Device, System, and Method of Generating Location-Based Social Networks

• US 20090215469A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gilat, Dagan, Nadler, Sima, Fisher, Amit, Yellin, Daniel M., Zodik, Gabi
• Application Number:
  US12/037,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20090215469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• 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 67/306 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Device, system, and method of generating location-based social networks. For example, a method for dynamically creating location-based virtual social networks includes: detecting presence of a wireless device at a location which is associated with a location-based virtual social network; and sending to the wireless device an invitation to join said location-based virtual social network.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically creating location-based virtual social networks, the method comprising:

detecting presence of a wireless device at a location which is associated with a location-based virtual social network; and

sending to the wireless device an invitation to join said location-based virtual social network.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

adding the wireless device to a group of one or more wireless devices which participate in the location-based virtual social network.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving from the wireless device a signal indicating acceptance of the invitation and an identifier of a user of the wireless device; and

adding the identifier of the user of the wireless device to a list of one or more participants of the location-based virtual social network.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

detecting departure of the wireless device from said location;

disassociating the wireless device from the location-based virtual social network; and

removing the identifier of the user of the wireless device from the list of participants of the location-based virtual social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises:

determining whether or not the wireless device is located at said location by one or more detection mechanisms selected from the group consisting of;

a cellular triangulation detection mechanism;

a Global Positioning System trilateration detection mechanism;

a Radio Frequency ID detection mechanism;

a Bluetooth wireless signal detection mechanism;

an IEEE 802.11 wireless signal detection mechanism; and

an IEEE 802.16 wireless signal detection mechanism.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

detecting that two or more wireless devices are located within two or more locations of a common type; and

sending to at least one of the one or more wireless devices an invitation to join a location-based virtual social network associated with said location type.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending a location-based advertisement to one or more wireless devices that joined the location-based virtual social network.

8. A method for plan-based creation of virtual social networks, the method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device an indication that a user of the wireless device plans to be within a pre-defined location at a forward time slot; and

sending to the user of the wireless device an invitation to join a location-based virtual social network associated with said pre-defined location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sending comprises:

sending the invitation during the forward time slot upon detection that the wireless device is located within the pre-defined location.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising:

receiving from the wireless device a registration message indicating that the user of the wireless device plans to be within the pre-defined location at the forward time slot.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising:

automatically extracting from a scheduling application of the wireless device information indicating the pre-defined location and information indicating the forward time slot.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

automatically extracting location and time information from another scheduling application associated with a device of another user; and

matching between the location and time information extracted from the other scheduling application and the location and time information extracted from said wireless device.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising:

automatically terminating at least one service of the location-based virtual social network upon expiration of the forward time slot.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising:

sending a location-based advertisement to one or more wireless devices that joined the location-based virtual social network.

15. A system for dynamic creation of location-based virtual social networks, the system comprising:

one or more detectors to detect presence of a wireless device at a location which is associated with a location-based virtual social network; and

an invitation module to send to the wireless device an invitation to join said location-based virtual social network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the invitation module is to receive from the wireless device a signal indicating acceptance of the invitation and an identifier of a user of the wireless device;

and wherein the system comprises a virtual community generator to add the identifier of the user of the wireless device to a list of one or more participants of the location-based virtual social network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more detectors are to detect departure of the wireless device from said location;

wherein the virtual community generator is to disassociate the wireless device from the location-based virtual social network, and to remove the identifier of the user of the wireless device from the list of participants of the location-based virtual social network.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more detectors comprise one or more detection mechanisms selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular triangulation detection mechanism;

a Global Positioning System trilateration detection mechanism;

a Radio Frequency ID detection mechanism;

a Bluetooth wireless signal detection mechanism;

an IEEE 802.11 wireless signal detection mechanism; and

an IEEE 802.16 wireless signal detection mechanism.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more detectors are to detect that two or more wireless devices are located within two or more locations of a common type;

and wherein the invitation module is to send to at least one of the one or more wireless devices an invitation to join a location-based virtual social network associated with said location type.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual community generator is to send a location-based advertisement to one or more wireless devices that joined the location-based virtual social network.

21. A system for plan-based creation of virtual social networks, the method comprising:

a registration module to receive from a wireless device an indication that a user of the wireless device plans to be within a pre-defined location at a forward time slot; and

an invitation module to send to the user of the wireless device an invitation to join a location-based virtual social network associated with said pre-defined location.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the invitation module is to send the invitation during the forward time slot upon detection that the wireless device is located within the pre-defined location.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the registration module is to receive from the wireless device a registration message indicating that the user of the wireless device plans to be within the pre-defined location at the forward time slot.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the registration module is to automatically extract from a scheduling application of the wireless device information indicating the pre-defined location and information indicating the forward time slot.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the registration module is to automatically extract location and time information from another scheduling application associated with a device of another user;

and wherein the system comprises a matching module to match between the location and time information extracted from the other scheduling application and the location and time information extracted from said wireless device.