and second client devices based on the first and second current location information; and

determining a progress of the task and the first subtask based on the distance between the current locations of the first and second client devices and the predetermined relationship between user accounts of the first and second client devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the progress of the task by:

in accordance with a determination that the distance between the current locations of the first and second client devices is smaller than a threshold distance, sending a respective presence notification message to the first client device and the second client device to notify the respective device of the presence of the other device.

8. A computer server, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to perform operations including;

receiving, from a first client device, first location information concerning one or more geographical locations where the first client device has been located, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user account of a social networking platform supported by the computer server;

transmitting, from the computer server to the first client device, a task according to the one or more geographical locations of the first client device, the task including a task performance location, wherein the task is associated with a task list including a plurality of subtasks of the task;

receiving, from the first client device, information of a second client device identified by the first client device, wherein the second client device is associated with a second user account of the social networking platform, and wherein the first user account and the second user account have a predetermined relationship established on the social networking platform;

transmitting, from the computer server to the second client device, a first subtask selected from the task list of the task assigned to the first client device, the first subtask including a first subtask performance location;

periodically receiving, from the first client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of completing the task according to the current geographical location of the first client device;

periodically receiving, from the second client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of the first subtask according to the current geographical location of the second client device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first client device is at the task performance location and the second client device is at the first subtask performance location, assigning a reward attribute to a user of each of the first and second client devices.

9. The computer server of claim 8, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a first message from each of the first and second client devices after the corresponding client device is at a respective performance location, wherein the first message includes at least one additional information item captured by the corresponding client device at the corresponding performance location after completing the corresponding task.

10. The computer server of claim 9, wherein the at least one additional information item is selected from a message group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a picture.

11. The computer server of claim 9, wherein the reward attribute is assigned based on a duration of a time difference between the assignment of the corresponding task and the receipt of the first message.

12. The computer server of claim 8, wherein the first and second client devices exchange an information item that is selected from an information group consisting of a text message, a voice message, and a picture.

13. The computer server of claim 8, wherein the operations further include:

receiving first current location information concerning a current location of the first client device;

receiving second current location information concerning a current location of the second client device;

determining a distance between the first and second client devices based on the first and second current location information; and

determining a progress of the task and the first subtask based on the distance between the current locations of the first and second client devices and the predetermined relationship between user accounts of the first and second client devices.

14. The computer server of claim 13, wherein the operation of determining the progress of the task further includes:

in accordance with a determination that the distance between the current locations of the first and second client devices is smaller than a threshold distance, sending a respective presence notification message to the first client device and the second client device to notify the respective device of the presence of the other device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing at least one program configured for execution by a computer server, the at least one program comprising instructions for:

receiving, from a first client device, first location information concerning one or more geographical locations where the first client device has been located, wherein the first client device is associated with a first user account of a social networking platform supported by the computer server;

transmitting, from the computer server to the first client device, a task according to the one or more geographical locations of the first client device, the task including a task performance location, wherein the task is associated with a task list including a plurality of subtasks of the task;

receiving, from the first client device, information of a second client device identified by the first client device, wherein the second client device is associated with a second user account of the social networking platform, and wherein the first user account and the second user account have a predetermined relationship established on the social networking platform;

transmitting, from the computer server to the second client device, a first subtask selected from the task list of the task assigned to the first client device, the first subtask including a first subtask performance location;

periodically receiving, from the first client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of completing the task according to the current geographical location of the first client device;

periodically receiving, from the second client device, an update of its current geographical location and determining a progress of the first subtask according to the current geographical location of the second client device; and

in accordance with a determination that the first client device is at the task performance location and the second client device is at the first subtask performance location, assigning a reward attribute to a user of each of the first and second client devices.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further include:

receiving a first message from each of the first and second client devices after the corresponding client device is at a respective performance location, wherein the first message includes at least one additional information item captured by the corresponding client device at the corresponding performance location after completing the corresponding task.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one additional information item is selected from a message group consisting of a text message, a voice message, a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, and a picture.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the reward attribute is assigned based on a duration of a time difference between the assignment of the corresponding task and the receipt of the first message.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second client devices exchange an information item that is selected from an information group consisting of a text message, a voice message, and a picture.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further include:

receiving first current location information concerning a current location of the first client device;

receiving second current location information concerning a current location of the second client device;

determining a distance between the first and second client devices based on the first and second current location information; and

determining a progress of the task and the first subtask based on the distance between the current locations of the first and second client devices and the predetermined relationship between user accounts of the first and second client devices.