Contiguous location-based user networks

• US 9,237,199 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoLabs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Waldeck Technology, LLC (Concert Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Jennings, Kenneth, Petersen, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US14/580,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/203, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Contiguous location based user networks are disclosed herein. A method includes receiving an identification of an area of interest associated with a user of, and transmitting the identification of the area of interest to a server. The method includes determining a location of the user device and transmitting the location to the server. The method includes receiving information identifying a proximity group comprising the user and a plurality of other users. The proximity group includes least one other user being within a proximate area of the location of the user device and having an area of interest corresponding to the area of interest of the user. The proximate area corresponds to a second geographic region smaller than the area of interest. The proximity group further comprising at least one additional other user identified as a neighbor of each of the user and the at least one other user.

Claims

1. A device having a communication interface for communicating with a server in communication with a plurality of other devices via a network, at least one processor, and memory storing software executable by the at least one processor, whereby the device is operative to:

receive an identification of an area of interest corresponding to a first geographic region;

identify the location of the device;

transmit the identification of the area of interest to a server;

transmit the location to the server;

receive information identifying a proximity group comprising a user of the device and a plurality of other users, wherein the proximity group includes at least one other user of the plurality of other users being within a proximate area of the location of the device and having an area of interest corresponding to the area of interest of the user, the proximate area corresponding to a second geographic region smaller than the area of interest, the proximity group further comprising at least one additional other user of the plurality of other users within an aggregate of the areas of interests of the user and the at least one other user and identified as a neighbor of each of the user and the at least one other user in the proximity group.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further adapted to identify at least one second additional user within both the area of interest of the user and the area of interest of the one other user and identified as a neighbor of both the user and the one other user.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the neighbor is used as a potential member of a user network of the user.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the user network is a user network selected from a group consisting of a social network and a peer-to-peer social recommendation network.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is further adapted to:

identify a new user from the plurality of users that is located within the proximate area of at least one of the user and the at least one other user in the proximity group; and

add the new user to the proximity group.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is further adapted to:

identify one of the at least one other user that is no longer within the proximate area of the user and any other of the at least one other user; and

remove the one of the at least one other user as a member of the proximity group.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the device is further adapted to remove any other of the at least one other user that is no longer within the proximate area of with the user.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein in response to receiving input from a user of the device, the device is operative to define the proximate area.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is operative to define the proximate area as a percentage of the area of interest.

10. A device having a communication interface for communicating with a plurality of other devices associated with a plurality of users via a network, at least one processor, and memory storing software executable by the at least one processor, whereby the device is operative to:

identify a first proximity group comprising at least two first users of the plurality of users, each user of the at least two first users being within a proximate area of at least one other user of the at least two first users and having an area of interest;

identify at least one additional user from the plurality of users within an aggregate of the areas of interests of the at least two first users in the first proximity group as a neighbor of each of the at least two first users in the first proximity group;

identify a new user from the plurality of users that is located within the proximate area of at least one of the at least two first users in the first proximity group, the new user being a member of a second proximity group comprising at least two second users from the plurality of users including the new user;

merge the first and second proximity groups to provide a merged proximity group comprising the at least two first users and the at least two second users; and

identify at least one additional user from the plurality of users within an aggregate of the areas of interests of the at least two first users and the areas of interest of the at least two second users in the merged proximity group as a neighbor each of the at least two first users and the at least two second users in the merged proximity group.

11. A device having a communication interface for communicating with a plurality of other devices associated with a plurality of users via a network, at least one processor, and memory storing software executable by the at least one processor, whereby the device is operative to:

identify a first proximity group comprising a plurality of first users of the plurality of users, each user of the plurality of first users being within a proximate area of at least one other user of the plurality of first users and having an area of interest;

identify at least one additional user from the plurality of users within an aggregate of the areas of interests of the plurality of first users in the first proximity group as a neighbor of each of the plurality of first users in the first proximity group;

identify one of the plurality of first users that is no longer within the proximate area of any other user of the plurality of first users;

remove the one of the at least two first users as a member of the first proximity group, wherein removing the user as a member of the first proximity group severs a chain of proximity between at least two subsets of the plurality of first users; and

split the first proximity group into at least two separate proximity groups each comprising one of the at least two subsets of the plurality of first users; and

for each subset of the plurality of first users from the at least two subsets, identify at least one additional user from the plurality of users within an aggregate of the areas of interest of the subset of the plurality of first users as a neighbor of each of the subset of the plurality of first users.