Method and System for Determining Users that Satisfy Desired Conditions

• US 20100042601A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hu, Bin, Kelley, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• 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

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed allowing for determining those users of multiple users who satisfy desired condition(s), where characteristics of the users in at least some embodiments vary dynamically. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a server device a request for a determination regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, and obtaining at the server device a conditions specification. Additionally, the method includes accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the user characteristics. The method also includes making a determination regarding which of the users satisfies the plurality of conditions, obtaining at the first server device updated information from the at least one repository, reevaluating the determination, and sending output information regarding the re-evaluated determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a first server device a request for a determination regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, the request being received from a first client device via a network;

obtaining at the first server device a specification of the conditions;

accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the plurality of users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users;

making a determination regarding which of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions;

obtaining at the first server device updated information from the at least one repository;

re-evaluating the determination; and

sending output information regarding the re-evaluated determination for receipt by the first client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user characteristics include one or more of user presence information, user location information and user profile information, and wherein the plurality of conditions relate respectively to the respective user characteristics.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the output information includes a list including at least one of the plurality of users that satisfies each respective condition relating to the respective user characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification of the conditions is received from a second server device distinct from the first server device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the specification of the conditions received from the second server device was originally provided to the second server device from the first client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification of the conditions additionally includes at least one of an authorization rule and a trigger rule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the specification of the conditions includes the authorization rule, and wherein the accessing of the at least one repository does not occur if the first server device determines that the first client device does not satisfy the at least one authorization rule.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the specification of the conditions includes the trigger rule, and wherein the trigger rule determines at least one requirement that must be met prior to updated output information being provided to the CBUS client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that more than one of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions, wherein the specification of the conditions additionally includes a pre-defined member list, and wherein the plurality of users is limited to those in the pre-defined member list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending initial output information from the first server device to the first client device prior to the obtaining of the updated information from the at least one repository.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a re-evaluation request from the first client device at the first server device subsequent to the sending of the initial output information; and

determining whether a time period has expired subsequent to the sending of the initial output information, wherein the output information regarding the re-evaluated determination is only provided when the time period is determined to have not yet expired.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the output information regarding the re-evaluated determination is provided back to the first client only if a re-evaluation request of the first client is still active.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a re-evaluation request is received from the first client prior to the sending of the initial output information, and wherein the first client device is one of the plurality of users.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the following is true:

(i) upon receiving a re-evaluation request prior to the sending of the initial output information, the accessing of the at least one repository includes both obtaining current information and requesting updated information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users;

(ii) if a re-evaluation request is not received prior to the sending of the initial output information, the accessing of the at least one repository only includes obtaining current information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users.

15. A method comprising:

receiving at a first server device a request for a condition based URI list (CBUL) regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, the request being received from a first client device via a network;

obtaining at the first server device a specification of the conditions;

accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the plurality of users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users;

making a determination as to which of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions;

sending the CBUL regarding the determination for receipt by the first client device;

receiving a re-evaluation request from the first client within a period of time subsequent to the sending of the CBUL;

obtaining updated information concerning the plurality of user characteristics from the at least one repository;

making an additional determination as to which of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions; and

sending an updated CBUL regarding the additional determination for receipt by the first client device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of user characteristics include each of user presences, user locations and user preferences, and wherein the plurality of conditions relate respectively to the respective user characteristics.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the specification of the conditions is obtaining from an additional server device coupled to the first server device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and additional server devices, and the at least one repository, are included within and form parts of a data network.

19. A system comprising:

a first server device capable of communicating with a first client device via at least one network connection and also capable of communicating with at least one repository of user characteristics regarding a plurality of users; and

a second server device that is in communication with the first server device and that is configured to store a plurality of condition documents,

wherein the first server device receives a signal indicative of a request for a condition based URI list (CBUL) from the first client device via the at least one network connection;

wherein upon receiving the signal the first server device fetches a first of the condition documents and further communicates with the at least one repository to obtain information regarding the user characteristics of at least some of the plurality of users; and

wherein the first server device then further makes a determination as to which of the users satisfy one or more conditions specified in the first condition document and, upon making the determination, sends an additional signal indicative of the CBUL generated based upon the determination.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the at least one repository, wherein the at least one repository is selected from the group consisting of a user presence information repository, a user location information repository, and a user profile information repository.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first server device communicates on an additional occasion with the at least one repository to obtain updated information and further communicates with the first client device to provide an updated CBUL, and wherein the first server device includes means for processing.