Systems for communicating current and future activity information among mobile Internet users and methods therefor

• US 20110040624A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neeraj Jhanji
• Inventors: Jhanji, Neeraj
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A computer-implemented method implemented via the Internet for coordinating a current or future event between a user of a mobile Internet device and other users communicating through the Internet. The method includes receiving the current or future activity information pertaining to the future event from the user via the mobile Internet device. The current activity pertains to an activity occurring at a current time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The future activity pertains to an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The method further includes transmitting the current or future activity information to a backend database coupled to the Internet, the backend database being remote from the mobile Internet device. The method further includes rendering the current or future activity information accessible to at least one recipient via the Internet. The recipient represents a subset of the users coupled to the Internet and having access privilege to information pertaining to the current or future event involving the user.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method for sharing current location information among users by using relationship information, implemented by a computer system including an Internet-coupled server and a database subsystem that is coupled to the server and that stores the relationship information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at the Internet-coupled server a message sent from a sender'"'"'s communication device, the message containing self-declared location information indicating a physical location of the sender at the time the sender sent the message determined without the aid of automatic location determination technology;

(b) with the server, automatically determining from the message the sender'"'"'s identity;

(c) with the server, based on the sender'"'"'s identity and the relationship information stored in the database subsystem, automatically determining a plurality of the users as being addressee users;

(d) wherein the relationship information in the database subsystem identifies addressee users who are associated with the sender and who have agreed to receive messages from the sender;

(e) wherein the message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device does not contain an indication of the addressee users; and

(f) with the server, automatically causing sending of a notification message to communication devices of, among the users, only the addressee users, the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the sender'"'"'s communication device is a mobile telephone.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information invites the addressee users to meet the sender at the physical location indicated by the self-declared location.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising with the server computer automatically causing posting, on an Internet website, data indicating said physical location of the sender, for access by said plurality of addressee users.

30. A computer-implemented system for sharing current location information between a sender having a communication device and a plurality of users from among a larger group of users, each of the plurality of users having a communication device, comprising:

(a) a database unit having stored therein contact information for the larger group of users, and relationship information associating the sender with each of the plurality of users and signifying that each of the plurality of users have agreed to be sent messages from the sender; and

(b) a server device coupled to the database unit and to a communications network, wherein the server device receives a message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device that contains self-declared location information indicating a physical location of the sender at the time the sender sent the message determined without the aid of automatic location determination technology, wherein in response to receiving the message the server device;

(i) determines from the message the sender'"'"'s identity,

(ii) determines, based on the sender'"'"'s identity and the relationship information, the plurality of users, and

(iii) sends a notification message to the communication devices of, among the larger group of users, only the plurality of users, the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information;

(c) wherein the message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device does not contain an indication of said plurality of users.

31. The computer-implemented system of claim 30 wherein the server device is further structured and programmed to, in response to receipt of the message, automatically cause formatting for display information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of the plurality of users, wherein the format allows the location information of the plurality of users to be simultaneously visible.

32. The computer system of claim 31 wherein the server device is further structured and programmed to:

(i) receive a query from the sender'"'"'s communication device, which query contains one or more location parameters; and

(ii) in response thereto, automatically cause to be sent to the sender user information indicating those of the plurality of users whose most recently updated location information fits the location parameters.

33. The method of claim 32:

(i) wherein the server device is further structured and programmed to automatically select a visually perceptible commercial offering based, at least in part, on the location parameters received from the sender'"'"'s communication device; and

(ii) wherein said information indicating those of the plurality of users whose most recently updated location information fits the location parameters comprises, with the server device, automatically causing delivery to the sender'"'"'s communication device of said information in a manner formatted for display on the sender'"'"'s communication device together with the commercial offering.

34. A computer-implemented method for exchanging messages among a plurality of users, using relationship data stored in a database subsystem accessible by a server computer, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at the server computer, from a first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device, a message, along with location information indicating a most recently updated physical location of the first user;

(b) in response thereto, with the server computer automatically causing the message and the location information to be sent over the Internet to at least one second user, and, among the plurality of users, to only the at least one second user;

(c) wherein the at least one second user is selected by the server computer based, at least in part, on the relationship data stored in the database subsystem;

(d) wherein the stored relationship data identifies one or more users of the plurality of users who are associated with the first user and are indicative of an agreed-upon connection between the first user and each of said users of the plurality of users;

(e) wherein the message received at the server computer does not contain an indication of said at least one second user;

(f) with the server computer automatically causing formatting for display information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of a plurality of second users, wherein the format allows the location information of the plurality of second users to be simultaneously visible;

(g) with the server computer automatically selecting a visually perceptible commercial offering based, at least in part, on the location information received from the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device; and

(h) with the server computer automatically causing reporting to the first user the simultaneously visible location information regarding the plurality of second users, which location information is formatted for display on the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device together with the commercial offering.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the information indicating the physical location of the first user is self-declared location information.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the information indicating the physical location of the first user is determined with the aid of automatic location-finding technology.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein automatically causing formatting for display comprises formatting for display the location information of only those of the plurality of second users within a first-user-controlled geographic distance from the most recently updated location of the first user.

38. The method of claim 34 further comprising, in response to receipt of the message by the server computer, with the server computer automatically causing the message and information indicating a most recently updated physical location of the first user to be made available for review over the Internet by the at least one second user.

39. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

(i) receiving, at the server computer, access parameters indicating a subset of the users of the plurality of users associated with the first user; and

(ii) wherein part (b) further comprises with the server computer automatically causing the message to be sent to those of the at least one second user who fit the access parameters, and, among the plurality of users, to only those of the at least one second user who fit the access parameters.

40. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

(i) receiving a query at the server computer from the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device, which query contains one or more location parameters; and

(ii) in response thereto, with the server computer automatically causing reporting to the first user information indicating those of the at least one second user whose most recently updated location information fit the location parameters.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising, in response to a request from the first user, with the server computer automatically causing an invitation from the first user to be sent to at least one of those second users reported to the first user whose location information fit the location parameters.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein the message further comprises information indicating a personal status of the first user.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

(i) receiving a query at the server computer from the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device, which query contains one or more location parameters and one or more status parameters; and

(ii) in response thereto, with the server computer automatically causing reporting to the first user information indicating those of the at least one second user whose most recently updated location information fit the location parameters and whose most recently updated personal status information fits the status parameters.

44. The method of claim 43:

(i) further comprising, with the server computer automatically selecting a visually perceptible commercial offering based, at least in part, on the location and status parameters received from the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device; and

(ii) wherein automatically causing reporting said information indicating those of the at least one second user whose most recently updated location information fit the location parameters and whose most recently updated status information fit the status parameters comprises, with the server computer, automatically causing delivery to the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device of said reported information in a manner formatted for display on the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable device together with the commercial offering.

45. The method of claim 34 wherein the message is received by the server computer over an SMS network.