Wireless communications with proximal targets identified visually, aurally, or positionally

• US 8,014,763 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Martin Hymes
• Original Assignee: Charles Martin Hymes
• Inventors: Hymes, Charles Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier; Michael T
• Application Number:
  US11/279,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/26 Devices for calling a subscriber H04M1/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method of exchanging data comprises specifying in a first electronic device a recipient via perceptual addressing, and sending information from the first electronic device indicating an intent to conditionally communicate with the recipient only upon an expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device. In a further example, a conditional message is sent from the first electronic device to the specified recipient electronic device such that the conditional message is visible to a recipient device user only upon the expression of interest from the recipient in communicating with a user of the first electronic device.

Claims

1. A system for mediating communications between people that can perceive each other, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed, enables the system to;

direct to a first wireless communication terminal operated by a first person information about perceivable characteristics of at least one of individual persons or objects associated with the individual persons, in such a way that enables the first person to indicate to the first communication terminal a selection of a particular person who is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceivable to the first person at the time the first person indicates the first person'"'"'s selection to the first communication terminal;

receive from the first communication terminal information indicating a selection of a particular second person;

direct a second wireless communication terminal operated by the second person to convey to the second person a first message as a result of the receiving from the first communication terminal the information indicating the second person, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the first message is performed while the first person is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person, and wherein the conveying of the first message to the second person does not enable the second person to visually identify the first person as a person who has expressed interest in communicating with the second person in particular;

direct to the second communication terminal information about perceivable characteristics of at least one of individual persons or objects associated with the individual persons, in such a way that enables the second person to indicate to the second communication terminal a selection of a particular person who is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person at the time the second person indicates the second person'"'"'s selection to the second communication terminal;

receive from the second communication terminal information indicating a selection of the first person in particular, wherein the receiving of the information from the first communication terminal indicating the selection of the second person occurs prior to the receiving of the information from the second communication terminal indicating the selection of the first person; and

direct the second communication terminal to convey to the second person a second message, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the second message is performed after the receiving of both the information from the first communication terminal indicating the selection of the second person and the information from the second communication terminal indicating the selection of the first person, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the second message is performed while the first person is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person, and wherein the conveying of the second message to the second person enables the second person to visually identify the first person as a person who has expressed interest in communicating with the second person.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the first wireless communication terminal; and

the second wireless communication terminal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein instructions stored in the memory, when executed, further enables the system to:

direct the first communication terminal to convey a third message to the first person after the receiving of both the information from the first communication terminal indicating the second person and the information from the second communication terminal indicating the first person, wherein the directing the first communication terminal to convey the third message to the second person is performed while the second person is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceivable to the first person, and wherein the third message comprises at least one of a means for the first person to contact the second person or information that indicates one person in particular perceivable to the first person in the first person'"'"'s physical environment, the one person being the second person.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the second and third messages comprises a notification of a third level of interest that is equivalent to the lesser level of interest of a first level of interest in the second person expressed by the first person and a second level of interest in the first person expressed by the second person.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further enabled to:

compare social contacts for the first person with social contacts for the second person, wherein the second message comprises information descriptive of at least one common social contact identified in both the list of contacts for the first person and the list of contacts for the second person.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second message comprises information descriptive of a social link relationship between the first and second persons.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the information descriptive of the social link relationship indicates multiple levels of social separation between the first and second persons.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is further enabled to:

maintain a database of people with a corresponding list of friends, family, and acquaintances;

determine a social network model for each of the people; and

determine a social link relationships between the first and second persons based upon the social network models.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information descriptive of the social link relationship indicates multiple levels of social separation between the first and second persons.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first message or second message comprises auditory information.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first message or second message comprises visual information.

13. A method of mediating communications between people that can perceive each other, performed by a data processing system, the method comprising:

directing to a first wireless communication terminal operated by a first person information about perceivable characteristics of at least one of individual persons or objects associated with the individual persons, in such a way that enables the first person to indicate to the first communication terminal a selection of a particular person who is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceivable to the first person at the time the first person indicates the first person'"'"'s selection to the first communication terminal;

receiving from the first communication terminal information indicating a selection of a particular second person;

directing a second wireless communication terminal operated by the second person to convey to the second person a first message as a result of the receiving from the first communication terminal the information indicating the second person, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the first message is performed while the first person is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person, and wherein the conveying of the first message to the second person does not enable the second person to visually identify the first person as a person who has expressed interest in communicating with the second person in particular;

directing to the second communication terminal information about perceivable characteristics of at least one of individual persons or objects associated with the individual persons, in such a way that enables the second person to indicate to the second communication terminal a selection of a particular person who is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person at the time the second person indicates the second person'"'"'s selection to the second communication terminal;

receiving from the second communication terminal information indicating a selection of the first person in particular, wherein the receiving of the information from the first communication terminal indicating the selection of the second person occurs prior to the receiving of the information from the second communication terminal indicating the selection of the first person; and

directing the second communication terminal to convey to the second person a second message, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the second message is performed after the receiving of both the information from the first communication terminal indicating the second person and the information from the second communication terminal indicating the first person, wherein the directing the second communication terminal to convey the second message is performed while the first person is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person, and wherein the conveying of the second message to the second person enables the second person to visually identify the first person as a person who has expressed interest in communicating with the second person.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

directing the first communication terminal to convey a third message to the first person after the receiving of both the information from the first communication terminal indicating the second person and the information from the second communication terminal indicating the first person, wherein the directing the first communication terminal to convey the third message to the second person is performed while the second person is in close enough physical proximity to the first person to be directly perceivable to the first person, and wherein the third message comprises at least one of a means for the first person to contact the second person or information that indicates one person in particular perceivable to the first person in the first person'"'"'s physical environment, the one person being the second person.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining that the first person is in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

determining a list comprising people that are in close enough physical proximity to the second person to be directly perceivable to the second person.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the directing of information about perceivable characteristics to the second communication terminal comprises directing information about perceivable characteristics of people on the list.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving the list from the second communication terminal.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the second and third messages comprises a notification of a third level of interest that is equivalent to the lesser level of interest of a first level of interest in the second person expressed by the first person and a second level of interest in the first person expressed by the second person.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the information about perceivable characteristics that is directed to the first communication terminal comprises information about characteristics of appearance.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the information about perceivable characteristics that is directed to the first communication terminal comprises information about characteristics of spatial position.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the information about perceivable characteristics that is directed to the first communication terminal comprises information about characteristics of voice.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the data processing system is a server.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing social contacts for the first person with social contacts for the second person, wherein the second message comprises information descriptive of at least one common social contact identified in both the list of contacts for the first person and the list of contacts for the second person.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the second message comprises information descriptive of a social link relationship between the first and second persons.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the information descriptive of the social link relationship indicates multiple levels of social separation between the first and second persons.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

maintaining a database of people with a corresponding list of friends, family, and acquaintances;

determining a social network model for each of the people;

determining a social link relationships between the first and second persons based upon the social network models.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the information descriptive of the social link relationship indicates multiple levels of social separation between the first and second persons.

29. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first message or second message comprises auditory information.

30. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first message or second message comprises visual information.