System and method for notifying users of similar searches

• US 9,107,083 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Ledet, David Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US13/462,006
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• 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: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• 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 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 : Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

Interactions between users on mobile devices can be facilitated by making the users aware when other users have performed similar searches. In one embodiment, when two users executing a mapping application on a mobile device each perform a similar search in a similar geographic area, the server that receives and performs the search request can make each user aware of the other'"'"'s presence, for example by displaying an icon indicating the other user on the mapping application. The search results may be refined to indicate search results in a geographic area common to the geographic search areas of each user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating interaction between a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile communications devices, the method comprising:

receiving into a server a first search request from a first user through a first mobile communications device and a first similarity definition;

receiving into the server a second search request from a second user through a second mobile communications device and a second similarity definition;

determining in the server a similarity between the first search request and the second search request; and

when the first search request and the second search request are determined to be similar based on said first similarity definition and said second similarity definition, providing a notification of the similarity of the search requests from the server to at least one of the first mobile communications device or the second mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a similarity of the first search request and the second search request comprises determining whether a geographic location of the first search request and the second search request are similar.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a similarity of the first search request and the second search request comprises determining whether a current location of the first mobile communications device is similar to a current location of the second mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a similarity of the first search request and the second search request comprises determining whether a time window of the first search request and the second search request are similar.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising displaying the notification of the similarity on at least the first mobile communications device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein displaying the notification comprises displaying an icon representing the second user.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the icon representing the second user is selectable on the first mobile communications device and wherein selection of the second user icon displays further contact details of the second user on the first mobile communications device.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the first search request comprises a first geographic search area, wherein the second search request comprises a second geographic search area, and wherein the method comprises:

receiving a selection of the notification on the first mobile communications device; and

in response to the selection of the notification, displaying a refined search result on the first mobile communications device that indicates search results in a geographic area common to the first geographic search area and the second geographic search area.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising recording the first search request in the first mobile communications device, the recording comprising:

receiving speech and a touch gesture into the first mobile communications device; and

determining the first search request from the speech and the touch gesture.

10. A system for facilitating interaction between a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile communications devices, the system comprising a server configured to:

receive a first search request from a first user through a first mobile communications device and a first similarity definition;

receive a second search request from a second user through a second mobile communications device and a second similarity definition;

determine a similarity between the first search request and the second search request; and

when the first search request and the second search request are determined to be similar based on said first similarity definition and said second similarity definition, provide a notification of the similarity of the search requests from the server to at least one of the first mobile communications device or the second mobile communications device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the server is configured to determine whether a geographic location of the first search request and the second search request are similar.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the server is configured to determine whether a current location of the first mobile communications device is similar to a current location of the second mobile communications device.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the server is configured to determine whether a time window of the first search request and the second search request are similar.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first mobile communications device is configured to display the notification of the similarity.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first mobile communications device is configured to display an icon representing the second user.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the icon representing the second user is selectable on the first mobile communications device and wherein selection of the second user icon displays further contact details of the second user on the first mobile communications device.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the first search request comprises a first geographic search area, wherein the second search request comprises a second geographic search area, and wherein the first mobile communications device is configured to:

receive a selection of the notification on the first mobile communications device; and

in response to the selection of the notification, display a refined search request on the first mobile communications device that indicates search results in a geographic area common to the first geographic search area and the second geographic search area.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the first mobile communications device is configured to:

receive speech and a touch gesture into the first mobile communications device; and

determine the first search request from the speech and the touch gesture.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for:

receiving into a server a first search request from a first user through a first mobile communications device and a first similarity definition;

receiving into the server a second search request from a second user through a second mobile communications device and a second similarity definition;

determining in the server a similarity between the first search request and the second search request; and

when the first search request and the second search request are determined to be similar based on said first similarity definition and said second similarity definition, providing a notification of the similarity of the search requests from the server to at least one of the first mobile communications device or the second mobile communications device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 comprising instructions for determining whether a geographic location and a time window of the first search request and the second search request are similar.