Location-based virtual socializing

• US 8,832,789 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard Carl III, Gargi, Ullas
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Angela
• Application Number:
  US13/300,395
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/5, 455/455.6, 455/411
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure may provide a location-based multimedia experience to a user. In one example, a method includes receiving location information corresponding to a physical location of the first computing device, and outputting the location information from a first computing device to a second computing device in order to authenticate the first computing device. The method includes receiving an authentication response indicating that the first computing device has been successfully authenticated. The method may further include responsive to receiving the authentication response, receiving, one or more video communication sessions based on the location information, wherein each of the one or more video communication sessions enables communication between computing devices associated with users. The method may also include generating for display, by the first computing device, a representation of the one or more video communication sessions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device, location information corresponding to a physical location of a second computing device;

determining, at the first computing device, whether the physical location of the second computing device corresponds to the second computing device being present at a defined location, the defined location being within a set of boundaries;

when the second computing device is determined to be present at the defined location, authenticating, at the first computing device, the second computing device;

when the second computing device is authenticated at the defined location, providing, from the first computing device and to the second computing device, access to one or more restricted access video communication sessions, the one or more video communication sessions being restricted to users that have been authenticated by being present at the define location,

wherein each of the one or more video communication sessions enables communication between computing devices associated with users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, a selection of a particular video communication session of the one or more video communication sessions from the second computing device; and

providing, from the first computing device, the particular video communication session to the second computing device for display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first computing device, time information corresponding to a current date and time; and

determining, at the first computing device, whether the current date and time corresponds to the second computing device being present at the defined location at a defined date and time,

wherein authenticating the second computing device comprises authenticating the second computing device when the second computing device is determined to be present at the defined location at the defined date and time, and

wherein the one or more video communication sessions are restricted to users that have been authenticated by being present at the define location at the defined date and time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more video communication sessions comprise one or more video communication sessions between a plurality of computing devices physically located at the defined location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, a request to create a new video communication session from the second computing device;

initiating, by the first computing device, the new video communication session; and

providing, from the first computing device and to the second computing device, a message that enables the second computing device to couple to the new video communication session, wherein the new video communication session is included in the one or more video communication sessions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information from the second computing device comprises receiving a scan of a quick response (QR) code located at the physical location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information from the second computing device comprises receiving global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, wherein the GPS coordinates are determined by a GPS radio of the second computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more video communication sessions includes one or more asynchronous video messages.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more video communication sessions comprise one or more video communication sessions between a plurality of computing devices physically located at the defined location at the defined date and time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a plurality of different physical locations are included in the defined location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the defined location includes a plurality of stores having a same corporate parent, and wherein the one or more video communication sessions comprise one or more video communication sessions between the plurality of computing devices physically located in two or more different stores of the plurality of stores.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein a plurality of different physical locations are included in the defined location.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, a selection of a particular asynchronous video message of the one or more video communication sessions from the second computing device; and

providing, from the first computing device, the particular asynchronous video message to the second computing device for display.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a first computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving location information corresponding to a physical location of a second computing device;

determining whether the physical location of the second computing device corresponds to the second computing device being present at a defined location, the defined location being within a set of boundaries;

when the second computing device is determined to be present at the defined location, authenticating the second computing device;

when the second computing device is authenticated at the defined location, providing to the second computing device, access to one or more restricted access video communication sessions, the one or more video communication sessions being restricted to users that have been authenticated by being present at the define location,

wherein each of the one or more video communication sessions enables communication between computing devices associated with users.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein a plurality of different physical locations are included in the defined location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of a particular video communication session of the one or more video communication sessions from the second computing device; and

providing the particular video communication session to the second computing device for display.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving time information corresponding to a current date and time; and

determining whether the current date and time corresponds to the second computing device being present at the defined location at a defined date and time,

wherein authenticating the second computing device comprises authenticating the second computing device when the second computing device is determined to be present at the defined location at the defined date and time, and

wherein the one or more video communication sessions are restricted to users that have been authenticated by being present at the define location at the defined date and time.

18. A first computing device, comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the first computing device to perform operations comprising;

receiving location information corresponding to a physical location of a second computing device;

determining whether the physical location of the second computing device corresponds to the second computing device being present at a defined location, the defined location being within a set of boundaries;

when the second computing device is determined to be present at the defined location, authenticating the second computing device;

when the second computing device is authenticated at the defined location, providing to the second computing device, access to one or more restricted access video communication sessions, the one or more video communication sessions being restricted to users that have been authenticated by being present at the define location,

wherein each of the one or more video communication sessions enables communication between computing devices associated with users.

19. The first computing device of claim 18, wherein a plurality of different physical locations are included in the defined location.

20. The first computing device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of a particular video communication session of the one or more video communication sessions from the second computing device; and

providing the particular video communication session to the second computing device for display.