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

• US 20110312343A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• 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 8,423,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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. A computer-implemented method for sharing current location information among users by using relationship information stored in a database, the method comprising:

receiving 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;

determining from the message the sender'"'"'s identity and based on the sender'"'"'s identify and the relationship information stored in the database, determining a plurality of users associated with the sender and who have agreed to receive messages from the sender, each of the plurality of users having a communication device; and

sending a notification message to the communication device of each of the determined users, the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device does not contain an indication of said plurality of users.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sender'"'"'s communication device is a mobile telephone.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the communication device of at least one of the plurality of users is a mobile telephone.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information invites the users to meet the sender at the physical location indicated by the self-declaration location.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the physical location has a name and the sender manually enters the self-declared location information into the sender'"'"'s communication device by typing the name of the physical location.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the physical location has a name and the sender manually enters the self-declared location information into the sender'"'"'s communication device by selecting the name of the physical location.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising posting a message on a server computer indicating said physical location of the sender for access by said plurality of users.

9. A computer-implemented system for sharing current location information between a sender having a communication device and a plurality of users each having a communication device, comprising:

a database unit having stored therein contact information for the plurality of users, and relationship information associating the sender with each of the plurality of users based on a relationship between the sender and each of the plurality of users;

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 identify,

ii) determines, based on the sender'"'"'s identity and the relationship information, a plurality of users to whom to send a notification message and who are associated with the sender and have agreed to be sent the notification message, and

iii) sends the notification message to the communication device of each of the determined users, the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information.

10. The computer-implemented system according to claim 9, wherein the message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device does not contain an indication of said plurality of users.

11. The computer-implemented system according to claim 10, wherein the sender'"'"'s communication device is a mobile telephone.

12. The computer-implemented system according to claim 11, wherein the communication device of at least one of the plurality of users is a mobile telephone.

13. The computer-implemented system according to claim 10, wherein the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s self-declared location information invites the users to meet the sender at the physical location indicated by the self-declaration location.

14. The computer-implemented system according to claim 10, wherein the physical location has a name and the sender manually enters the self-declared location information into the sender'"'"'s communication device by typing the name of the physical location.

15. A computer-implemented method for sharing current activity information among users by using relationship information stored in a database accessible by a server computer, the method comprising:

receiving a message sent from a sender'"'"'s communication device, the message containing activity information indicating a current activity of the sender at the time the sender sent the message;

the server computer determining from the message the sender'"'"'s identity and based on the sender'"'"'s identify and the relationship information stored in the database, determining a plurality of users associated with the sender who have agreed to receive messages from the sender, each of the plurality of users having a communication device; and

sending a notification message to the communication device of each of the determined users, the notification message containing the activity information indicating the current activity of the sender.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the message sent from the sender'"'"'s communication device does not contain an indication of said plurality of users.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sender'"'"'s communication device is a mobile telephone.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the communication device of at least one of the plurality of users is a mobile telephone.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the notification message containing the sender'"'"'s current activity information invites the users to participate with the sender in the current activity.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the current activity has a name and the sender manually enters the current activity information into the sender'"'"'s communication device by typing the name of the current activity.

21-25. -25. (canceled)