Real-time notifications and sharing of photos among users of a social network

• US 9,230,287 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Filev, Momchil Dimitrov, Freund, Martin Brandt
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance L
• Application Number:
  US13/591,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A system and method for sending a notification to a user in a social network is disclosed. A controller receives a first photo from a first user. The first user is associated with a social network. A identification module determines a first location of the first photo. The identification module determines a second location of a second user. The second user has a connection with the first user in the social network. The identification module determines that the first location matches the second location. A notification module sends a first notification to the second user. The first notification identifies the first photo. The controller receives a second photo taken at the second location. A determining engine determines to share the second photo with the first user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, with one or more computing devices, a first photo taken by a first user via a first user device, the first user being associated with a social network;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, a first location of the first photo;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, a second location of a second user via a second user device, the second user having a connection with the first user in the social network;

determining, with the one or more computing devices, whether the first location of the first photo matches the second location of the second user;

sending, with the one or more computing devices, a first notification to the second user, the first notification including the first photo;

responsive to sending the first notification to the second user, receiving, with the one or more computing devices, a second photo taken by the second user at the second location via the second user device;

responsive to the receiving the second photo taken by the second user, sending, with the one or more computing devices, a second notification including the second photo to the first user and an indication of a time that elapsed between taking the first photo and the second photo; and

receiving, with the one or more computing devices, a reaction from the first user responsive to the first user receiving the second notification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to send the second photo to the first user based on an affinity score between the first user and the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to send the second photo to the first user based on a threshold amount of interactions between the first user and the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first category to the first photo;

receiving a second category from the second user; and

filtering the first photo based on whether the first category matches the second category, wherein sending the first notification to the second user is responsive to the first category matching the second category.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first category to the first photo; and

generating graphical data for displaying a heat map associated with the first category that includes an indicator to signify that the first photo is related to the first category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location comprises extracting metadata from the first photo.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location comprises receiving a user input from the first user about the first location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction from the first user includes a comment made by the first user in association with the second photo.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the second notification to a group associated with the first user in the social network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining timestamps associated with the first photo and the second photo and wherein the time that elapsed between taking the first photo and the second photo is determined based on the timestamps associated with the first photo and the second photo.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the second notification to the first user further comprises at least one of putting the second notification in a stream of the social network and displaying a direct message in a notification box.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors, the processors being configured to;

receive a first photo taken by a first user via a first user device, the first user being associated with a social network;

determine a first location of the first photo;

determine a second location of a second user via a second user device, the second user having a connection with the first user in the social network;

determine whether the first location of the first photo matches the second location of the second user;

send a first notification to the second user, the first notification including the first photo;

responsive to the first notification being sent to the second user, receive a second photo taken by the second user at the second location via the second user device;

responsive to the second photo taken by the second user being received, send a second notification including the second photo to the first user and an indication of a time that elapsed between taking the first photo and the second photo; and

receive, with the one or more computing devices, a reaction from the first user responsive to the first user receiving the second notification.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether to send the second photo to the first user based on an affinity score between the first user and the second user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether to send the second photo to the first user based on a threshold amount of interactions between the first user and the second user.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

apply a first category to the first photo;

receive a second category from the second user; and

filter the first photo based on whether the first category matches the second category, wherein sending the first notification to the second user is responsive to the first category matching the second category.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

apply a first category to the first photo; and

generate graphical data for displaying a heat map associated with the first category that includes an indicator to signify that the first photo is related to the first category.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive a first photo taken by a first user via a first user device, the first user being associated with a social network;

determine a first location of the first photo;

determine a second location of a second user via a second user device, the second user having a connection with the first user in the social network;

determine whether the first location of the first photo matches the second location of the second user;

send a first notification to the second user, the first notification including the first photo;

responsive to the first notification to the second user being sent, receive a second photo taken by the second user at the second location via the second user device;

responsive to the second photo taken by the second user being received, sending a second notification including the second photo to the first user and an indication of a time that elapsed between taking the first photo and the second photo; and

receive, with the one or more computing devices, a reaction from the first user responsive to the first user receiving the second notification.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to determine whether to send the second photo to the first user based on an affinity score between the first user and the second user.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to determine whether to send the second photo to the first user based on a threshold amount of interactions between the first user and the second user.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the reaction from the first user includes a comment made by the first user in association with the second photo.