Online Systems and Methods for Advancing Information Organization Sharing and Collective Action

• US 20170024091A1
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jr., Gerald Douglas Hosier
• Original Assignee: Jr., Gerald Douglas Hosier
• Inventors: Hosier, Gerald Douglas Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,635,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Methods and systems and mobile device interfaces for creating, joining, organizing and managing via mobile devices affinity groups in a cloud computing environment for social and business purposes.

Claims

1. A social application for use with computing/communication devices having (i) displays for visually presenting information to users, and (ii) the capability to communicate, through a host cloud computing center, with other such devices that collectively comprise a device user community, the application having a device user/display screen interface comprising:

(a) one or more profile creation screens for enabling each device user within the community to compose and to edit that device user'"'"'s own profile, each such user created profile having an associated profile identifier;

(b) a tracked object creation screen having separate screen portions for enabling a tracked object creator to;

(i) specify tracked object members, (ii) assign a name to the tracked object, and (iii) make a post to the tracked object;

(c) a scrollable tracked objects list screen identifying those tracked objects created by the device user and those in which the user is a member of a tracked object created by another device user;

(d) a scrollable tracked object posts screen, accessed by selection of a particular tracked object on the list screen, for displaying posts made to the particular tracked object;

(e) one or more post creation screens for enabling at least the creator of a particular tracked object to make posts to the particular tracked object;

(f) a scrollable profile identifiers screen for each tracked object listing, from among the members of that tracked object, at least a profile identifier for the tracked object creator; and

(g) a scrollable profile viewing screen, accessed by selection of a particular profile identifier on the profile identifiers screen, for viewing the user created profile of the particular device user.

2. The social application of claim 1 and further including one or more screens for (i) viewing a profiles directory of those other device users within the community authorized by a particular device user to access the device user'"'"'s profile, (ii) selectively viewing the individual profiles of those other device users in the particular device user'"'"'s profile directory, and (ii) selectively deauthorizing individual device users listed in the particular device user'"'"'s profile directory from access to the particular device user'"'"'s profile.

3. The social application of claim 1 in which the one or more profiles creation screens includes a portion for user selection of privacy criteria including whether other members of the community may discover user specified portions of the user profile by search and whether those who discover a profile by search may message that device user, and in which a user may specify for discovery by search only stated user interests and may exclude from discovery by search the user'"'"'s personal information and identity.

4. The social application of claim 1 in which (i) a device user may select to create additional profiles by successively accessing the one or more profile creation screens, (ii) the plurality of device user created profiles are individually identified to the user on a profiles list screen, (iii) the device user may individually access and edit the plurality of profiles, and (iv) the device user may select which of the user'"'"'s profiles to use in association with any particular tracked object.

5. The social application of claim 1 in which the computing/communication devices comprise mobile phones with gesture sensitive displays, and in which for mobile phones (i) the individual tracked objects on the scrollable tracked object list screen are visually presented to the user as sequential, contiguous blocks occupying substantially the full screen width, (ii) the posts screen for a tracked object is accessed by gesture selection of that tracked object on the tracked objects list screen, (iii) individual posts identify which member made the post and when and do not include other message overhead, (iv) the profile identifiers screen identifies in separate gesture sensitive blocks the profile identifiers of the tracked object creator and at least some of the other tracked object members, (v) the profile identifiers are individually selectable by user gesture to open the associated profile, and (vi) message overhead not in posts is located in individual member profiles.

6. The social application of claim 5 in which (i) individual posts on the posts screen are presented in sequential contiguous blocks of standard cell size occupying substantially the full width of the display with posts longer than the standard cell size being opened, and scrollable as needed to full length, by gesture selection of the post, and (ii) gesture selection on a post of the identity of the member who made the post opens the profile of that member.

7. The social application of claim 5 in which tracked objects having new, unread posts (i) automatically move to the top portion of the tracked object list, and (ii) include a visual indica denoting the tracked object has a new post, and (iii) further in which tracked objects with new posts automatically return to their prior list position and the visual indica is removed following user selection of that tracked object.

8. The social application of claim 1 and further including one or more tracked object about profile creation screens for the tracked object creator to specify predetermined rules for the tracked object including at least one of (i) whether members others that the tracked object creator may post, (ii) whether members others that the tracked object creator may invite additional members to the tracked object, (iii) whether a member may delete the member'"'"'s own posts, (iv) whether the group is private to selected members, (v) whether the tracked object and associated posts and profiles are public and may be viewed by any member of the device user community, and (vi) whether the tracked object is discoverable by other community members via keyword search.

9. The social application of claim 8 and further including (i) an about profile identifier on the profile identifiers screen of each tracked object, and (ii) an about profile accessible to all tracked object members upon selection of the about profile identifier for stating the rules established for the tracked object by the tracked object creator, and further in which at least the tracked object creator may post to the about profile information of common interest to the tracked object members.

10. The social application of claim 9 in which a tracked object creator may create, in addition to the about profile, a plurality of information profiles for the tracked object, the profile identifiers for the plurality of information profiles all being listed on the profile identifiers screen and each of the plurality of profiles being individually viewable by tracked object members upon selection of the associated profile identifier.

11. The social application of claim 1 in which a tracked object creator may selectively authorize businesses and other organizations to post profiles to a tracked object with their respective profile identifiers being listed on the profiles identifier screen along with member profiles, and in which tracked object members may access such profiles by selection of the associated profile identifier on the profiles identifiers screen.

12. The social application of claim 1 in which the tracked object creator is an organization, and further including (i) a profile members screen for the organization in which the tracked object creator may selectively authorize more than one person to act on behalf of the organization within the tracked object including at least the making of certain posts, and (ii) a profile members profile identifiers screen listing the profile identifiers of each individual so authorized and in which selection of a particular member profile identifier opens the profile of that person.

13. The social application of claim 12 in which the organization is one of (i) an affinity group having affinity group members as tracked object members, (ii) a member association having association members as tracked object members, (iii) a business having prospective customers as tracked object members, and (v) an enterprise having enterprise employees as members.

14. The social application of claim 13 in which the tracked object creator is an organization having members with multiple areas of interest and in which the tracked object creator may select screens for creating multiple profiles, with associated profile identifiers for listing on the profile identifiers screen, for the tracked object each having information corresponding to at least some of the multiple areas of member interest.