Interaction tracking and organizing system

• US 10,334,397 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Discovery LLC
• Original Assignee: Wireless Discovery LLC
• Inventors: Alharayeri, Ramzi
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Genack, Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US15/802,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20180070208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412, 4554122, 4554141, 4554261, 4554233, 455434, 4554563
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/00 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A server that cross-references a first user'"'"'s device location with registered members in a spatial proximity of the first user'"'"'s device and returns the results by disclosing personal user attributes including pictures and names of all members in the spatial proximity of the first user'"'"'s device. The first user who initiated the inquiry may select from the results returned any discovered user he/she wishes to connect with and send a form of invitation to connect using network available tools such as email, SMS, text or any customized invitation form. The invitation to connect to the inquiring user includes his/her personal attributes including a picture and name. The discovered member who received the invitation may accept, ignore, or decline connecting with the inquiring user. The first user may also receive an invitation from the server to accept, ignore, or decline connecting with the discovered member.

Claims

1. A server configured to communicate with a first communication device of a first user and a second communication device of a second user over communication links comprising a cellular network, wherein the server comprises a processor configured to:

store in a data storage device a first profile associated with the first user and a second profile associated with a second user, both the first and the second profile comprises at least a picture and a name of their respective users thereby automatically eliminating anonymous communication of the first profile and the second profile between member devices without intervention by the first user or the second user;

associate each member profile with a unique hardware identification associated with the member devices;

identify a unique ID of a second member in the vicinity and spatial proximity of a first member and provide the first member with the profile of the second member comprising a picture and name to facilitate a connection between both members;

send the second member the profile of the first member including the picture and name upon the first member initiating an invite to the second member to connect over a networking service;

inform the first member if the second member has accepted or rejected the invite to connect initiated by the first member; and

once the second member accepts the invite of the first member, store the connectivity between both members in the data storage device and facilitate a chat feature between them using respective devices connected to the server,

wherein the first user and the second user are members of a same social network, and the processor is to disclose non-anonymous social network attributes including a picture, name, and location of the first user and the second user in a vicinity or within a predetermined distance from one another for the purpose of connecting members of the same social network based in part on proximity calculations between connecting members,

wherein the server permits discoverable members to have their respective devices turned on or turned off at a time of a search being conducted by the first user, wherein the server permits the discoverable members to have their respective devices unconnected to an internet connection service at the time of the search being conducted by the first user, and wherein any of turned off devices and disconnected devices is discoverable by the server as the internet connection service is configured to report the any of turned off devices and disconnected devices as discoverable based on a latest static and dynamic location in proximity to the first user.

2. The server of claim 1, further comprising a context information retrieval module, which when executed by the one or more processors, provides the first and second communication devices with the profile related information beyond the first and second user information comprised in first and second invitations.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the server is to communicate with a second server, and wherein the second server is to provide social networking services that operate independently of the server.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the server is to receive profile related information from the second server.

5. The server of claim 3, wherein the server is to connect with a contact exchanging application executing on the first and second communication devices to execute services and features available with the server.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the contact exchanging application is to store updated contacts information and profiles of user contacts including pictures.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the server is to utilize the contact exchanging application of the first communication device to discover the second communication device present within the spatial proximity, and to present a picture and name of the second user associated with the second communication device on user interface of the first communication device before the first user deciding to send an invite to connect.

8. The server of claim 5, wherein the contact exchanging application is to present the second user with an option to accept or reject the invitation sent by the first user by sending to the server the acceptance or rejection response of the second user, and allowing the server to communicate the acceptance or rejection response to the first user.

9. A method for communicating a server with a first communication device of a first user and a second communication device of a second user over communication links comprising a cellular network, the method comprising:

storing, in a data storage device of the server, a first profile associated with the first user and a second profile associated with the second user, wherein both the first and second profiles comprise at least a picture and a name of their respective users thereby automatically eliminating anonymous communication of the first profile and the second profile between user devices without intervention by the first user or the second user;

associating each user profile with a unique hardware identifier associated with the users'"'"'devices;

identifying a unique hardware identifier of the second communication device within a spatial proximity of the first communication device;

based on the identification of the unique identifier, transmitting the second profile of the second user to the first communication device as an invitation to connect with the second communication device;

transmitting the first profile of the first user to the second communication device as an invitation to connect with the first communication device;

notifying the first communication device when the second user has accepted or rejected the invitation to connect the second communication device with the first communication device; and

in response to the acceptance of the invitation by the second user, storing the connectivity information between both the first and second communication devices in the data storage device and facilitating a chat feature between the first and second users using the respective communication devices connected to the server,

wherein the first user and the second user are members of a same social network, and the server is to disclose non-anonymous social network attributes including a picture, name, and location of the first user and the second user in a vicinity or within a predetermined distance from one another for the purpose of connecting members of the same social network based in part on proximity calculations between connecting members,

wherein the server permits discoverable members to have their respective devices turned on or turned off at a time of a search being conducted by the first user, wherein the server permits the discoverable members to have their respective devices unconnected to an internet connection service at the time of the search being conducted by the first user, and wherein any of turned off devices and disconnected devices is discoverable by the server as the internet connection service is configured to report the any of turned off devices and disconnected devices as discoverable based on a latest static and dynamic location in proximity to the first user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the first and second communication devices with the profile related information beyond the first and second user information comprised in the first and second invitations.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving profile related information from a networking server.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving profile related information from a networking server present in communication with the server.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising connecting with a contact exchanging application executing on the first and second communication devices to execute services and features available with the server on the first and second communication devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising discovering, using the contact exchanging application of the first communication device, the second communication device present within the spatial proximity, and presenting picture and name of the second communication device on user interface of the first communication device before the first user deciding to send an invite to connect.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising presenting, by the contact exchanging application, an option to the second user to accept or reject the invitation sent by the first user, sending to the server the acceptance or rejection response of the second user, and letting the server communicate the acceptance or rejection response to the first user.