System and method for providing a rich media visitor log

• US 8,428,509 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Watson, Scott, Santana, Armando, Shively, Orrin J., Swirsky, Robert, Gilbert, Jonathan, Brown, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/313,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20090233543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/3.06, 455/3.01, 455/466, 455/414.3, 455/550.1, 455/418, 370/338, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 725/53, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Presented is a system for providing a rich media visitor log comprising a communications server accessible by members of a group, a local services network interactively connected to the communications server, a group management application resident on the communications server, and a visitor log host application. The group management application is configured to activate a group session, manage communications among group members and the local services network during the group session, and expire activation of the group session after a predetermined time interval. The visitor log host application is configured to collect communications from the communications managed by the group management application, identify exemplary communications for inclusion in the rich media visitor log, select rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications, and produce the rich media visitor log comprising the identified exemplary communications and the selected corresponding rich media display assets.

Claims

1. A system for providing a rich media visitor log to groups of visitors of a recreational venue, the system comprising:

a communications server accessible by a group including a user of a first mobile communication device, and a user of a second mobile communication device;

a local services network interactively connected to the communications server;

a group management application resident on the communications server, the group management application configured to receive an identification code assigned to the group and activate a group session corresponding to the identification code assigned to the group, manage communications among the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device, and the local services network during the group session, and expire activation of the group session after a predetermined time interval;

a visitor log host application configured to collect communications from the communications managed by the group management application, identify exemplary communications for inclusion in the rich media visitor log, select rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications, and produce the rich media visitor log comprising the identified exemplary communications and the selected corresponding rich media display assets;

wherein sequential identification codes are not assigned to successive groups of the groups of visitors to the recreational venue, thereby preventing one to anticipate the group identification code assigned to the group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise rich media content produced by the local services network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise rich media content produced by members of the group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to host the rich media visitor log for display to members of the group after expiration of the group session.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the rich media visitor log is hosted as a web page.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the group management application is configured to support communications via one of short message service (SMS) text messaging, email, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messaging, and Instant Messaging (IM).

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a group communication control software capable of being downloaded to the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device;

the group communication control software configured to enable communication among the communications server, the local services network, and the group including the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device over a local area network (LAN).

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the LAN is one of a Wi-Fi network, a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network, and a Bluetooth network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented to provide a rich media visitor log commemorating a group visit to a venue corresponding to the local services network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the venue comprises one of a theme park and a destination resort.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification code assigned to the group is the same code received from each of the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device by the group management application.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the group management application assigns the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device to the same group based on receiving the same code from both the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device.

11. A method for providing a rich media visitor log to groups of visitors of a recreational venue, the method comprising:

receiving a first message including a group identification code sent from a mobile communication device;

activating a group session corresponding to the group identification code;

collecting communications among members of the group during the group session;

expiring activation of the group session;

identifying exemplary communications from the collected communications for inclusion in the rich media visitor log;

selecting rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications; and

producing a rich media visitor log comprising the identified exemplary communications and the selected corresponding rich media display assets;

wherein sequential identification codes are not assigned to successive groups of the groups of visitors to the recreational venue, thereby preventing one to anticipate the group identification code assigned to the group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise a video clip.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise an audio clip.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise rich media content produced by a local services network associated with a venue.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method provides a rich media visitor log commemorating a group visit to the venue.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the venue is a theme park.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the venue is a destination resort.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the rich media display assets corresponding to the identified exemplary communications comprise rich media content produced by members of the group.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising hosting the rich media visitor log for display to members of the group after expiration of the group session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the rich media visitor log is hosted as a web page.

23. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a second message including the same group identification code from a second mobile communication.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

assigning the mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device to the same group based on receiving the same group identification code from both the mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device.