Apparatus for signaling circle of friends

• US 9,172,725 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proxfinity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proxfinity, Inc.
• Inventors: Hutchison, James W., Carrel, Mitchell A., Matles, Robert, Hutchison, Christine A., Matles, Lauren R., Whitman, Lee M., Brinkman, Lisa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US13/858,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/10 Architectures or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A device and method is provided for signaling an affinity of a peer device. According to one embodiment, the device receives a wireless signal from the peer device and determines the presence of the peer device based on the received signal. The device is able to detect the peer device when the peer device is within the vicinity or a certain proximity of the device. The received signal carries an affinity code of the peer device so that the device can detect the affinity of the peer device by comparing the received affinity code with its preset affinity code. If the two affinity code match, the device generates an the user to the presence of another user and signals that the two users share the same affinity.

Claims

1. A device for signaling an affinity with a peer device in a proximate area, the device comprising a processor and a non-transitory processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, the device being configured, based on the processor-executable instructions being executed by the processor, to:

receive a signal indicating that the peer device is within a range of the device;

determine that the peer device shares an affinity in common with the device based on an affinity code of the device matching an affinity code of the peer device, wherein the common affinity is one of a plurality of affinities, each of the plurality of affinities being associated with a different affinity code; and

display, based on determining that the peer device shares the affinity in common with the device, a visual notification to a user of the device and to a user of the peer device, wherein the visual notification comprises a visual element that does not utilize text, and wherein the device is wearable such that the visual notification is visible to both the user of the device and the user of the peer device;

wherein the device is further configured to display multiple types of visual notifications.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of affinities include at least one of the group consisting of:

an affinity corresponding to a group of friends, an affinity corresponding to membership in a club or other organization, an affinity corresponding to an interest of the user of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual notification is provided by a display of the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual notification includes a particular color corresponding to the common affinity.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual notification further comprises an additional visual element comprising text corresponding to the common affinity.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the visual notification does not include any visual elements having text.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to:

receive an input registering one or more affinity codes as being associated with the device, wherein the determination of whether a peer device shares an affinity code with the device is based on the one or more affinity codes registered as being associated with the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein determining that the peer device shares an affinity in common with the device is based on the received signal, wherein the received signal includes one or more affinity codes of the peer device.

9. A device for signaling an affinity with a peer device in a proximate area, the device comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive a signal indicating that the peer device is within a range of the device;

a processor, configured to determine that the peer device shares an affinity in common with the device based on an affinity code of the device matching an affinity code of the peer device, wherein the common affinity is one of a plurality of affinities, each of the plurality of affinities being associated with a different affinity code; and

a display, configured to display, based on the determination that the peer device shares the affinity in common with the device, a visual notification to a user of the device and to a user of the peer device, wherein the visual notification comprises a visual element that does not utilize text, and wherein the device is wearable such that the visual notification is visible to both the user of the device and the user of the peer device;

wherein the display is further configured to display multiple types of visual notifications.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of affinities include at least one of the group consisting of:

an affinity corresponding to a group of friends, an affinity corresponding to membership in a club or other organization, an affinity corresponding to an interest of the user of the device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the visual notification includes a particular color corresponding to the common affinity.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the visual notification further comprises an additional visual element comprising text corresponding to the common affinity.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the visual notification does not include any visual elements having text.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein one or more affinity codes are registered as being associated with the device in a memory of the device, and wherein the determination of whether a peer device shares an affinity code with the device is based on the one or more registered affinity codes.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein determining that the peer device shares an affinity in common with the device is based on the received signal, wherein the received signal includes one or more affinity codes of the peer device.

16. A device for signaling a common affinity with a peer device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a signal indicating that the peer device is within a vicinity of the device, wherein the signal includes an affinity code of the peer device;

a processor, configured to determine that the peer device shares an affinity in common with the device based on the received affinity code of the peer device matching an affinity code associated with the device, wherein the common affinity is one of a plurality of affinities, each of the plurality of affinities being associated with a different affinity code; and

one or more lights, configured to indicate to a user of the device and a user of the peer device that the peer device within the vicinity of the device shares a common affinity with the device based on the determination that the peer device shares the affinity in common with the device, by providing a visual notification comprising a visual element that does not utilize text;

wherein the device is wearable such that the visual notification is visible to both the user of the device and the user of the peer device;

wherein the one or more lights are further configured to provide multiple types of visual notifications.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a memory, configured to store a plurality of affinity codes associated with the device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of affinities include at least one of the group consisting of:

an affinity corresponding to a group of friends, an affinity corresponding to membership in a club or other organization, an affinity corresponding to an interest of the user of the device.