IDENTIFYING USERS SHARING COMMON CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20130179525A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Granito, Jennifer, Greenberg, Steve, Wick, Andy, Jarmolowski, Tom, Keister, Alan, Rephlo, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 9,203,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Displaying electronic information in an instant-messaging application includes accessing a first electronic message providing information describing a first user that has an identifier included in a set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application. A second electronic message providing information describing a second user that has an identifier included in the set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application is accessed. Content contained within the first and second messages is analyzed to determine that at least a portion of content is common to the first and second electronic messages. Based upon the content analysis, an indication that the first and second messages include common content is provided to the user. Alternatively or additionally, an indication that two users are in physical proximity to a geographic location may be provided in response to detecting that the two users are within a threshold distance from the geographic location.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. A method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, a location of a first user of a communications system based on location information of a mobile device associated with the first user;

determining that a second user of the communications system is at or near the location of the first user; and

sending an electronic message to the mobile device associated with first user indicating that the second user is at or near the location of the first user.

44. The method as recited in claim 43, further comprising:

determining that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user; and

providing an indication that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein providing the second indication comprises sending a second electronic message to mobile device associated with the first user.

46. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein determining that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user comprises determining that the second user is not within a predetermined distance of the location of the first user.

47. The method as recited in claim 43, wherein the electronic message comprises a text message.

48. The method as recited in claim 43, wherein the electronic message comprises an instant message.

49. The method as recited in claim 43, further comprising analyzing a third electronic message containing the information provided by the second user to determine a location of the second user.

50. The method as recited in claim 49, wherein the third electronic message comprises a message posted to an information feed associated with the second user, the information feed comprising information periodically provided by the second user for viewing by co-users of the communications system.

51. The method as recited in claim 43, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile phone.

52. The method as recited in claim 43, further comprising:

determining that a third user and a fourth user are at a common location; and

providing an indication to the mobile device that the third and fourth users are at the common location.

53. The method as recited in claim 52, wherein the common location differs from the location of the first user.

54. A method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, a location of a first user of a communications system based on GPS information of a mobile device associated with the first user;

determining that a second user of the communications system is at or near the location of the first user; and

providing an indication via the mobile device that the second user is at or near the location of the first user.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein providing the indication via the mobile device comprises displaying an electronic message on the mobile device indicating that the second user is near the first user.

56. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein providing the indication via the mobile device comprises displaying an icon in a graphical user interface displayed on the mobile device.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein:

the graphical user interface includes a list of co-users of the communications system associated with the first user; and

the icon is displayed next to a name associated with second user in the list of co-users.

58. The method as recited in claim 57, wherein providing the indication via the mobile device that the second user is at or near the location of the first user further comprises rearranging a position of the name associated with the second user in the list of co-users.

59. The method as recited in claim 58, further comprising:

determining that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user; and

providing a second indication via the mobile device that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user.

60. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein providing the second indication comprises removing the icon.

61. The method as recited in claim 60, wherein determining that the second user is no longer at or near the location of the first user comprises determining that the second user is not within a predetermined distance of the location of the first user.

62. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein determining that the second user is at or near the location of the first user comprises receiving, from a server, a location of a mobile device associated with the second user.

63. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein determining that the second user is at or near the location of the first user comprises analyzing a message from the second user and determining a location of the second user based on the message from the second user.

70. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein providing the second indication comprises removing the icon.

64. A method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, an attribute of a first user of a communications system;

determining that a second user of the communications system has the attribute; and

providing a first indication that the second user and the first user share the attribute.

65. The method as recited in claim 64, further comprising:

determining that the second user no longer has the attribute; and

providing a second indication that the second user no longer has the attribute.

66. The method as recited in claim 65, wherein providing the first indication that the second user and the first user share the attribute comprises sending an electronic message to one or more of a first mobile device associated with the first user or a second mobile device associated with the second user.

67. The method as recited in claim 65, wherein providing the first indication that the second user and the first user share the attribute comprises displaying an icon in a graphical user interface displayed on a first mobile device associated with the first user.

68. The method as recited in claim 67, wherein:

the graphical user interface includes a list of co-users of the communications system associated with the first user; and

the icon is displayed next to a name associated with second user in the list of co-users.

69. The method as recited in claim 68, wherein providing the first indication that the second user and the first user share the attribute comprises rearranging a position of the name associated with the second user in the list of co-users.

71. The method as recited in claim 64, wherein the attribute comprises participation in a particular activity.

72. The method as recited in claim 64, wherein the attribute comprises attendance at a particular event.

73. The method as recited in claim 64, wherein the attribute comprises presence at a particular location.