System and Method for Identifying Nearby, Compatible Users

• US 20130145288A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoosk Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zoosk Incorporated
• Inventors: Zadeh, Shayan G., Mehr, Alexander F., Gotlieb, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 11,385,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A system and method displays to a user nearby other user'"'"'s compatible with that user.

Claims

1. A method of displaying location information of at least one first user to a second user, comprising:

receiving location information from a plurality of third users comprising the at least one first user, and from the second user;

receiving from the second user information indicating at least one preference for a plurality of characteristics of other users;

receiving from each of the plurality of third users information comprising a plurality of characteristics of that user;

selecting the at least one first user from the plurality of third users responsive to the current locations of the plurality of third users and the second user, the preference of the second user and the characteristics of the plurality of the third users; and

displaying to the second user information responsive to the location information of the at least one first user selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step is additionally responsive to a distance between an object and the locations of the plurality of third users and the distance between the object and the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a public meeting space.

4. The method of claim 1:

additionally comprising receiving identifiers of friends of the second user and friends of the plurality of third users; and

wherein the selecting step is additionally responsive to at least one selected from a group comprising the identifiers of the friends of the plurality of third users and the identifiers of the friends of the second user.

5. The method of claim 1:

additionally comprising substantially identifying a speed of travel of the second user responsive to the location information received; and

wherein the selecting step is additionally responsive to the speed of travel of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selecting step is additionally responsive to a length of time the second user has been registered to a web site.

7. The method of claim 1:

additionally comprising;

notifying at least one of the at least one first users responsive to the selecting step; and

receiving a response to the notification from at least one of the at least one first users notified; and

wherein the displaying step for a given first user notified is responsive to the response received from that first user.

8. A system for displaying location information of at least one first user to a second user, comprising:

a GPS receipt manager having an input coupled for receiving location information from a plurality of third users comprising the at least one first user, and location information from the second user, the GPS receipt manager for providing at an output the location information;

a profile/preference manager having an input for receiving from the second user information indicating at least one preference for a plurality of characteristics of other users and for receiving from each of the plurality of third users information comprising a plurality of characteristics of that user, the profile/preference manager for providing at an output the at least one preference and the information comprising the plurality of characteristics;

a selection manager having an input coupled to the GPS receipt manager output for receiving the location information and to the profile/preference manager for receiving the at least one preference and the information comprising the plurality of characteristics, the selection manager for selecting the at least one first user from the plurality of third users responsive to the current locations of the plurality of third users and the second user, the preference of the second user and the characteristics of the plurality of the third users and providing at an output information responsive to the location information of the at least one first user selected; and

a visibility manager having an input coupled to the selection manager output for receiving the information responsive to the location information of the at least one first user selected, the visibility manager for providing for display to the second user the information responsive to the location information of the at least one first user selected.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the selection manager input is additionally for receiving a location of at least one object; and

the selection manager selects the at least one first user from the plurality of third users additionally responsive to a distance between at least one of the at least one object and the locations of the plurality of third users and the distance between at least one of the at least one object and the location of the second user.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the object is a public meeting space.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the selection manager input is additionally for receiving identifiers of friends of the second user and friends of the plurality of third users; and

the selection manager selects the at least one first user from the plurality of third users additionally responsive to at least one selected from a group comprising the identifiers of the friends of the plurality of third users and the identifiers of the friends of the second user.

12. The system of claim 8:

additionally comprising a vehicle detection manager having an input coupled to the GPS receipt manager output for receiving at least some of the location information of the second user, the vehicle detection manager for substantially identifying and providing at an output a speed of travel of the second user responsive to the at least some of the location information and for providing an indicia of speed of the second user responsive to the at least some of the location information; and

wherein the selection manager input is additionally coupled to the vehicle detection manager output for receiving the indicia of speed of the second user, and the selection manager selects the at least one first user from the plurality of third users additionally responsive to the speed of travel of the second user.

13. The system of claim 8:

additionally comprising a thresholds manager having an input coupled for receiving a length of time the second user has been registered to a web site, the thresholds manager for computing and providing at an output at least one threshold responsive to the length of time received at the thresholds manager input; and

wherein the selection manager input is additionally coupled to the thresholds manager output for receiving the at least one threshold, and the selection manager selects the at least one first user from the plurality of third users additionally responsive to at least one of the at least one threshold.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the visibility manager is additionally for sending a message to at least one of the at least one first user via the visibility manager output to which a response having content may be received by the visibility manager; and

the visibility manager provides the location information responsive to at least one selected from a group comprising whether a response was received and the content of any response received.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for displaying location information of at least one first user to a second user, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

receive location information from a plurality of third users comprising the at least one first user, and from the second user;

receive from the second user information indicating at least one preference for a plurality of characteristics of other users;

receive from each of the plurality of third users information comprising a plurality of characteristics of that user;

select the at least one first user from the plurality of third users responsive to the current locations of at least some of the plurality of third users and the second user, the preference of the second user and the characteristics of the plurality of the third users; and

display to the second user information responsive to the location information of the at least one first user selected.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to select are additionally responsive to a distance between an object and the locations of the plurality of third users and the distance between the object and the second user.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the object is a public meeting space.

18. The computer program product of claim 15:

additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to receive identifiers of friends of the second user and friends of the plurality of third users; and

wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to select are additionally responsive to at least one selected from a group comprising the identifiers of the friends of the plurality of third users and the identifiers of the friends of the second user.

19. The computer program product of claim 15:

additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to substantially identify a speed of travel of the second user responsive to the location information received; and

wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to select are additionally responsive to the speed of travel of the second user.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to select are additionally responsive to a length of time the second user has been registered to a web site.

21. The computer program product of claim 15:

additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to;

notify at least one of the at least one first users responsive to the selecting step; and

receive a response to the notification from at least one of the at least one first users notified; and

wherein the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to display for a given first user notified are responsive to the response received from that first user.