System and method for contextual social messaging

• US 9,191,788 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Somekh, Oren Shlomo, Aizenberg, Natalia, Aharon, Michal
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bassinan, Obidon
• Application Number:
  US13/973,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 715/817
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 4/021 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 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for selectively delivering shared information. The disclosed systems and methods enable a sending user to decide what context of information is to be shared, in that a sending user can determine when and where information is shared. This enables increased social engagement towards relevant information. Additionally, this enables a vast opportunity for commercial opportunities, whereby advertisements can be served contingent upon a consumer'"'"'s context, and/or only when the product or service offered to the consumer is relevant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device over a network, a request to deliver a first message from a sender to a mobile device associated with a recipient, the first message comprising message content and a message context, said message context indicating a location for delivery of said message and a lifespan of said message, said mobile device associated with an identifier of said recipient;

determining, via the computing device, spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient based on said identifier, said spatial data comprising information indicating a current location of said mobile device;

determining, via the computing device, that said recipient satisfies said message context based on said spatial data, said determination comprising identifying that said spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient matches said location for delivery, said matching corresponds to the current location of the mobile device and the location for delivery being at least within a radius of each other; and

delivering, via the computing device, said message to said mobile device associated with said recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said message context is set by said sender of the message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a relationship between said sender and said recipient, said relationship determination comprising identifying whether an existing relationship exists between said sender and recipient.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

delivering said message to said recipient via a push mode if said relationship comprises an existing relationship between said sender and said recipient, wherein said message is pushed to said recipient upon said spatial data being within said radius of said delivery location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein upon a determination that said relationship is not an existing relationship, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device of said recipient a request for said message, said request querying whether any message is available for said recipient;

determining that said message is intended for said recipient based on said identifier of said message; and

upon satisfaction of said spatial data being within said radius of said delivery location, transmitting said message to said recipient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving said request for delivery from said recipient, storing said message in storage based upon said delivery location, said storage located in a physical proximity to said delivery location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivery comprises:

transmitting a notification of said message to said recipient; and

in response to an action by said recipient indicating a desire to open said message, transmitting said message to said recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that said spatial data is within said radius of said delivery location during said lifespan of said message, wherein if said lifespan is still valid, delivering said message to said recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from said sender a service fee for broadcasting said message to a plurality of recipients located at said delivery location;

receiving a request from at least one recipient from said plurality of recipients at said location for delivery of said message; and

delivering said message to said requesting recipient via pull mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said message is an advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to said sender a notification that said message has been received by said recipient, said notification transmittal in response to said delivery of said message;

facilitating display of options on a device associated with said sender based on said message delivery, said options comprising an ability for said sender to retire said message and an ability for said sender to forward said message to a second recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining said recipient is driving a vehicle based on said spatial data; and

delaying delivery of said message upon a subsequent determination that said recipient is no longer driving said vehicle, wherein said delivery is disabled while said recipient is driving.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor of a computing device, perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to deliver a first message from a sender to a mobile device associated with a recipient, the first message comprising message content and a message context, said message context indicating a location for delivery of said message and a lifespan of said message, said mobile device associated with an identifier of said recipient;

determining spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient based on said identifier, said spatial data comprising information indicating a current location of said mobile device;

determining that said recipient satisfies said message context based on said spatial data, said determination comprising identifying that said spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient matches said location for delivery, said matching corresponds to the current location of the mobile device and the location for delivery being at least within a radius of each other; and

delivering said message to said mobile device associated with said recipient.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a relationship between said sender and said recipient, said relationship determination comprising identifying whether an existing relationship exists between said sender and recipient.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

delivering said message to said recipient via a push mode if said relationship comprises an existing relationship between said sender and said recipient, wherein said message is pushed to said recipient upon said spatial data being within said radius of said delivery location.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein upon a determination that said relationship is not an existing relationship, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device of said recipient a request for said message, said request querying whether any message is available for said recipient;

determining that said message is intended for said recipient based on said identifier of said message; and

upon satisfaction of said spatial data being within said radius of said delivery location, transmitting said message to said recipient.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said delivery comprises:

transmitting a notification of said message to said recipient; and

in response to an action by said recipient indicating a desire to open said message, transmitting said message to said recipient.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that said spatial data is within said radius of said delivery location during said lifespan of said message, wherein if said lifespan is still valid, delivering said message to said recipient.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting to said sender a notification that said message has been received by said recipient, said notification transmittal in response to said delivery of said message;

facilitating display of options on a device associated with said sender based on said message delivery, said options comprising an ability for said sender to retire said message and an ability for said sender to forward said message to a second recipient.

20. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising;

memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more processors for executing said computer-executable instructions, comprising;

receiving a request to deliver a first message from a sender to a mobile device associated with a recipient, the first message comprising message content and a message context, said message context indicating a location for delivery of said message and a lifespan of said message, said mobile device associated with an identifier of said recipient;

determining spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient based on said identifier, said spatial data comprising information indicating a current location of said mobile device;

determining that said recipient satisfies said message context based on said spatial data, said determination comprising identifying that said spatial data associated with said mobile device of said recipient matches said location for delivery, said matching corresponds to the current location of the mobile device and the location for delivery being at least within a radius of each other; and

delivering said message to said mobile device associated with said recipient.