Systems and methods for establishing communications between mobile device users

• US 10,575,145 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panther Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: KinectUs LLC
• Inventors: Nordstrom, Christopher Andrew, Roy Choudhury, Romit
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh Q
• Application Number:
  US16/682,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20200084599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 104 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709220, 709224, 709226, 709228, 709232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for establishing a communication between mobile device users that register with a collaboration system. The collaboration system determines a match between profile data of the first registered mobile device and profile data of the second registered mobile device. Displayed at the first registered mobile device is a first list of user identifications, which includes an identification of a user of the second registered mobile device and an identification of a user of at least one other mobile device. Displayed at the second registered mobile device is a second list of user identifications. The second list includes an identification of a user of the first registered mobile device and an identification of at least one other mobile device user.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communication between mobile devices, comprising:

registering a plurality of mobile devices with a collaboration system, each mobile device including profile data;

receiving search criteria of a first registered mobile device and a second registered mobile device, wherein the search criteria includes name information;

determining a first match between the search criteria of the first registered mobile device and the profile data of the second registered mobile device;

determining a second match between the search criteria of the second registered mobile device and the profile data of the first registered mobile device;

outputting for display to the first registered mobile device, in response to the first match a first list of user identifications, the first list including an identification of a user of the second registered mobile device;

outputting for display to the second registered mobile device, in response to the second match a second list of user identifications, the second list including an identification of a user of the first registered mobile device, wherein the first list or the second list includes one and only one user identification or a plurality of user identifications;

providing at the first registered mobile device an option for the user of the first registered mobile device whether to select the identification of the second registered mobile device user from the first list;

providing at the second registered mobile device an option for the user of the second registered mobile device whether to select the identification of the first registered mobile device user from the second list;

receiving a selection preference for the identification of the second registered mobile device user from the first list;

receiving a selection preference for the identification of the first registered mobile device user from the second list; and

outputting a notification to the first registered mobile device of at least one of a location or an element of the profile data of the second registered mobile device and outputting a notification to the second registered mobile device of at least one of a location, or an element of the profile data of the first registered mobile device, wherein the profile data of the first registered mobile device and the second registered mobile device includes at least one of a name, a social relationship between the first and second registered mobile device users, location, an attribute, a status, personal information, a common interest, current or historical location data, previously or currently selected user identifications, or a scanning preference or search criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the user of the first registered mobile device selects none of the identifications of the first list or selects an identification other than the identification of the second registered mobile device user, anonymity of the first registered mobile device is preserved, and the notification is prevented and the location or element of the profile data of the first registered mobile device is not revealed to the user of the second registered mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the user of the second registered mobile device selects none of the identifications of the second list or selects an identification other than the identification of the first registered mobile device user, anonymity of the second registered mobile device is preserved and the notification is prevented and the location or element of the profile data of the second registered mobile device is not revealed to the user of the first registered mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein anonymity of the user of the first registered mobile device is preserved if the user of the first registered mobile device selects the user of the second registered mobile device and the user of the second registered mobile device does not select the user of the first registered mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein anonymity of the user of the second registered mobile device is preserved if the user of the second registered mobile device selects the user of the first registered mobile device and the user of the first registered mobile device does not select the user of the second.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second match is prevented if the first and second user are greater than, less than or equal to a predetermined strength of relationship.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined strength of relationship is one degree of social separation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more steps of the method are stored in a memory and executed by a hardware processor of a computer.

9. A method for establishing communications between mobile devices, comprising:

registering a plurality of mobile devices on a collaboration system, each device

including profile data, wherein the profile data includes at least name information;

processing by the collaboration system search criteria for a user of each of a first mobile device and a second mobile device, wherein the search criteria includes the at least name information;

identifying by the collaboration system a match between the first and second mobile devices based on the profile data and the search criteria of the first and second mobile devices;

in response to identifying the match, outputting from the collaboration system to one of the first or second mobile devices an information notification of a presence of the other of the first or second mobile devices, including providing an at least one profile data element of a first tier display of profile information to the one of the first or second mobile devices, the first tier display of profile information including the at least one profile data element of the other of the first or second mobile devices;

receiving from the other of the first and second mobile devices selection data for the one of the first or second mobile devices, which in response authorizes a second tier display of profile information of the other of the first or second mobile devices to be displayed on the one of the first or second mobile devices, wherein the second tier display of profile information includes at least one profile data element that is different than the first tier display of profile information, and wherein;

in response to the users of the first and second mobile devices selecting each other, outputting a notification from the collaboration system to the first mobile device informing the user of the first mobile device of the selection of the first mobile device by the user of the second mobile device, and outputting a notification from the collaboration system to the second mobile device informing the user of the second mobile device of the selection of the second mobile device by the user of the first mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one profile data element of the first tier display of profile information includes a name, picture, identifier or other attribute or profile data element.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one different profile data element of the second tier display includes a commonality between the first or second user, a usage statistic, information about a current or past user selection of the first or second user or any other profile data element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about a current or past user selection of the first or second user includes information about whether the first user has selected the second user or the second user has selected the first user.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to the users of the first and second mobile devices selecting each other, outputting for display the second tier display of profile information of the other of the first or second mobile devices to the one of the first or second mobile devices and outputting for display the second tier display of profile information of the one of the first or second mobile devices to the other of the first or second mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein in response to the user of the first or second mobile device failing to authorize the second tier display of profile information to be displayed on the first or second mobile device, outputting for display only the first tier display of profile information to the first and second device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the profile data includes a picture, name, current or past user selection, usage statistic, status, scanning preference, search criteria, personal information, current or historical location data, biographical information, demographic information, interests, age, social media links, e-mail address or contact information, or other attribute.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification includes first or second tier profile data including a picture, name, commonality between the first or second user, a usage statistic, information about a current or past user selection of the first or second user, or any other profile data or attribute.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the notification includes an option to establish a communication between the first and second mobile device.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more steps of the method are stored in a memory and executed by a hardware processor of a computer.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the match is prevented if the first and second user are greater than, less than or equal to a predetermined strength of relationship.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined strength of relationship is one degree of social separation.

21. A method for establishing communications between mobile devices, comprising:

registering a plurality of mobile devices on a system;

receiving search criteria for a user of each of a first mobile device and a second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

receiving location information of each of the first and second mobile devices;

identifying a match between the first and second mobile devices based on a first profile and the search criteria and the location information of the first and second mobile devices;

wherein;

each of the first and second mobile device includes the first profile and a second profile, the second profile comprising at least one profile element different than the first profile,

in response to a first activation by the first and second mobile devices, the first profile is processed to identify the match, and the activation is triggered by the preferences of the user of the first and second mobile device;

in response to a second activation different than the first activation, the first profile is prevented from identifying the match; and

a second match different than the first match is identified based on data elements of the second profile of the first or second mobile device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the match is identified by the social or professional relationship between the users of the first and second mobile devices or a personal or professional social graph or other attribute.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein in response to a second activation only the second profile is used to identify a match.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the match is prevented if the first and second user are greater than, less than or equal to a predetermined strength of relationship.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the predetermined strength of the relationship is one degree of social separation.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more steps of the method are stored in a memory and executed by a hardware processor of a computer.

27. A server device for establishing communications between mobile devices, comprising:

a processor that receives registration data from a plurality of mobile devices on a system;

a processor that receives search criteria for a user of each of a first mobile device and a second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices;

a processor that receives location information of each of the first and second mobile devices;

a match-identifying processor that identifies a match between the first and second mobile devices based on a first profile and the search criteria and the location information of the first and second mobile devices;

wherein;

each of the first and second mobile device includes the first profile and a second profile, the second profile comprising at least one profile element different than the first profile,

in response to a first activation by the first and second mobile devices, the match-identifying processor identifies the match using the first profile, and the activation is triggered by the preferences of the user of the first and second mobile device;

in response to a second activation different than the first activation, the first profile is prevented from identifying the match; and

a second match different than the first match is identified based on data elements of the second profile of the first or second mobile device.

28. The server device of claim 27, wherein the server device communicates with a user interface of the first or second mobile device to receive the first activation instructed by the user of one of the first or second mobile devices.