Ad hoc social networking

• US 9,118,731 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Rajakarunanayake, Yasantha N., Diab, Wael W., Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Kellerman, Marcus C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US13/351,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2528 Translation at a proxy
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An Ad Hoc social networking environment enables information and device access management between social networking groups and social networking members with or without access restrictions and anonymity. Contact and access information can be exchanged and updated on the fly without requiring users to notify other contacts or contacting devices and can support underlying contact information changes, enable extemporaneous termination or modification of contact access, enable temporary access, and the like. Ad Hoc social networking can utilize unique identifiers, proxy elements, or the like to support various levels of membership anonymity and Ad Hoc social networking. Proxy elements enable SNET tear down or dissolution by retracting the proxy service from a member. Storing social group contact information in shared databases can enable sharing and updating of contact information without the need to inform affected contacts. Some social networks can include various specialized devices and related services.

Claims

1. An ad hoc social infrastructure comprising:

a social server, wherein the social server stores a plurality of social networking groups associated with at least one member and supports ad hoc membership of a first of a plurality of social networking groups;

a first device supporting a member, the member being associated with the first of a plurality of social networking groups;

a second device supporting a nonmember, wherein the second device enables the nonmember to become an ad hoc member of the first of the plurality of social networking groups for a period of time;

wherein the first device is configured to push, from the first device to the second device, a unique identifier associated with the first of the plurality of social networking groups and a user selectable link configured to connect the second device to the first of the plurality of social networking groups upon selection of the link; and

a proxy supporting varying levels of readdressing based on social networking group membership, wherein;

data transfers from the first device to the second device use direct packet routing; and

data transfers from the second device to the first device flow through the proxy.

2. The ad hoc infrastructure of claim 1, wherein the proxy is further configured to update changes associated with an access level of the ad hoc member, wherein the changes are transparent to at least some other social networking group members.

3. The ad hoc infrastructure of claim 1, the second device enables the nonmember to become an ad hoc member of the first of the plurality of social networking groups for a period of time by interacting indirectly with the first device via an access point.

4. The ad hoc infrastructure of claim 1, the first of the plurality of social networking groups enables access to at least one element selected from a group consisting of:

gaming activities,

gambling activities,

travel activities, and

content item sharing.

5. The ad hoc infrastructure of claim 2, wherein the changes associated with an access level of the ad hoc member include losing at least some access associated with being an ad hoc member of the first of the plurality of social networking groups in response to a trigger event.

6. A device that interacts with a social network to support at least one nonmember device, the social network having a social networking group, the device comprising:

a user selectable input configured to be actuated by a user;

memory configured to store a unique identifier, the unique identifier uniquely identifying the social networking group; and

processing circuitry configured to;

receive the unique identifier;

in response to the user selectable input being activated, push an invitation from the device to a nonmember, via the nonmember device, the invitation enabling the nonmember to become an ad hoc member of the social networking group for a period of time, wherein the invitation includes the unique identifier associated with the social networking group and a user selectable link configured to connect the nonmember device to the social networking group in response to selection of the link;

wherein the nonmember device is coupled to the social networking group via a proxy supporting varying levels of anonymity based on information included in an anonymity database; and

the processing circuitry further configured to route data to the nonmember device using direct packet routing, and to route attempts to access information associated with the social networking group by at least one ad hoc member through the proxy.

7. The device of claim 6, the processing circuitry further configured to transmit the invitation to the nonmember independently of the social network.

8. The device of claim 6, the processing circuitry further configured to transmit the invitation to the nonmember independently of the social network in response to determining that the nonmember device has crossed a location threshold.

9. The device of claim 8, the processing circuitry further configured to terminate at least some aspects of membership of the ad hoc member in the social networking group in response to determining that the nonmember device has crossed a location threshold.

10. The device of claim 6, the processing circuitry further configured to remove the nonmember as an ad hoc member of social networking group after the period of time has elapsed.

11. The device of claim 6, the invitation including the unique identifier uniquely identifying the social networking group.

12. The device of claim 6, wherein the proxy is further configured to update changes associated with an access level of the ad hoc member.

13. A method that supports participation in a social networking group by a nonmember of the social networking group, the method comprising:

receiving, from a device associated with a particular member of the social networking group, an invitation to join the social networking group as an ad hoc member, the invitation received at a nonmember device via a pathway that is independent of a social network, wherein the invitation includes a unique identifier uniquely identifying the social networking group and a user selectable link configured to connect the nonmember device to the social networking group upon selection of the link;

accepting the invitation, via an acceptance process, to become an ad hoc member of the social networking group for a period of time, the acceptance process including providing information to another device; and

wherein data transfers from the device to the nonmember device use direct packet routing; and

data transfers from the nonmember device to the device flow through a proxy that applies substitute addressing and forwarding to said data transfers from the nonmember device to the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the acceptance process includes selecting the link and providing the unique identifier to another device associated with the social networking group.

15. The method of claim 13, the invitation is received via an access point, and the acceptance process includes interacting with an access point.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising, in response to becoming an ad hoc member of the social networking group for a period of time, gaining access to at least some information associated with the social networking group.

17. The method of claim 16, the at least some information includes access to at least some functionality associated with a device.

18. The method of claim 16, the access to at least some information is routed through the proxy employing an anonymity database.

19. The method of claim 18, the at least some information is contact information associated with at least one member of the social networking group, and the substitute addressing enables communication with the at least one member routed through the proxy.

20. The method of claim 13 comprising losing at least some access associated with being an ad hoc member of the social networking group in response to a trigger event.