STATUS UPDATE PROPAGATION BASED ON CROWD OR POI SIMILARITY

• US 20120066316A1
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Waldeck Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Petersen, Steven L., Kandekar, Kunal
• Granted Patent: US 8,898,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1805 Append-only file systems, e.g. using logs or journals to store data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for following status updates of users. In one embodiment, a requestor selects a crowd of users. In response, one or more crowds of users that match the selected crowd of users to at least a predefined threshold degree are identified. Status updates sent by users in at least one of the one or more matching crowds of users are then delivered to the requestor. In another embodiment, a requestor selects a Point of Interest (POI). In response, one or more POIs that match the selected POI to at least a predefined threshold degree are identified. Status updates sent by users located at one or more POIs of the one or more matching POIs are delivered to the requestor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a requestor, a crowd match request that identifies a select crowd;

in response to receiving the crowd match request, identifying one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to a predefined threshold degree; and

effecting delivery of status updates sent by users in at least one crowd of the one or more matching crowds to the requestor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

returning the one or more matching crowds to the requestor; and

receiving, from the requestor, a selection of one of the one or more matching crowds as a desired crowd;

wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the users in the at least one crowd of the one or more matching crowds to the requestor comprises effecting delivery of status updates sent by a plurality of users in the desired crowd to the requestor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd to the requestor comprises:

identifying the plurality of users in the desired crowd;

obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd; and

sending the status updates to the requestor.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd comprises obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd from a third-party status update service.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd comprises receiving the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd from mobile devices of the plurality of users in the desired crowd as the status updates are sent by the plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising sending the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd to a third-party status update service as the status updates are received.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein sending the status updates to the requestor comprises sending the status updates to a device of the requestor for presentation to the requestor.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd to the requestor comprises:

identifying the plurality of users in the desired crowd; and

sending a status update request to a third-party status update service that instructs the third-party status update service to send status updates sent by the plurality of users in the desired crowd to the requestor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the users in the at least one crowd of the one or more matching crowds to the requestor comprises effecting delivery of status updates sent by a plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds to the requestor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds to the requestor comprises:

identifying the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds;

obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds; and

sending the status updates to the requestor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds comprises obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds from a third-party status update service.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein obtaining the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds comprises receiving the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds from mobile devices of the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds as the status updates are sent by the plurality of users.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising sending the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds to a third-party status update service as the status updates are received.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein sending the status updates to the requestor comprises sending the status updates to a device of the requestor for presentation to the requestor.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein effecting delivery of the status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds to the requestor comprises:

identifying the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds; and

sending a status update request to a third-party status update service that instructs the third-party status update service to send status updates sent by the plurality of users in the one or more matching crowds to the requestor.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more matching crowds comprises identifying the one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to the predefined threshold degree based on aggregate profiles of the select crowd and the one or more matching crowds.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more matching crowds comprises identifying the one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to the predefined threshold degree based on geographic locations of the select crowd and the one or more matching crowds.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more matching crowds comprises identifying the one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to the predefined threshold degree based on crowd sizes of the select crowd and the one or more matching crowds.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more matching crowds comprises identifying the one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to the predefined threshold degree based on one or more crowd characteristics of the select crowd and the one or more matching crowds.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the select crowd is a current crowd in which the requestor is located at a time of the crowd match request.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the select crowd is a crowd selected by the requestor.

22. A server computer comprising:

a communication interface adapted to communicatively couple the server computer to a network; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

receive, via the communication interface, a crowd match request from a requestor that identifies a select crowd;

in response to the crowd match request, identify one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to a predefined threshold degree; and

effect delivery of status updates sent by users in at least one crowd of the one or more matching crowds to the requestor.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to:

receive, from a requestor, a crowd match request that identifies a select crowd;

in response to the crowd match request, identify one or more matching crowds that match the select crowd at least to a predefined threshold degree; and

effect delivery of status updates sent by users in at least one crowd of the one or more matching crowds to the requestor.