PROXIMITY-RELATED USER GROUPS
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more configured computing systems, an indication of a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas and one or more associated interaction rules related to allowable types of user activities;
determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, multiple users to participate in the virtual group, at least some of the multiple users having current geographical locations within the one or more associated geographical areas of the virtual group, the determining of one or more of the multiple users being made in response to requests received from the one or more users; and
enabling, by the one or more configured computing systems, communications for the virtual group with communication-capable devices of the multiple users in accordance with the interaction rules.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to inter-communicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.
-
Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
-
receiving, by one or more configured computing systems, an indication of a location-based virtual group of users that has one or more associated geographical areas and one or more associated interaction rules related to allowable types of user activities; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, multiple users to participate in the virtual group, at least some of the multiple users having current geographical locations within the one or more associated geographical areas of the virtual group, the determining of one or more of the multiple users being made in response to requests received from the one or more users; and enabling, by the one or more configured computing systems, communications for the virtual group with communication-capable devices of the multiple users in accordance with the interaction rules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents configure a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
-
receiving, by the configured computing device, an indication of a location-based virtual group having one or more associated geographical areas and one or more associated user interaction rules; determining, by the configured computing device, multiple users to participate in the virtual group, the determining of one or more of the multiple users being made in response to requests received from the one or more users; and enabling, by the configured computing device, communications for the virtual group with communication-capable devices of the multiple users. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
-
-
57. A configured computing system comprising:
-
one or more processors; and a first component configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, facilitate functionality for a location-based virtual group by; receiving one or more indications of one or more associated geographical areas for the virtual group and of one or more associated user interaction rules for the virtual group; determining multiple users to participate in the virtual group, the determining of one or more of the multiple users being made in response to requests received from the one or more users; and enabling communications for the virtual group with communication-capable devices of the multiple users. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
-
Specification