METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A SOCIAL EVENT OPPORTUNITY NOTIFICATION

• US 20160134430A1
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wohlert, Randolph, Pratt, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,705,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for arranging event opportunities are disclosed. For example, the method detects the event opportunity that matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, verifies a safety parameter for one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users, and if the safety parameter is satisfied, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users.

Claims

1. A method for arranging an event opportunity, the method comprising:

detecting, by a processor deployed in a communication network, the event opportunity that matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the event opportunity is provided by a third-party that is different from the at least two users;

verifying, by the processor, a safety parameter for one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to satisfy in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users;

when the safety parameter is satisfied, sending, by the processor, an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and

providing, by the processor, contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined with respect to all event opportunities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying safety parameter further comprises:

attempting to determining whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter; and

when there is insufficient information to determine whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter, prompting the second of the at least two users to provide additional information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring location information with respect to each of the at least two users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring calendar information with respect to each of the at least two users.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations for arranging an event opportunity, the operations comprising:

detecting the event opportunity that matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the event opportunity is provided by a third-party that is different from the at least two users;

verifying a safety parameter for one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to satisfy in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users;

when the safety parameter is satisfied, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and

providing contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined with respect to all event opportunities.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the verifying the safety parameter further comprises:

attempting to determining whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter; and

when there is insufficient information to determine whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter, prompting the second of the at least two users to provide additional information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

monitoring location information with respect to each of the at least two users.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

monitoring calendar information with respect to each of the at least two users.

15. A device comprising:

a processor deployed in a communication network; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

detecting the event opportunity that matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the event opportunity is provided by a third-party that is different from the at least two users;

verifying a safety parameter for one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to satisfy in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users;

when the safety parameter is satisfied, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and

providing contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

17. The device of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

18. The device of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined with respect to all event opportunities.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the verifying the safety parameter further comprises:

attempting to determining whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter; and

when there is insufficient information to determine whether the second of the at least two users satisfies the safety parameter, prompting the second of the at least two users to provide additional information.

20. The device of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

monitoring location information with respect to each of the at least two users;

or

monitoring calendar information with respect to each of the at least two users.