Method, device and system for creating a virtual local social network

• US 8,321,525 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Type A Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: LoyalBlocks Ltd. (Wix.com Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gaver, Ido, Kirshenboim, Eran, Armon, Aner
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US12/324,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for creating a local social network, based on a user'"'"'s location and a user'"'"'s virtual social profile (e.g. a facebook profile, a myspace profile) on a virtual social network (e.g. facebook, myspace). The method includes the steps of: (1) associating a communication device with a user'"'"'s virtual profile, (2) detecting a communication device within an interactive region, (3) extracting unique parameters of the communication device, (4) retrieving data associated with the communication device and with the user'"'"'s virtual profile, and (5) initiating data transfer based on the retrieved data.

Claims

1. A system for interacting with mobile users comprising:

a local virtual network server having a processor coupled to;

(1) a memory;

(2) an electromagnetic radiation detector; and

(3) an electromagnetic transceiver, and

a remote virtual network server having a server coupled to a memory;

wherein the local virtual network server detects electromagnetic radiation emitting from a first mobile communication device, which electromagnetic radiation does not bear a signal addressed to said local or said remote virtual network servers;

wherein the local virtual network server detects, extracts and transmits to said remote virtual network server parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation;

wherein the remote virtual network server receives the parameters associated with said electromagnetic radiation, correlates the received parameters with a user profile of a social networking service and retrieves from the correlated profile user associated data; and

wherein the remote virtual network server initiates and triggers, prior to receiving a request from the user, data exchange with the first mobile device based on said retrieved user associated data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, wifi, wimax and Long Term Evolution (LTE).

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation are Mac address or enabled ports.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic transceiver is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth transceiver, a wifi transceiver, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver and a wimax transceiver.

5. A method for interacting with mobile users, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting, by an electromagnetic radiation detector coupled to a local virtual network server, electromagnetic radiation emitting from a first mobile communication device;

detecting, by the electromagnetic radiation detector, parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation;

extracting, by the local virtual network server, parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation;

transmitting, from the local virtual network server, said parameters to a remote virtual server;

correlating, by the remote virtual server, the transmitted parameters with a user profile of a social networking service;

retrieving user associated data from the correlated profile; and

initiating and triggering, prior to receiving a request from the user, data exchange with the first mobile communication device based on said retrieved user associated data;

wherein the detected electromagnetic radiation does not bear a signal addressed to said local or said remote virtual network servers.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, wifi, wimax and Long Term Evolution (LTE).

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation are Mac address or enabled ports.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein said electromagnetic transceiver is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth transceiver, a wifi transceiver, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver and a wimax transceiver.

9. A device for interacting with mobile users, comprising a processor coupled to (1) a memory;

(2) an electromagnetic radiation detector; and

(3) an electromagnetic transceiver,

wherein said processor;

(i) detects electromagnetic radiation emitting from a first mobile communication device, which electromagnetic radiation does not bear a signal addressed to said processor;

(ii) detects, and extracts parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation;

(iii) transmits the parameters to a remote server; and

(iv) initiates and triggers, prior to receiving a request from the first mobile device, data exchange with the first mobile device based on data retrieved from the remote server, which retrieved data is associated with a user profile of a social networking service, which profile is associated with the extracted parameters.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, wifi, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and wimax.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein parameters associated with the electromagnetic radiation are Mac address or enabled ports.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein said electromagnetic transceiver is selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth transceiver, a wifi transceiver, a Long Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver and a wimax transceiver.