Method and system for communicating with multiple users via a map over the internet

• US 20070200713A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ho, Edward, Trevor, Jonathan, Tripodi, Samantha, Weber, Karon
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method, device, and system for communicating with multiple users via a map over the Internet are disclosed. The device includes a processor for executing computer programs, a memory for storing data, an input module for entering user commands, a communication module for transmitting and receiving data, and a display for showing information on a screen. The device further includes logic for selecting a group of users, logic for creating a map to share among the group of users, logic for displaying locations of the group of users on the map, and logic for broadcasting changes of a user'"'"'s location to the group over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with multiple users via a map over the Internet, comprising:

creating a map to share among a group of users, wherein each user uses a client device to communicate with other users in the group;

displaying locations of the group of users on the map, wherein each user is represented by an icon; and

broadcasting changes of a user'"'"'s location to the group over the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of users forms a user-defined social community sharing the map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a map comprises:

capturing an image; and

generating the map using the image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a map further includes at least a step selected from the group consisting of:

importing an existing map stored in a client device; and

downloading an existing map from a website.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying locations of the group of users comprises:

determining a location of each user on the map; and

placing the user on the map using the location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a location includes at least a step selected from the group consisting of:

determining the location using a self-placement location directed by the user;

determining the location using textual descriptions supplied by the user;

determining the location using a picture of the area or a picture of the location; and

determining the location automatically using global position data of the user'"'"'s mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein placing the user on the map comprises:

overlaying an icon of the user on the map in response to the location being a valid drop target; and

not overlaying the icon of the user on the map in response to the location being an invalid drop target.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving messages from users in the group; and

sending messages to users in the group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes a format selected from the group consisting at least one of:

voice, text, video, image, and graphics.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

adding or deleting a user from the group of users.

14. A device for communicating with multiple users via a map over the Internet, comprising:

a processor for executing computer programs;

a memory for storing data;

an input module for entering user commands;

a communication module for transmitting and receiving data;

a display for showing information on a screen;

logic for selecting a group of users;

logic for creating a map to share among the group of users;

logic for displaying locations of the group of users on the map, wherein each user is represented by an icon; and

logic for broadcasting changes of a user'"'"'s location to the group over the Internet.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the group of users forms a user-defined social community sharing the map.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the logic for creating a map comprises:

logic for capturing an image; and

logic for generating the map using the image.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the logic for creating a map further includes at least logic selected from the group consisting at least one of:

logic for importing an existing map stored in the device; and

logic for downloading an existing map from a website.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the logic for displaying locations of the group of users comprises:

logic for determining a location of each user on the map; and

logic for placing the user on the map using the location.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the logic for determining a location includes at least a step selected from the group consisting of:

logic for determining the location using a self-placement location directed by the user;

logic for determining the location using textual descriptions supplied by the user;

logic for determining the location using a picture of the area or a picture of the location; and

logic for determining the location automatically using global position data of the user'"'"'s mobile device.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the logic for placing the user on the map comprises:

logic for overlaying an icon of the user on the map in response to the location being a valid drop target; and

logic for not overlaying the icon of the user on the map in response to the location being an invalid drop target.

23. The device of claim 14, wherein the icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.

24. The device of claim 14 further comprises:

logic for receiving messages from other users in the group; and

logic for sending messages to other users in the group.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the message includes a format selected from the group consisting at least one of:

voice, text, video, image, and graphics.

26. The device of claim 14 further comprises:

logic for adding or deleting a user from the group of users.

27. A system for communicating with multiple users via a map over the Internet, comprising:

a back-end location storage system for storing user location information;

a back-end map server for processing maps;

a front-end map server for interfacing between client devices, the back-end location storage system, and the back-end map server through a communication network, the front-end map server further comprises;

means for creating a map to share among a group of users;

means for monitoring locations of the group of users on the map, wherein each user is represented by an icon; and

means for broadcasting changes of a user'"'"'s location to the group over the Internet.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each user uses a client device to communicate with other users in the group, and wherein the group of users forms a user-defined social community sharing the map.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for creating a map comprise:

means for receiving an image from a client device; and

means for generating the map using the image.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for creating a map further include at least means selected from the group consisting at least one of:

means for importing an existing map stored in the back-end location storage server; and

means for retrieving an existing map from a website.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for monitoring locations of the group of users comprise:

means for determining a location of each user on the map; and

means for placing the user on the map using the location.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for determining a location includes at least a step selected from the group consisting of:

means for determining the location using a self-placement location directed by the user;

means for determining the location using textual descriptions supplied by the user;

means for determining the location using a picture of the area or a picture of the location; and

means for determining the location automatically using global position data of the user'"'"'s mobile device.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein means for placing the user on the map comprise:

means for overlaying an icon of the user on the map in response to the location being a valid drop target; and

means for not overlaying the icon of the user on the map in response to the location being an invalid drop target.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.

37. The system of claim 27 further comprises:

receiving a message from a user in the group; and

sending the message to the users in the group.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the message includes a format selected from the group consisting at least one of:

voice, text, video, image, and graphics.

39. The system of claim 27 further comprises:

means for adding or deleting a user from the group of users.