Geographic Location Notification Based On Identity Linking

• US 20090172564A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• 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 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A user maintains notification setting information having temporal periods capable of controlling, at least in part, the dissemination of information describing the on-line presence of the user within an instant messaging system or the geographic location of one or more mobile communications devices used by the user. The user may use multiple identities to communicate within the instant messaging system and/or with the mobile communications device or devices. The user can maintain sets of temporal periods for each of the multiple identities. Only one identity may be used at a specific time to communicate to a specific other identity, but the multiple identities of the user may be linked such that on-line presence and/or geographic location associated with one of the identities is disseminated based on the temporal periods set for one or more of the multiple identities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing notification information regarding geographical location, the method comprising:

for a first communications identity of a user, accessing geographic information stored in a computer storage medium indicating a location of a mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated; and

for a second communications identity of the user, determining geographic information that can be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device, with which the first communications identity is associated, wherein the first communications identity and the second communications identity correspond to the same natural person.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the determined geographic information to at least one communications identity of a participant list associated with the second communications identity.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the participant list identifies communications identities designated by a user that is associated with the second communications identity.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the participant list comprises a participant list of an instant messaging system.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the participant list comprises a contact list of a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the mobile device is a device capable of receiving and transmitting voice communications.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the mobile device is further capable of receiving and transmitting data communications.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining geographic information to be displayed for the second communications identity comprises determining a geographic location of the second communications identity of the user to be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated.

10. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program configured to, when executed, provide notification information regarding geographical location, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

for a first communications identity of a user, access geographic information stored in a computer storage medium indicating a location of a mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated; and

for a second communications identity of the user, determine geographic information that can be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device, with which the first communications identity is associated, wherein the first communications identity and the second communications identity correspond to the same natural person.

11. The medium of claim 10 further comprising one or more code segments configured to provide the determined geographic information to at least one communications identity of a participant list associated with the second communications identity.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the participant list identifies communications identities designated by a user that is associated with the second communications identity.

13. The medium of claim 11 wherein the participant list comprises a participant list of an instant messaging system.

14. The medium of claim 11 wherein the participant list comprises a contact list of a mobile device.

15. The medium of claim 14 wherein the mobile device is a device capable of receiving and transmitting voice communications.

16. The medium of claim 14 wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

17. The medium of claim 14 wherein the mobile device is further capable of receiving and transmitting data communications.

18. The medium of claim 10 wherein determining geographic information to be displayed for the second communications identity comprises determining a geographic location of the second communications identity of the user to be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated.

19. A computer-based system for providing notification information regarding geographical location, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

for a first communications identity of a user, access geographic information stored in a computer storage medium indicating a location of a mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated; and

for a second communications identity of the user, determine geographic information that can be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device, with which the first communications identity is associated, wherein the first communications identity and the second communications identity correspond to the same natural person.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to provide the determined geographic information to at least one communications identity of a participant list associated with the second communications identity

21. A computer-based system for providing notification information regarding geographical location, the system comprising:

means for, for a first communications identity of a user, accessing geographic information stored in a computer storage medium indicating a location of a mobile device with which the first communications identity is associated; and

means for, for a second communications identity of the user, determining geographic information that can be displayed based on the accessed geographic information indicating the location of the mobile device, with which the first communications identity is associated, wherein the first communications identity and the second communications identity correspond to the same natural person.