Location based content aggregation and distribution systems and methods

• US 8,612,542 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Kristopher T., Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US13/354,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 340/995.1, 701/482, 701/516, 701/484, 701/481, 701/213
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a content hub subsystem receiving a content posting from an access device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user. The content posting includes data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance. The exemplary method further includes the content hub subsystem storing the content posting and selectively distributing the content instance to at least one other access device connected to the wireless network based on the geographic location, the at least one other access device associated with a second user. A past or present physical location of the at least one other access device within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other access device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content hub subsystem, a content posting from an access device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

storing, by the content hub subsystem, the content posting;

selectively distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the content instance to at least one other access device connected to the wireless network based on the geographic location, the at least one other access device associated with a second user, wherein the first and second users are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group are requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other access device;

wherein a past or present physical location of the at least one other access device being within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is further requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other access device; and

sending a notification to the at least one other access device indicating an availability of the content instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content instance is created by the access device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to sending the notification to the at least one other access device indicating the availability of the content instance, distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the content instance to a third access device associated with the second user, the third access device being outside the predefined proximity of the geographic location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content hub subsystem, an annotation to the content instance from at least one of the access device and the at least one other access device, the annotation created by at least one of the first user associated with the access device and the second user associated with the at least one other access device;

associating, by the content hub subsystem, the annotation with the content instance;

selectively distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the annotation in association with the content instance based on the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the past or present physical location of the at least one other access device within the predefined proximity of the geographic location is requisite to the distribution of the annotation in association with the content instance to the at least one other access device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, and an edit to the content instance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content instance comprises at least one of an electronic data set representative of text, a message, a symbol, a graph, an image, and a video, audio, or multimedia file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tag data is created by the first user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

including the tag data in the notification.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content hub subsystem, a content posting associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

storing, by the content hub subsystem, the content posting;

selectively distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the content instance to an access device connected by a wireless network based on the geographic location, the access device associated with a second user, wherein the first user and the second user are members of a group;

wherein a past or present physical location of the access device being within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is further requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the access device, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group are requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the access device; and

sending a notification to the access device indicating an availability of the content instance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

subsequent to sending the notification to the access device indicating the availability of the content instance, distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the content instance to another access device associated with the second user, the other access device being outside the predefined proximity of the geographic location.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the content hub subsystem, an annotation to the content instance from the access device, the annotation created by the second user;

associating, by the content hub subsystem, the annotation with the content instance;

selectively distributing, by the content hub subsystem, the annotation in association with the content instance based on the geographic location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the past or present physical location of the access device within the predefined proximity of the geographic location is requisite to the distribution of the annotation in association with the content instance.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, and an edit to the content instance.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the selectively distributing comprises making the content instance accessible to the access device by associating the content instance with a user profile associated with the second user in response to a determination that the past or present physical location of the access device is within the predefined proximity of the geographic location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the associating of the content instance with the user profile makes the content instance accessible to another access device associated with the second user, the other access device being outside the predefined proximity of the geographic location.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

store a content posting that includes data representative of a content instance and a geographic location, the content posting being associated with a first user;

selectively distribute the content instance to an access device connected by a wireless network based on the geographic location, the access device associate with a second user, wherein the first user and the second user are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group are requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the access device; and

send a notification to the access device indicating an availability of the content instance;

wherein a past or present physical location of the access device being within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is further requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the access device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the selective distribution comprises making the content instance accessible to the access device by associating the content instance with a user profile associated with the second user in response to a determination that the past or present physical location of the access device is within the predefined proximity of the geographic location.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the associating of the content instance with the user profile makes the content instance accessible to another access device associated with the second user, the other access device being outside the predefined proximity of the geographic location.