Method and system for determining users that satisfy desired conditions

• US 8,224,850 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kelley, Sean, Hu, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, CHEYNE D
• Application Number:
  US12/191,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 707/623, 707/781, 709/231
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed allowing for determining those users of multiple users who satisfy desired condition(s), where characteristics of the users in at least some embodiments vary dynamically. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a server device a request for a determination regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, and obtaining at the server device a conditions specification. Additionally, the method includes accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the user characteristics. The method also includes making a determination regarding which of the users satisfies the plurality of conditions, obtaining at the first server device updated information from the at least one repository, re-evaluating the determination, and sending output information regarding the re-evaluated determination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a first server device a request for a condition based URI list (CBUL) regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, the request being received from a first client device via a network;

obtaining at the first server device a specification of the conditions;

accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the plurality of users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users;

making a determination as to which of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions;

sending the CBUL regarding the determination for receipt by the first client device;

receiving a re-evaluation request from the first client within a period of time subsequent to the sending of the CBUL;

obtaining updated information concerning the plurality of user characteristics from the at least one repository;

making an additional determination as to which of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions; and

sending an updated CBUL regarding the additional determination for receipt by the first client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user characteristics include one or more of user presence information, user location information and user profile information, and wherein the plurality of conditions relate respectively to the respective user characteristics.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the updated CBUL includes a list including at least one of the plurality of users that satisfies each respective condition relating to the respective user characteristic.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the specification of the conditions is received from a second server device distinct from the first server device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the specification of the conditions received from the second server device was originally provided to the second server device from the first client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification of the conditions additionally includes at least one of an authorization rule and a trigger rule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the specification of the conditions includes the authorization rule, and wherein the accessing of the at least one repository does not occur if the first server device determines that the first client device does not satisfy the at least one authorization rule.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the specification of the conditions includes the trigger rule, and wherein the trigger rule determines at least one requirement that must be met.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that more than one of the plurality of users satisfies the plurality of conditions, wherein the specification of the conditions additionally includes a pre-defined member list, and wherein the plurality of users is limited to those in the pre-defined member list.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the CBUL regarding the determination from the first server device to the first client device prior to the obtaining of the updated information from the at least one repository.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether a time period has expired subsequent to the sending of the CBUL regarding the determination, wherein the sending of the updated CBUL is only provided when the time period is determined to have not yet expired.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the updated CBUL is provided back to the first client only if the re-evaluation request of the first client is still active.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the re-evaluation request is received from the first client prior to the sending of the CBUL regarding the determination, and wherein the first client device is one of the plurality of users.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the following is true:

(i) upon receiving the re-evaluation request prior to the sending of the CBUL regarding the determination, the accessing of the at least one repository includes both obtaining current information and requesting updated information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users;

(ii) if the re-evaluation request is not received prior to the sending of the CBUL regarding the determination, the accessing of the at least one repository only includes obtaining current information concerning the plurality of user characteristics of the plurality of users.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user characteristics include each of user presences, user locations and user preferences, and wherein the plurality of conditions relate respectively to the respective user characteristics.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the specification of the conditions is obtaining from an additional server device coupled to the first server device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and additional server devices, and the at least one repository, are included within and form parts of a data network.