Network-based crossing paths notification service

• US 7,386,464 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Robertson, Brian D., Adams, Warren W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US11/022,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 6, 705/9
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 : Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A network-based contact management system provides various features for assisting users in locating, and sharing information with, other users. The system provides a web-based user interface through which each may user create a personal data record, establish contact relationships with other users, and specify permissions for allowing such other users to view the user'"'"'s own personal data. Users can preferably view the personal data records of their respective contacts via personal address books in accordance with the permissions granted by such contacts. A search feature enables each user to search for contacts of that user'"'"'s own contacts to locate other users of interest. A crossing paths notification feature notifies users when their travel plans coincide with those of their contacts.

Claims

1. A network-based contact management system, comprising:

a user interface represented in a server, said user interface providing functionality for users to specify personal travel plans data, and to specify permissions data that identifies other users that are authorized to be notified of travel events specified by the personal travel plans data;

a database that stores the personal travel plans data and permissions data specified by the users via the user interface; and

a program module executed by at least one computer, wherein the program module analyzes the travel plans data in accordance with the permissions data to detect, and notify users of, crossing paths events in which two users are scheduled to be in a common location during travel by at least one of the two users, wherein the program module detects crossing paths events for a first user that is scheduled to travel to a destination location, at least in part, by doing at least one of the following;

(a) searching for contacts of the first user that are scheduled to travel to within a selected distance of the destination location;

(b) searching for contacts of the first user that live within a selected distance of the destination location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the program module detects said crossing paths events for the first user at least in part by searching for contacts of the first user that are scheduled to travel to within a selected distance of the destination location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the program module detects said crossing paths events for the first user at least in part by searching for contacts of the first user that live within a selected distance of the destination location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the database additionally includes personal data records of the users, and the permissions data specifies permissions granted by each respective user for allowing specific contacts of the respective user to view information from the personal data record of the respective user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface includes a personal address book interface through which each user can view information about his or her respective contacts in accordance with the permissions.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface additionally provides an option for each first user to search the database for contacts of contacts of the respective first user.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a networked server system that hosts the user interface and program module and provides access to the database.

8. A computer-implemented method of facilitating the scheduling of meetings between remote individuals, comprising:

receiving travel event data that specifies a travel event of a first user;

identifying a plurality of additional users in address book data of the first user;

comparing the travel event data with data reflective of travel schedules of the plurality of additional users to determine whether any of the additional users are scheduled to be within a selected distance of the first user during said travel event; and

in response to detecting a crossing paths event in which an additional user is scheduled to be within said selected distance of the first user during said travel event, notifying the first user of the crossing paths event.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the crossing paths event is an event in which the first user is scheduled to travel to a base location of the additional user.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein the crossing paths event is an event in which the first user and the additional user are scheduled to travel to the same city.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein the plurality of additional users consists of contacts of the first user as reflected in a contact management system.

12. The method as in claim 8, further comprising identifying said additional users based at least in part on crossing paths permissions specified by contacts of the first user.

13. The method as in claim 8, wherein the step of notifying the first user is performed by transmitting a web page to a client computer of the first user.

14. The method as in claim 8, wherein the method is performed by a web-based sewer system that provides functionality for users to selectively establish links to other users.

15. A networked sewer system programmed to perform a method comprising:

receiving travel event data that specifies a travel event of a first user;

identifying a plurality of additional users in address book data of the first user;

comparing the travel event data with data reflective of travel schedules of the plurality of additional users to determine whether any of the additional users are scheduled to be within a selected distance of the first user during said travel event; and

in response to detecting a crossing paths event in which an additional user is scheduled to be within said selected distance of the first user during said travel event, notifying the first user of the crossing paths event.

16. A computer-readable medium which stores an executable computer program that embodies a method, said method comprising:

accessing travel event data that specifies a travel event of a first user, said travel event including a destination location;

identifying a plurality of contacts of the first user;

comparing the travel event data with data reflective of travel schedules of the plurality of contacts to assess whether any of the contacts will be in the destination location during said travel event, wherein comparing the travel event data comprises detecting a crossing paths event in which;

(a) the first user is scheduled to travel to a base location of a contact, or (b) the first user and a contact are both scheduled to travel to said destination location; and

in response to detecting the crossing paths event, causing the first user to be notified.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method comprises detecting a crossing paths event in which the first user is scheduled to travel to a base location of a contact.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method comprises detecting a crossing paths event in which the first user and a contact are both scheduled to travel to said destination location.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein identifying a plurality of contacts comprises accessing stored permission data to identify contacts that have granted a crossing paths notification permission to the first user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, in combination with a web server that provides functionality for a user to submit travel event data, and to authorize other users to receive crossing paths notifications derived therefrom.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the computer program is configured to cause the first user to be notified of the crossing paths event via transmission of a web page to a client computer of the first user.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the destination location is a destination city.

23. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing travel event data that specifies a travel event of a user, said travel event including a destination location;

identifying a plurality of contacts of the user;

comparing the travel event data with data reflective of schedules of the plurality of contacts to assess whether any of the contacts will be in the destination location during said travel event; and

based on said comparison, detecting, and causing the user to be notified, that a contact is scheduled to be in the destination location during the travel event;

wherein the method comprises at least one of the following;

(a) determining whether the user is scheduled to travel to a base location of the contact;

(b) determining whether the user and the contact are scheduled to travel to said destination location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the method comprises determining whether the user is scheduled to travel to a base location of the contact.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the method comprises determining whether the user and the contact are scheduled to travel to said destination location.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the method comprises using latitude and longitude data to assess whether the user and any of said contacts will be in a common location.