Method and System for Filtering Search Results for Maps Using Social Graph

• US 20140108383A1
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GPVTL Canada, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xtreme Labs Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Boris Kai-Tik, Wong, Kok King Tony, Winters, Joshua, Burgoon, Gregory Robert, Sentjens, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US14/049,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108383A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method is provided for selectively displaying locations on a map based on a user'"'"'s social graph. Place references are aggregated from a plurality of applications on the device. The user'"'"'s social graph is obtained from a social network. Socially relevant place references are determined by parsing the place references to identify participant references and matching at least one participant reference in a place reference to a relevant participant on the user'"'"'s social graph. When a search request for a location is received on the device, the location results are filtered to only those results matching a socially relevant place reference. These filtered location results are displayable on a map. A programmed mobile device is also provided for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method of selectively displaying locations on a map based on a user'"'"'s social graph, comprising using a programmed computing device to automatically carry out each of the following steps:

aggregating place references from a plurality of applications on the device;

obtaining and storing the user'"'"'s social graph from a social network, the social graph having nodes that identify participants and in which the user is a participant;

determining socially relevant place references by;

parsing the place references to identify participant references; and

matching at least one participant reference in a place reference to a relevant participant on the user'"'"'s social graph;

receiving a search request for a location and obtaining location results;

filtering the location results to identify those results matching a socially relevant place reference; and

providing an interface through which the filtered location results can be displayed on a map and identified as socially relevant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filtered location is a home or workplace of a participant in the user'"'"'s social graph.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filtered location is a location liked, favorited or positively reviewed by a participant in the user'"'"'s social graph.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filtered location is a location mentioned in a status or profile of a participant in the user'"'"'s social graph.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one filtered location is a location mentioned in the user'"'"'s status or profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the nodes include information, and the information from the user'"'"'s social graph and the aggregated place references are displayable together with the filtered location results on the map.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes a relationship between the participant identified in the node and the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user can select to display only location results wherein the related participants have a particular relationship to the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user can select to only display location results related to the user'"'"'s friends on the social graph.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes reviews of the locations by participants.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes comments about the locations by participants.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes past, present or future calendar entries or activities of the user or other participants mentioning the location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtered location results are further displayed with actionable items.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items include a link to call the location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items include a link to directions to the location.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a current location of the user at the time of the search request, wherein the directions are directions from the user'"'"'s current location to the location.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items include a link for making an online reservation at the location.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items include a link for setting a calendar appointment to attend at the location.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items include a link for purchasing or reserving tickets to attend an event at the location.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the link includes a link to invite someone to attend with the user at the location.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the link includes a link to launch an app.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the actionable items to be displayed are selected based on at least one of:

user past behaviour tracked on the device, user stated preferences, and probabilistically most-likely courses of action based on a detected operating context of the device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the operating context includes data received from sensors on the device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface displays on the map at least one photograph associated with a participant from the participant'"'"'s node on the social graph.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface displays on the map at least one photograph associated with a place reference associated with that participant.

26. A programmed mobile device for selectively displaying locations based on a user'"'"'s social graph, the device having resident software programmed for:

aggregating place references from a plurality of applications on the device;

obtaining and storing the user'"'"'s social graph from a social network, the social graph having nodes that identify participants and in which the user is a participant;

determining socially relevant place references by;

parsing the place references to identify participant references; and

matching at least one participant reference in a place reference to a relevant participant on the user'"'"'s social graph;

receiving a search request for a location and obtaining location results;

filtering the location results to identify those results matching a socially relevant place reference; and

providing an interface through which the filtered location results can be displayed on a map and identified as socially relevant.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the social graph is at least temporarily stored on the mobile device.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the social graph is remotely stored and accessible by query from the mobile device.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein information from the social graph is stored in a superset with the aggregated place references.