Ad-hoc micro-blogging groups

• US 9,203,793 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoLabs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Waldeck Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Kandekar, Kunal, Petersen, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): TURRIATE GASTULO, JUAN CARLOS
• Application Number:
  US13/037,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 707/723
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1805 Append-only file systems, e.g. using logs or journals to store data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for distributing micro-blog posts to ad-hoc micro-blogging groups. In one embodiment, a micro-blog post of a user is obtained. A crowd in which the user is located is determined, where the crowd is a group of spatially proximate users. The micro-blog post of the user is tagged with a crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located such that the micro-blog post includes a crowd identifier tag. Publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag is then effected.

Claims

1. A method of operation of a computing device comprising:

obtaining a micro-blog post of a user;

determining a crowd in which the user is located based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the user from which the micro-blog post is obtained, the crowd being a group of spatially proximate users formed based on the bounding area and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed;

tagging the micro-blog post based on a crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located such that the micro-blog post includes a crowd identifier tag of the crowd in which the user is located; and

effecting publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device,

wherein at least one of the preceding actions is performed on the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the micro-blog post of the user comprises obtaining the micro-blog post of the user from a third-party microblogging service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein obtaining the micro-blog post of the user from the third-party micro-blogging service comprises:

registering with the third-party micro-blogging service as a follower of the user; and

receiving the micro-blog post of the user from the third-party microblogging service as a follower of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the micro-blog post of the user comprises receiving the micro-blog post of the user from a device of the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device comprises sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to a third-party micro-blogging service.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to the third-party micro-blogging service comprises sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to the third-party microblogging service such that the micro-blog post does not identify the user as an originator of the micro-blog post.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein effecting publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device further comprises publishing the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the user is one of a plurality of users that form a plurality of crowds each comprising a different group of the plurality of users, and publishing the micro-blog post comprises:

sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to devices of the plurality of users, wherein the devices of the plurality of users filter the microblog post based on the crowd identifier tag such that the micro-blog post is presented only to those of the plurality of users for which the crowd identified by the crowd identifier tag is a desired crowd.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein publishing the micro-blog post comprises:

receiving a request from a device of a second user in the crowd for microblog posts tagged with the crowd identifier tag; and

sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request comprises sending one or more micro-blog posts, including the micro-blog post, tagged with the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a mobile device of the user, and:

obtaining the micro-blog post comprises generating the micro-blog post at the mobile device of the user;

tagging the micro-blog post comprises tagging the micro-blog post at the mobile device of the user; and

effecting publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device comprises sending the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to a third-party micro-blogging service.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a mobile device of the user, and:

obtaining the micro-blog post comprises generating the micro-blog post at the mobile device of the user;

tagging the micro-blog post comprises tagging the micro-blog post at the mobile device of the user; and

effecting publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device comprises sending the micro-blog post to a computer server, wherein the computer server sends the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag to a third-party micro-blogging service.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the crowd identifier tag comprises the crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the crowd identifier tag comprises a unique string derived from the crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the crowd identifier tag comprises a unique string that maps to the crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located.

16. A computing device comprising components including:

a communication interface adapted to communicatively couple the computing device to a network; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

obtain a micro-blog post of a user;

determine a crowd in which the user is located based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the user from which the micro-blog post is obtained, the crowd being a group of spatially proximate users formed based on the bounding area and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed;

tag the micro-blog post based on a crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located such that the micro-blog post includes a crowd identifier tag of the crowd in which the user is located; and

effect publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device,

wherein at least one of the components includes at least one electronic hardware component of the computing device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to:

obtain a micro-blog post of a user;

determine a crowd in which the user is located based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the user from which the micro-blog post is obtained, the crowd being a group of spatially proximate users formed based on the bounding area and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed;

tag the micro-blog post based on a crowd identifier of the crowd in which the user is located such that the micro-blog post includes a crowd identifier tag of the crowd in which the user is located; and

effect publication of the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device.

18. A method of operation of a computing device hosting a micro-blogging service comprising:

receiving a micro-blog post that includes a crowd identifier tag that identifies a crowd of users in which an originator of the micro-blog post is located, the crowd formed based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the originator of the micro-post blog and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed; and

publishing the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the originator is one user of a plurality of users that form a plurality of crowds of users, and publishing the micro-blog post from the computing device to at least one other computing device comprises sending the micro-blog post to devices of the plurality of users.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the micro-blog post is filtered at the devices of the plurality of users such that the micro-blog post is presented only to those of the plurality of users for which the crowd identified by the crowd identifier tag is a desired crowd.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein publishing the micro-blog post from the computing device to at least one other computing device comprises:

receiving a request from a device of a second user in the crowd for microblog posts tagged with the crowd identifier tag; and

sending the micro-blog post that includes the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein sending the micro-blog post that includes the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request comprises sending one or more micro-blog posts, including the micro-blog post, tagged with the crowd identifier tag to the device in response to the request.

23. A computing device comprising components including:

a communication interface adapted to communicatively couple the computing device to a network; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to;

receive a micro-blog post that includes a crowd identifier tag that identifies a crowd of users in which an originator of the micro-blog post is located, the crowd formed based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the originator of the micro-post blog and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed; and

publish the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device

wherein at least one of the components includes at least one electronic hardware component of the computing device.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software for instructing a controller of a computing device to:

receive a micro-blog post that includes a crowd identifier tag that identifies a crowd of users in which an originator of the micro-blog post is located, the crowd formed based on presence of spatially proximate users within a bounding area subject to alteration with change of location of the originator of the micro-post blog and an optimal inclusion distance between proximate users, the optimal inclusion distance is a function of the bounding area and number of users in the bounding area and subject to change as the crowd is formed; and

publish the micro-blog post including the crowd identifier tag from the computing device to at least one other computing device.