LOCATION-BASED AUTOMATED CHECK-IN TO A SOCIAL NETWORK RECOGNIZED LOCATION USING A TOKEN

• US 20130040654A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Parish, Adam S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A user with a user account on a social network uses an interface to communicate user identification information and the user'"'"'s intent to participate in a social network application. The user also communicates an identifier associated with an entitlement token to the social network application. When a server receives, from a device at a fixed location, a message indicative of the user'"'"'s presence at the fixed location as determined by the receipt of the identifier and a site specific identifier, the server generates and sends a communication sufficient to cause the social network to implement a behavior as if the user had generated a message to the social network from their mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for enabling participation in a social network, the method comprising:

receiving user identification information including an identifier associated with an entitlement token and a user indication of intent to participate in a location-based service; and

receiving, from a device at a fixed location, a first message responsive to presentment of the entitlement token and including an identifier associated with the fixed location and formatted for a location-based service interface associated with a social network, the first message sufficient to cause the social network to implement at least one behavior.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving user identification information and a user indication of intent to participate is communicated via a website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification information is associated with an entitlement token.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the entitlement token is selected from the group consisting of a printed ticket, a gift card, a resort benefit card, and an encoded image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message sufficient to cause the social network to implement the at least one behavior comprises communicating a user status as if the user had sent a second message from a mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein communicating a user status is responsive to periodic analysis of an information table.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein periodic analysis of the information table confirms presentment of a user'"'"'s entitlement token to establish a presumed presence of the user at a specific location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a device at a fixed location, the first message formatted for a location-based service interface associated with a social network comprises using a magnetic stripe scanner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a device at a fixed location, the first message formatted for a location-based service interface associated with a social network comprises using an optical scanner.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from a device at a fixed location, the first message formatted for a location-based service interface associated with a social network comprises using a radio-frequency scanner.

11. A method for enabling participation in a location-based social network application, the method comprising:

receiving, on a social network interface, a user initiated communication including an identifier associated with an entitlement token;

linking a user account on the social network to the identifier associated with the entitlement token;

receiving, from a fixed location, an indication that the entitlement token was presented; and

generating, in response to the indication that the entitlement token was presented at the fixed location, a communication sufficient to cause the social network to modify user information on the social network indicative of the user'"'"'s presence at the fixed location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving, on a social network application interface, a user initiated communication further comprises receiving a portion of a gift card account number.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving, on a social network application interface, further comprises receiving a portion of a resort card account number.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving, from a fixed location, comprises a scan of the entitlement token.

15. A system for monitoring and presenting human activity, comprising:

a server coupled to a network and operable under program control to provide a location-based service to a social network, the server including;

a user interface that prompts a user of the social network to communicate an identifier associated with an entitlement token, the server linking the identifier with user account information on the social network; and

a processor configured to receive from a fixed location the identifier associated with the entitlement token and in response to the identifier, generate a message that directs the social network to update a user status on the social network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface receives an identifier associated with an entitlement token that can be scanned upon presentment.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the identifier associated with an entitlement token includes a unique portion of an account number.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor periodically checks a cache of identifiers received from entitlement tokens presented at the fixed location.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor further receives a site identifier associated with the fixed location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor publishes the user status responsive to the site identifier on the social network.