PLACE-SPECIFIC BUDDY LIST SERVICES
First Claim
1. In a data communications network having a plurality of personal mobile data communications devices operated by respective users and an information service with which the personal mobile data communications devices communicate, a computer-implemented method of processing place-and-people based information at one of said personal mobile data communications devices, the method comprising:
- transmitting information to identify to the information service a list of people about whom the user of the personal mobile data communications device desires to be informed by the information service, wherein the presence of each identified person on the list indicates previous consent by the respective identified person to share information with the user via the information service, and wherein identifying information for each identified person on the list is accessible by the user prior to receiving any information about the identified people from the information service;
transmitting a report of the location of the personal mobile data communications device to the information service; and
receiving from the information service information indicating which of the identified people are within a specified proximity of the user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An information service provides search and notifications to inform when certain people (e.g., friends, family, business contacts, etc.) are nearby so as to facilitate communications with those people. Users may define lists of people whose locations may be tracked by positioning equipment based on personal communications/computing devices carried by the people.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a data communications network having a plurality of personal mobile data communications devices operated by respective users and an information service with which the personal mobile data communications devices communicate, a computer-implemented method of processing place-and-people based information at one of said personal mobile data communications devices, the method comprising:
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transmitting information to identify to the information service a list of people about whom the user of the personal mobile data communications device desires to be informed by the information service, wherein the presence of each identified person on the list indicates previous consent by the respective identified person to share information with the user via the information service, and wherein identifying information for each identified person on the list is accessible by the user prior to receiving any information about the identified people from the information service; transmitting a report of the location of the personal mobile data communications device to the information service; and receiving from the information service information indicating which of the identified people are within a specified proximity of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for processing place-and-people based information in a data communications network having a plurality of personal mobile data communications devices operated by respective users and an information service with which the personal mobile data communications devices communicate, the instructions, when executed on at least one of the personal mobile data communications devices, causing the device to:
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transmit information to identify to the information service a list of people about whom the user of the personal mobile data communications device desires to be informed by the information service, wherein the presence of each identified person on the list indicates previous consent by the respective identified person to share information with the user via the information service, and wherein identifying information for each identified person on the list is accessible by the user prior to receiving any information about the identified people from the information service; transmit a report of the location of the personal mobile data communications device to the information service; and receive from the information service information indicating which of the identified people are within a specified proximity of the user. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A personal mobile data communications device for use in a data communications network in which a plurality of personal mobile data communications devices operated by respective users communicate with an information service, the personal mobile data communications device comprising:
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a wired or wireless connection to the data communications network; and a processing unit configured to; transmit information via the data communications network to identify to the information service a list of people about whom the user of the personal mobile data communications device desires to be informed by the information service, wherein the presence of each identified person on the list indicates previous consent by the respective identified person to share information with the user via the information service, and wherein identifying information for each identified person on the list is accessible by the user prior to receiving any information about the identified people from the information service; transmit via the data communications network a report of the location of the personal mobile data communications device to the information service; and receive from the information service via the data communications network information indicating which of the identified people are within a specified proximity of the user. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification