Forming logical group for user based on environmental information from user device

• US 8,943,137 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mallet, Vincent, Cheng, Jessica, Fiedel, Noah, Gillum, Eric William, Ramanarayanan, Ganesh, Woods, Nicholas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/034,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 707/999.005, 707/999.203, 455/456.1, 715/800, 706/46
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• 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 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• 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 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 : Version management

Abstract

Systems and methods for the forming of user device groups are presented. In one example, a message including location information indicating a geographic location of a first user device is received from the first user device. Values representing logical connection strengths between the first user device and other user devices are calculated using the location information. A first device group is determined for the first user device based on the calculating of the values representing the logical connection strengths, the first device group including a plurality of the other user devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving from a first user device a message comprising location information indicating a geographic location of the first user device;

receiving from the first user device environmental information indicating at least one physical environmental condition in the vicinity of the first user device, as detected by an environmental sensor on the first user device;

calculating values representing logical connection strengths between a first user of the first user device and other users, the logical connection strengths based, at least partially, on location information and at least partially on the environmental information, wherein the logical connection strengths each pertain to a different logical connection between the first user and another user;

determining, using at least one processor, a first user group to which to add the first user based on the values representing the logical connection strengths, the first group of users containing a plurality of users, including one or more users with whom the first user has not directly communicated;

adding the first user to the first user group without causing direct communications between the first user and the one or more users, in the first user group, with whom the first user has not directly communicated;

receiving content from the first user device; and

transmitting the content to users of the first user group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes atmospheric pressure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes light levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes velocity of the first user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes acceleration of the first user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information is weather-related information that is of interest to another user in the first user group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes persistent changes in acceleration of the first user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental information includes the presence of multiple voices within a vicinity of the first user device.

10. A user device comprising:

at least one processor;

memory comprising modules including instructions executable by the at least one processor, the modules comprising;

a location services module configured to generate location information indicating a location of the user device;

an environmental detection module configured to generate environmental information indicating at least one physical environmental condition in the vicinity of the user device, as detected by an environmental sensor on the user device; and

an interface module configured to transmit a message comprising the location information and the environmental information to a server system, to receive group recommendations of a device group for the user device to be added, the group recommendations being based at least in part on logical relationship information describing logical relationships between the user device and each of one or more other user devices, the location information and at least in part on the environmental information, each of the group representations being a group of a plurality of user devices including at least one user device with which the user device has not directly communicated and will not directly communicate, the interface module further configured to add a first user of the user device to a first user group without causing direct communications between the first user and the one or more users, in the first user group, with whom the first user has not directly communicated, and to send content to the server system for forwarding to users of the first user group.

11. The user device of claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a microphone.

12. The user device of claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a light meter.

13. The user device of claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises an accelerometer.

14. The user device of claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a gyroscope.

15. The user device of claim 10, wherein the environmental sensor comprises a thermometer.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving from a first user device a message comprising location information indicating a geographic location of the first user device;

receiving from the first user device environmental information indicating at least one physical environmental condition in the vicinity of the first user device, as detected by an environmental sensor on the first user device;

calculating values representing logical connection strengths between a first user of the first user device and other users, the logical connection strengths based, at least partially, on location information and at least partially on the environmental information, wherein the logical connection strengths each pertain to a different logical connection between the first user and another user;

determining, using at least one processor, a first user group to which to add the first user based on the values representing the logical connection strengths, the first group of users containing a plurality of users, including one or more users with whom the first user has not directly communicated;

adding the first user to the first user group without causing direct communications between the first user and the one or more users, in the first user group, with whom the first user has not directly communicated;

receiving content from the first user device; and

transmitting the content to users of the first user group.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the logical connection strengths are based, at least partially, on number and frequency of communications between the first user and other users.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the environmental sensor is located on the first user device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the environmental sensor is located in the vicinity of the first user device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations are performed by a server in communication with a plurality of user devices.