Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members

• US 20080209011A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stremel, Jed, Slee, Mark, Ramakrishnan, Ts
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members are provided. According to one embodiment, contact content including an associated GPS identifier and status for web-based social network members located at or near the same location automatically appears on a GPS-enabled device. A further exemplary system includes a GPS-enabled device configured to receive a GPS identifier and a status representing a location and a current state for a web-based social network member, a processing module that associates the received GPS-identifier and the received status, and a communications module that sends the associated GPS-identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database. Contact content in a web-based social network database record in the web-based social network database is updated to include the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member.

Claims

1. A method of locating a web-based social network member comprising:

receiving a GPS identifier into a device;

receiving a status into the device;

associating the GPS identifier and the status;

storing a copy of the associated GPS identifier and status in a contact file on the device; and

sending the associated GPS identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is GPS-enabled.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the status is a current state of the web-based social network member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based social network database further comprises a web-based social network database record for each web-based social network member.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS identifier is a street address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the street address is manually entered by a web-based social network member.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the device is not GPS-enabled.

8. A system for locating a web-based social network member comprising:

a device with a GPS module configured to receive a GPS identifier;

a status entry screen on the device configured to receive a status;

a processing module on the device configured to associate the GPS identifier and the status;

a contact file on the device configured to store a copy of the associated GPS identifier and status; and

a communication module on the device configured to send the associated GPS identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the status is a current state of the web-based social network member.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the web-based social network database further comprises a web-based social network database record for each web-based social network member.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the GPS identifier is a street address

12. A system for locating a web-based social network member comprising:

a server comprising a web-based social network database, the server configured to receive across a network an associated GPS identifier and status for a web-based social network member;

the web-based social network database including a web-based social network database record for the web-based social network member, the web-based social network database record configured to update contact content with the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member; and

the server further configured to provide the contact content to a communications module for sending across the network to a device having a contact file configured to automatically store the contact content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sending to the device is directed by a device user settings module.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the contact content is limited by a privacy settings module before sending to the device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the contact content includes updated contact content.

16. A method for locating a web-based social network member comprising:

receiving across a network on a server comprising a web-based social network database, an associated GPS identifier and status for a web-based social network member;

updating contact content in a web-based social network database record in the web-based social network database with the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member; and

providing the contact content to a communications module for sending across the network to a device having a contact file configured to automatically store the contact content.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying the associated GPS identifier and status to one or more other members of the web-based social network.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising checking a privacy settings module before displaying the associated GPS identifier and status to the one or more other members of the web-based social network.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising querying the web-based social network database for a status corresponding to a GPS identifier received by a device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising querying the web-based social network database for contact content of another web-based social network member corresponding to a GPS identifier received by a device.