AUTOMATIC CHECK-INS AND STATUS UPDATES

• US 20120124176A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ikorongo Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Teaneck Enterprises, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Scott, Svendsen, Hugh, Helpingstine, Michael W., Amidon, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for performing automatic check-ins and/or generating and sending automatic status updates based on social context. As used herein, a social context of a user is generally any data that describes a location at which the user is currently located or users that are spatially proximate to the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

obtaining one or more automatic location sharing rules for a user;

determining a social context of the user;

making a determination as to whether to automatically share a current location of the user based on the one or more automatic location sharing rules and the social context of the user; and

automatically sharing the current location of the user if the determination is made to automatically share the current location of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more automatic location sharing rules comprise one or more automatic check-in rules for the user;

making the determination as to whether to automatically share the current location of the user comprises making a determination as to whether to perform an automatic check-in for the user based on the one or more automatic check-in rules and the social context of the user; and

automatically sharing the current location of the user comprises performing an automatic check-in for the user if the determination is made to perform an automatic check-in for the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more automatic check-in rules define one or more social contexts for which automatic check-ins are permitted by the user.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein performing the automatic check-in for the user comprises performing the automatic check-in for the user at a Point of Interest (POI) that corresponds to the current location of the user.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein performing the automatic check-in for the user comprises performing the automatic check-in for the user via a third-party check-in service.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein performing the automatic check-in comprises automatically performing a check-in for the user at a Point of Interest (POI) that corresponds to the current location of the user without intervention of the user.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein performing the automatic check-in comprises:

obtaining confirmation from the user that the user desires to check-in to a Point of Interest (POI) that corresponds to the current location of the user; and

performing a check-in for the user at the POI upon receipt of confirmation from the user.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising enabling the user to delete past automatic check-ins.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising updating the one or more automatic check-in rules based on deletion of one or more past automatic check-ins.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises data that describes the current location of the user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the data that describes the current location of the user comprises a name of a Point of Interest (POI) that corresponds to the current location of the user.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the data that describes the current location of the user comprises data that defines a Point of Interest (POI) type for a POI that corresponds to the current location of the user.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the data that describes the current location of the user comprises data that describes an event being held at a venue corresponding to the current location of the user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises historical aggregate profile data for the current location of the user.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises an aggregate profile of a crowd of users in which the user is currently located.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises one or more aggregate profiles of one or more corresponding crowds of users located at or near the current location of the user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises a list of one or more friends of the user located at or near the current location of the user.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises a list of one or more friends of the user and one or more friends-of-friends of the user located at or near the current location of the user.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises a number of friends of the user that are located at or near the current location of the user.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises a number of friends and friends-of-friends of the user that are located at or near the current location of the user.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the social context of the user comprises a list of devices located at or near the current location of the user.

22. A server computer comprising:

a communication interface adapted to communicatively couple the server computer to a mobile device of a user via a network; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

obtain one or more automatic location sharing rules for the user;

determine a social context of the user at the mobile device;

make a determination as to whether to automatically share a current location of the user based on the one or more automatic location sharing rules and the social context of the user; and

automatically share the current location of the user if the determination is made to automatically share the current location of the user.

23. The server computer of claim 22 wherein:

the one or more automatic location sharing rules comprise one or more automatic check-in rules for the user;

in order to make the determination as to whether to automatically share the current location of the user, the controller is adapted to make a determination as to whether to perform an automatic check-in for the user based on the one or more automatic check-in rules and the social context of the user; and

in order to automatically share the current location of the user, the controller is adapted to perform an automatic check-in for the user if the determination is made to perform an automatic check-in for the user.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores software for instructing a controller of a computer to:

obtain one or more automatic location sharing rules for a user;

determine a social context of the user;

make a determination as to whether to automatically share a current location of the user based on the one or more automatic location sharing rules and the social context of the user; and

automatically share the current location of the user if the determination is made to automatically share the current location of the user.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein:

the one or more automatic location sharing rules comprise one or more automatic check-in rules for the user;

in order to make the determination as to whether to automatically share the current location of the user, the software instructs the controller to make a determination as to whether to perform an automatic check-in for the user based on the one or more automatic check-in rules and the social context of the user; and

in order to automatically share the current location of the user, the software instructs the controller to perform an automatic check-in for the user if the determination is made to perform an automatic check-in for the user.