ZONE BASED ANONYMOUS CONTENT SHARING

• US 20160050525A1
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yik Yak, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yik Yak, Inc.
• Inventors: Droll, Tyler, Buffington, Brooks
• Application Number:
  US14/458,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050525A1
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide zone based anonymous content sharing platform. The platform may determine a first user'"'"'s location. Then, a first zone may be established to correspond to the first user'"'"'s location. The first user may be provided a first set of functions configured to enable the first user to interact with other users within in the first zone. Next, the platform may determine a second user'"'"'s location. Upon a determination that, the second user is not located within the first zone, the platform may provide the second user with a second set of functions configured to enable the second user to interact with the other users within the first zone. The second set of functions may be a subset of the first set of functions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first user'"'"'s location;

establishing a first zone based on the first user'"'"'s location;

receiving a first content from the first user;

determining at least one other user within the first zone; and

sharing the first content with the at least one other user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second content from the at least one other user;

determining the at least one other user'"'"'s location; and

sharing the second content with the first user if the at least one other user'"'"'s location was determined to be within the first zone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the at least one other user'"'"'s location comprises:

establishing a second zone based on the at least one other user'"'"'s location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sharing the second content with the first user comprises:

sharing the second content with the first user if at least a portion of the first zone overlaps with a portion of the second zone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second content from the at least one other user;

determining the at least one other user'"'"'s location;

establishing a second zone based on the at least one other user'"'"'s location; and

sharing the content to at least one additional user located in the second zone.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user to view content shared in the second zone;

determining, in response to the received request, that the first zone and the second zone do not overlap;

enabling, in response to the determination that the first zone and the second one do not overlap the first user to view content shared in the second zone while prohibiting the first user from sharing content with the at least one other user the second zone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user to view content shared in a second zone, the second zone not overlapping with the first zone;

enabling, in response to the received request the first user to view content shared in the second zone while prohibiting the first user from sharing content with the at least one other user the second zone.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a list of predefined zones located remotely from the first user, the list of predefined zones being associated a location that is not within the first zone corresponding to the first user; and

wherein receiving the request to view content shared in the second zone comprises;

receiving a selection from the list of predefined zones.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to select a location on a map.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing a second zone for a user-selected location on the map;

determining whether at least a portion of the first zone overlaps at least a portion of the second zone; and

when the first zone overlaps the second zone in the at least one portion, enabling the first user to share and view content with at least one other user located within at least one of the following;

the first zone, and

the second zone;

when the first zone does not overlap the second zone in the least one portion, enabling the first user to share and view content within the first zone while enabling the first user to only view content, but not share content, within the second zone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the first zone based on the first user'"'"'s location comprises:

determining a predefined zone that is at least one of the following;

surrounding the first user'"'"'s location, and

closest in proximity to the first user'"'"'s location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein establishing the first zone based on the first user'"'"'s location comprises:

extending a predefined radius from the first user'"'"'s location.

13. A computer-readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computing device, are configured to perform a method, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

determining a first user'"'"'s location;

establishing a first zone for the first user based on the first user'"'"'s location;

providing the first user with a first set of functions configured to enable the first user to interact with other users within in the first zone;

determining a second user'"'"'s location;

determining that the second user is not located within the first zone;

receiving a first request from the second user to interact with the other users within the first zone; and

providing, in response to the received first request, the second user with a second set of functions configured to enable the second user to interact with the other users within the first zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the second user with the second set of functions to interact with the other users within the first zone comprises:

providing the second user with a subset of the first set of functions.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

establishing a second zone for the second user based on the second user'"'"'s location;

receiving a second request from the first user to interact within the second zone;

determining that the first user is not within the second zone; and

providing the first user with the second set of functions configured to enable the first user to interact with the second user within the second zone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the first user with the second set of functions configured to enable the first user to interact with the second user within the second zone comprises:

providing the first user with a subset of the first set of functions.

17. A system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit associated with the memory storage, the processing unit being operative to;

determine a first user'"'"'s location;

establish a first zone based on the first user'"'"'s location;

receive a first content from the first user;

share the first content with at least one other user associated with the first zone; and

providing a plurality of functions to all users associated with the first zone, wherein users physically present within the first zone receive the plurality of functions and other users not physically present within the first zone receive a subset of the plurality of functions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive a second content from the at least one other user;

determine the at least one other user'"'"'s location; and

share the second content with the first user if the at least one other user'"'"'s location was determined to be within the first zone.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit being operative to establish the first zone comprises the processing unit being operative to:

determine a predefined zone that is at least one of the following;

surrounding the first user'"'"'s location, and

closest in proximity to the first user'"'"'s location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first zone based on the first user'"'"'s location comprises a geographic area encompassing the first user'"'"'s location.