Delaying a social media post

• US 10,541,965 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jerry C. Liu, John L. Doughty
• Original Assignee: Jerry C. Liu, John L. Doughty
• Inventors: Liu, Jerry C., Doughty, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keller, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/722,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20180097770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A social media application, platform, or computer system facilitating same presents a user with an option to post information later, as opposed to immediately. If the user selects to post later, the user may select a time, enter a time, or select a random time for the post to occur. The user may select a range from which the randomly selected posting time occurs. The computer system may be a user device or a server computer device, either of which may determine a random value for use in causing the information-to-be-posted to post randomly within the selected time range. The computer system may analyze multiple posts from multiple source and append information-to-be-posted to postings of others that contain content related to the information-to-be-posted.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a processor that executes a social media platform;

a memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions, that when executed by the network device, enables the network device to be operable to;

provide an interface to a social media platform, wherein the user interface is operable to;

receive an input of information to be posted on the social media platform;

receive a selected time to post indicative of a posting time at which the information to be posted is desired to be posted;

store the selected time to post;

in response to a determination that a present time has reached the selection time, post the information via the social media platform;

wherein the selected time to post comprises an indication from a user to post the information to be posted when a posting of a contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted; and

wherein the network device is further operable to;

receive a selection to delay posting until the posting from the contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted;

analyze postings on the social media platform by one or more contacts associated with the user of the user interface; and

append the information to be posted to at least one of the one or more of the postings using the social media platform when the at least one of the one or more of the postings comprises content related to the information to be posted.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the selected time to post is a time that is as soon as resources permit.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the selected time to post is a time that requires an allocation of resources so that the information to be posted is posted sooner that a hosting system'"'"'s resources would otherwise permit, wherein the hosting system hosts the social media platform.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the selected time to post comprises a randomly selected time within a time range.

5. The network device of claim 4, wherein the randomly selected time is selected by the network device.

6. The network device of claim 4, wherein the randomly selected time is selected by user device that executes a social media application of the social media platform.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is further operable to present the user with an option to post the information to be posted immediately to a destination based on a user'"'"'s preference.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is further operable to:

analyze postings on the social media platform by one or more contacts associated with the user of the user interface; and

append the information to be posted to one or more of the postings using the social media platform when the posting comprises content related to the information to be posted.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the selected time to post comprises an indication from a user to provide an alert when a posting of a contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted.