SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GEO-LOCATION BASED MESSAGE STREAMS

• US 20150163630A1
• Filed: 12/06/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MapQuest, Inc. (System1 LLC)
• Inventors: HUGHES, Joseph D. Jr., BARBARA, Joseph, HILL, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for communicating virtual messages through a location-based message stream for different mobile device users. A geo-fenced area surrounding a desired geographic location for a virtual message stream is generated based on parameters received from a first user. The parameters include at least one message to be sent to one or more recipients via the message stream. When a mobile device of a second user located within the generated geo-fenced area is detected and the second user is determined to be one of the message recipients, the message from the message stream is transmitted to the detected mobile device of the second user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing virtual messages through a location-based message stream, the method comprising:

receiving, from a computing device of a first user via a network, parameters for a message stream to be associated with a desired geographic location, the parameters including at least one message to be sent to one or more recipients via the message stream;

generating a geo-fenced area surrounding the desired geographic location for the message stream based on the received parameters;

detecting a presence of a mobile device of a second user within the generated geo-fenced area;

determining whether the second user is any of the one or more recipients based on the detection; and

transmitting the message to the detected mobile device of the second user, when the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining whether the second user is subscribed to receive messages via the message stream,

wherein the message is transmitted to the mobile device of the second user only when the mobile device of the second user is determined to be subscribed to receive messages via the message stream and the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters for the message stream include an expiration time, and the message stream and geo-fenced area corresponding to the message stream are removed after the expiration time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameters received from the first user include parameters for defining a virtual boundary of the geo-fenced area corresponding to the message stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first user, the second user, and the one or more recipients are users of a social networking service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more recipients are members of a predefined social group associated with the first user within the social networking service.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients, providing an interface at the detected mobile device for the second user to add at least one additional message to the message stream, wherein the additional message is transmitted to respective mobile devices of the first user and any of the other one or more recipients when each of the mobile devices are detected within the geo-fenced area associated with the message stream.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameters for the message stream include a scope of the message stream, the scope specifying which users of the social networking service qualify as the one or more recipients of the message to be transmitted via the message stream.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the scope of the message stream is either a public scope or a private scope.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving additional parameters for a private message stream corresponding to a second geo-fenced area to be generated within the previously generated geo-fenced area; and

generating the second geo-fenced area within the previously generated geo-fenced area based on the received additional parameters,

wherein the second geo-fenced area corresponding to the private message stream is used for transmitting messages having a private scope and the previously generated geo-fenced area corresponding to the original message stream is used to transmit messages having a public scope.

11. A system for providing virtual messages through a location-based message stream, the system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to;

receive, from a computing device of a first user via a network, parameters for a message stream to be associated with a desired geographic location, the parameters including at least one message to be sent to one or more recipients via the message stream;

generate a geo-fenced area surrounding the desired geographic location for the message stream based on the received parameters;

detect a presence of a mobile device of a second user within the generated geo-fenced area;

determine whether the second user is any of the one or more recipients based on the detection; and

transmit the message to the detected mobile device of the second user, when the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions to:

determine whether the second user is subscribed to receive messages via the message stream,

wherein the message is transmitted to the mobile device of the second user only when the mobile device of the second user is determined to be subscribed to receive messages via the message stream and the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the parameters for the message stream include an expiration time, and the message stream and geo-fenced area corresponding to the message stream are removed after the expiration time.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the parameters received from the first user include parameters for defining a virtual boundary of the geo-fenced area corresponding to the message stream.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the first user, the second user, and the one or more recipients are members of a social networking service.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more recipients are members of a predefined social group associated with the first user within the social networking service.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform functions to:

provide an interface at the detected mobile device for the second user to add at least one additional message to the message stream when the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients, wherein the additional message is transmitted to respective mobile devices of the first user and any of the other one or more recipients when each of the mobile devices are detected within the geo-fenced area associated with the message stream.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the parameters for the message stream include a scope of the message stream, the scope specifying which users of the social networking service qualify as the one or more recipients of the message to be transmitted via the message stream.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the scope of the message stream is either a public scope or a private scope, and the processor is further configured to perform functions to:

receive additional parameters for a private message stream corresponding to a second geo-fenced area to be generated within the previously generated geo-fenced area; and

generate the second geo-fenced area within the previously generated geo-fenced area based on the received additional parameters,

wherein the second geo-fenced area corresponding to the private message stream is used for transmitting messages having a private scope and the previously generated geo-fenced area corresponding to the original message stream is used to transmit messages having a public scope.

20. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform functions to:

receive, from a computing device of a first user via a network, parameters for a message stream to be associated with a desired geographic location, the parameters including at least one message to be sent to one or more recipients via the message stream;

generate a geo-fenced area surrounding the desired geographic location for the message stream based on the received parameters;

detect presence of a mobile device of a second user within the generated geo-fenced area;

determine whether the second user is any of the one or more recipients based on the detection; and

transmit the message to the detected mobile device of the second user, when the second user is determined to be at least one of the one or more recipients.