Managing User Location Information in a Social Network

• US 20110138006A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 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 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users.

Claims

1. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing location information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

store first information regarding desired notification of location of the first user to one or more second users;

determine whether the one or more second users should be notified of the location information of the first user based at least in part on the first information; and

selectively provide the location information of the first user to the one or more second users over the wide area network based on said determining.

2. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user for each of a plurality of second users.

3. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user for each of one or more groups of second users.

4. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a location of the at least one second user.

5. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a current time.

6. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a current mood of the first user.

7. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a location of the first user.

8. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a location of the at least one second user and a current time.

9. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises information regarding desired notification of location of the first user to a plurality of second users;

wherein, for at least one second user, the first information specifies at least one location information constraint which controls dissemination of the location information of the first user.

10. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 9,

wherein the at least one location information constraint comprises one or more of location dependent, time dependent, or mood dependent.

11. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a user allowed to receive the location information.

12. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a group of users allowed to receive the location information.

13. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of a time period during which the location information can be shared.

14. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of geographic restrictions on the sharing of the location information.

15. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a proximity restriction on the sharing of the location information.

16. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of one or more location labels for use in the location information.

17. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the first information comprises information regarding desired notification of location of the first user to a plurality of second users;

wherein, for each of at least a plural subset of the plurality of second users, the first information comprises location information constraints which enable/disable dissemination of the location information of the first user.

18. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 17

wherein at least one of the location information constraints is per person.

19. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 17

wherein at least one of the location information constraints is per group of people.

20. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1,

wherein the memory medium is comprised in a computer system which implements at least a portion of a social networking service;

wherein the computer system is configured to communicate with a communication device operated by the first user over the wide area network.

21. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a location of the second user.

22. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a current time.

23. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a location of the second user and a current time.

24. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a current mood of the first user.

25. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a location of the first user.

26. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on a time period during which the location information can be shared.

27. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing geographic information of a first user, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

selectively provide the location information of the first user to a second user over the wide area network based at least in part on geographic restrictions on the sharing of the location information.

28. A method for managing location information of a first user, comprising:

receiving location information of the first user, wherein the location information of the first user is received over a wide area network;

storing first information regarding desired notification of location of the first user to one or more second users;

determining whether the one or more second users should be notified of the location information of the first user based at least in part on the first information; and

selectively providing the location information of the first user to the one or more second users over the wide area network based on said determining.

29. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user for each of a plurality of second users.

30. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user for each of one or more groups of second users.

31. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a location of the at least one second user.

32. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a current time.

33. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a current mood of the first user.

34. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information specifies dissemination of the location information of the first user to at least one second user based at least in part on a location of the first user.

35. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a user allowed to receive the location information.

36. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a group of users allowed to receive the location information.

37. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of a time period during which the location information can be shared.

38. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of geographic restrictions on the sharing of the location information.

39. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises specification of a proximity restriction on the sharing of the location information.

40. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises a specification of one or more location labels for use in the location information.

41. The method of claim 28,

wherein the first information comprises information regarding desired notification of location of the first user to a plurality of second users;

wherein, for each of at least a plural subset of the plurality of second users, the first information comprises location information constraints which enable/disable dissemination of the location information of the first user.

42. The method of claim 28,

wherein at least one of the location information constraints is per second user.

43. The method of claim 28, wherein said receiving, said storing, and said determining is performed by one or more computer systems implementing a social network, wherein the location information is received from a communication device operated by the first user over a wide area network.