Systems and methods for location-based social web interaction and instant messaging system

• US 20070271367A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Radius IM LLC
• Original Assignee: Radius IM LLC
• Inventors: Londono, John, Yardeni, Zohar
• Application Number:
  US11/796,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Systems and methods for location-based social web interaction and instant messaging are provided. A system according to the invention may be configured to detect a plurality of instant messaging (IM) users, display a map on a graphical user interface (GUI), and display a plurality of visual indicators on the GUI. The plurality of visual indicators may represent at least a portion of the IM users. The portion of IM users may be located somewhere on the area defined by the displayed map.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) that displays:

a navigable map; and

a group of visual indications that indicate the presence of instant messaging users that are located within an area corresponding to the navigable map.

2. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising a second navigable map that displays a location of a user, said second navigable map that is accessible from said navigable map.

3. The GUI of claim 2, the second navigable map that displays user location in response to a user instruction.

4. The GUI of claim 2, the second navigable map that displays user location in response to a system determination.

5. The GUI of claim 1, the navigable map that further comprises a navigation pad, said navigation pad that is adapted to receive instructions to change map position, to zoom in on said map, or to zoom out on said map.

6. The GUI of claim 1, wherein the instant messaging users are classified according to a predetermined hierarchy.

7. The GUI of claim 6, wherein the instant messaging users are classified according to a system-set hierarchy.

8. The GUI of claim 6, wherein the instant messaging users are classified according to a user-defined hierarchy.

9. The GUI of claim 1, further comprising a second navigable map that pre-sets the location of a user based on the user'"'"'s IM activity, displays a location of a user, and is adapted to receive user instructions to further define the user'"'"'s location.

10. The GUI of claim 1, further comprising a second navigable map that pre-sets the location of a user based on one of I.P. geo-location, wireless positioning, and GPS positioning.

11. The GUI of claim 1, further comprising a second navigable map that receives user instructions to define the user'"'"'s location.

12. A mobile computing device comprising the GUI of claim 1.

13. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising location-targeted advertising that corresponds to a location that is located in an area corresponding to the navigable map.

14. A method comprising:

displaying a navigable map on a graphical user interface (GUI); and

displaying a group of images on the GUI, each of the images that is associated with an instant messaging (IM) user that is located within the navigable map.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying each of the images when the respective IM user is currently active on his IM system.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying each of the images when the respective IM user is registered with the same network as the network in which the GUI is displayed.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying at least a portion of the images in a position on a map that corresponds to the location of the IM user.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying at least a portion of the images in a position on a map that corresponds to a self-defined position of each of the IM users.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying a second navigable map that shows a location of a user, said second navigable map that is accessible from said navigable map.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the user location on the second navigable map in response to a user instruction.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the user location on the second navigable map in response to a system determination.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving instructions to change map position, to zoom in on said map, or to zoom out on said map.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising classifying the users according to a predetermined hierarchy.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising pre-setting the location of a user, displaying a location of a user in response to said pre-setting, and receiving user instructions to further define the user'"'"'s location.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying location-targeted advertising on the GUI, said location-targeted advertising corresponding to a location that is located in an area corresponding to the navigable map.

26. A location-based instant messaging network comprising:

a core messaging infrastructure that handles incoming and outgoing instant messages;

an application layer that houses system business rules and that provides gatekeeper functions for messaging traffic and that communicates to an asynchronous javascript and XML (AJAX) client layer;

a middleware layer that links a client side JavaScript application and the application layer; and

a database layer that houses user data and supporting information and that enables a location-based messaging architecture.

27. The network of claim 26 wherein the application layer is written in Javascript.

28. The network of claim 26 further comprising an AJAX client layer that provides a location-based instant messaging network.

29. The network of claim 26 further comprising an application for connecting to a plurality of IM networks.

30. The network of claim 29 wherein the system may connect to the plurality of IM networks using a wrapper program.

31. The network of claim 26 further comprising a WiFi position plugin to the AJAX client layer.

32. A system configured to:

detect a plurality of instant messaging (IM) users;

display a map on a graphical user interface (GUI); and

display a plurality of visual indicators on the GUI, said plurality of visual indicators corresponding to at least a portion of the IM users, each of the IM users in the portion that are identified by the system as being located on the displayed map.

33. The system of claim 32 further configured to classify the users with respect to a single user according to a predetermined hierarchy.

34. The system of claim 32 further configured to receive self-reported location information from the IM users.

35. The system of claim 32 further configured to provide a second graphical user interface (GUI) that is adapted to receive IM user location information.

36. The system of claim 32 further configured to classify the users according to a predetermined hierarchy.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the respective location of each of a first group of users is displayed on said map and a respective location of each of a second group of users is not displayed on said map, said plurality of said IM users being divided into said first group of users and said second group of users at least in part according to said hierarchy.

38. A mobile computing device comprising the system of claim 32.

39. The system of claim 32 further configured to display location-targeted advertising on the GUI, said location-targeted advertising corresponding to a location that is located in an area corresponding to the navigable map.

40. A system configured to:

detect a plurality of system users;

display a map on a graphical user interface (GUI); and

display a plurality of visual indicators on the GUI, said plurality of visual indicators corresponding to at least a portion of the users, each of the users in the portion that are identified by the system as being located on the displayed map.

41. The system of claim 40 further configured to classify the users with respect to a single user according to a predetermined hierarchy.

42. The system of claim 40 further configured to receive self-reported location information from the system users.

43. The system of claim 40 further configured to provide a second graphical user interface (GUI) that is adapted to receive user location information.

44. The system of claim 40 further configured to classify the users according to a predetermined hierarchy.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the respective location of each of a first group of users is displayed on said map and a respective location of each of a second group of users is not displayed on said map, said plurality of said users being divided into said first group of users and said second group of users at least in part according to said hierarchy.

46. A mobile computing device comprising the system of claim 40.

47. The system of claim 40 further configured to display location-targeted advertising on the GUI, said location-targeted advertising corresponding to a location that is located in an area within the navigable map.