System and method for generation of interest -based wide area virtual network connections

• US 20060234631A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jorge Dieguez
• Original Assignee: Jorge Dieguez
• Inventors: Dieguez, Jorge
• Application Number:
  US11/106,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234631A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• 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 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A system and method that allows users of wireless mobile devices such as cellular telephones to automatically identify one another, alert users to detection of nearby users, transmit information of common interest and communicate in real-time at increased distances. Two mobile devices may in embodiments identify one another using Bluetooth or other short-range wireless communications, and exchange Bluetooth Identification Keys or other identification data. The identification keys may be correlated in an instant network server or other network intelligence, which may then set up a second, wide-area, real-time connection between the users. The users may then communicate in real time over the wide-era network using SMS, MMS, wireless IP, voice channel, or other networks, connections or protocols. The users may thus pass out of short-range wireless range and still maintain real-time wide-area communication with users or institutions who have registered common interests, activities or pursuits. The invention may be used in social networking, gaming, retail and other applications.

Claims

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

receiving two or more wireless identification keys via a short-range wireless network, each wireless identification key identifying a corresponding mobile device;

correlating interest-based user profile data based on the two or more wireless identification keys;

transmitting a notification to at least a first mobile device based on detection of at least a second mobile device associated with the correlated interest-based user profile data; and

selectively initiating wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device and the second mobile device based on user input responsive to the notification.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless network comprises at least one of a Bluetooth network, a radio frequency ID (RFID) network and an infrared network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a network-enabled portable computer, a network-enabled personal digital assistant and a network-enabled electronic mail device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wide-area communications comprises communicating via at least one of a cellular telephone network, a short messaging system network, a multimedia messaging service network, a wireless Internet Protocol network and a voice network.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interest-based user profile data comprises at least one of social interest data, sporting activity interest data, game-play activity interest data and commercial transaction data.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selective initiation of wide-area communications comprises the selective initiation of wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device, the second mobile device and a third or more mobile device.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selectively initiating comprises transmitting a greeting message, the greeting message prompting the user to selectively communicate with at least one other user.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the correlating comprises correlating the interest-based user profile data in at least one of—

a network server, and

at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

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

an input interface for receiving two or more wireless identification keys via a short-range wireless network, each wireless identification key identifying a corresponding mobile device; and

a network server, the network server communicating with the input interface, the network server—

accessing correlated interest-based user profile data based on the two or more wireless identification keys;

transmitting a notification to at least a first mobile device based on detection of at least a second mobile device associated with the correlated interest-based user profile data; and

selectively initiating wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device and the second mobile device based on user input responsive to the notification.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the short-range wireless network comprises at least one of a Bluetooth network, a radio frequency ID (RFID) network and an infrared network.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a network-enabled portable computer, a network-enabled personal digital assistant and a network-enabled electronic mail device.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the wide-area communications comprises communicating via at least one of a cellular telephone network, a short messaging system network, a multimedia messaging service network, a wireless Internet Protocol network and a voice network.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the interest-based user profile data comprises at least one of social interest data, sporting activity interest data, game-play activity interest data and commercial transaction data.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the selective initiation of wide-area communications comprises the selective initiation of wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device, the second mobile device and a third or more mobile device.

15. A system according to claim 9, wherein the selectively initiating comprises transmitting a greeting message, the greeting message prompting the user to selectively communicate with at least one other user.

16. A system according to claim 9, wherein the correlated interest-based user profile data comprises interest-based user profile data correlated in at least one of—

the network server, and

at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

17. A communications session between mobile devices, the communications session being initiated via a method comprising:

receiving two or more wireless identification keys via a short-range wireless network, each wireless identification key identifying a corresponding mobile device;

correlating interest-based user profile data based on the two or more wireless identification keys;

transmitting a notification to at least a first mobile device based on detection of at least a second mobile device associated with the correlated interest-based user profile data; and

selectively initiating wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device and the second mobile device based on user input responsive to the notification.

18. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the short-range wireless network comprises at least one of a Bluetooth network, a radio frequency ID (RFID) network and an infrared network.

19. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a network-enabled portable computer, a network-enabled personal digital assistant and a network-enabled electronic mail device.

20. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the wide-area communications comprises communicating via at least one of a cellular telephone network, a short messaging system network, a multimedia messaging service network, a wireless Internet Protocol network and a voice network.

21. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the interest-based user profile data comprises at least one of social interest data, sporting activity interest data, game-play activity interest data and commercial transaction data.

22. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the selective initiation of wide-area communications comprises the selective initiation of wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device, the second mobile device and a third or more mobile device.

23. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the selectively initiating comprises transmitting a greeting message, the greeting message prompting the user to selectively communicate with at least one other user.

24. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein the correlating comprises correlating the interest-based user profile data in at least one of—

a network server, and

at least one of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.

25. A communications session according to claim 17, wherein selectively initiating wide-area communications between at least the first mobile device and the second mobile device is based on a connection profile describing a type of service.