Method and apparatus for location based networking sessions

• US 9,264,874 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eventi LLC (Wagoo L.L.C.)
• Original Assignee: Federico Fraccaroli
• Inventors: Fraccaroli, Federico
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Navar, Erica
• Application Number:
  US13/633,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554141-416, 4554561-457, 455518-520
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention a method comprises at least partially controlling the functionalities of a session area wherein said session area can be either in an active status or in a passive status according to at least one predetermined time window, said session area defining the boundaries for a location based group session event for members of one or more predetermined groups belonging to one or more social networks.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating networking among members of a social network, comprising:

causing, at least in part, visual indicia of a session area that is anchored to a fixed point, wherein said session area is, at least during a time window, in an active status and, while in said active status, said session area is joined by said members of said social network by means of mobile equipment associated with said members, when said mobile equipment is determined to be positioned within boundaries associated with said session area via at least one positioning related technology selected from the group consisting of;

satellite positioning technology, geo-fencing technology, radio horizon measurements technology, triangulation technology, cell ID reporting technology, WLAN cell ID identification technology, Bluetooth cell ID identification technology, RF-ID cell identification technology, RF-ID tagging technology, inertial positioning technology, time of arrival measurements technology, received signal strength measurements technology, angle of arrival measurements technology, choke points technology, location indexing technology, presence reporting technology and combinations thereof;

regulating, at least in part, the joining of said session area by members of at least a first group in said social network, wherein said first group is characterized by at least a first set of attributes;

regulating, at least in part, the joining of said session area by members of at least a second group in said social network, wherein said second group is characterized by at least a second set of attributes and pairing of said first set of attributes with said second set of attributes to form a predetermined complementary set of attributes that is associated to said session area;

attaining, at least in part, a predetermined mix of members of said first group and members of said second group joining said session area during said active status by selectively providing visual indicia associated with said session area to said members of said social network selected from the group consisting of;

said members of said first group, said members of said second group, and combinations thereof; and

providing, at least in part, a networking related functionality to at least some of said members of at least said first group that have joined said session area during said active status and to at least some of said members of said at least second group that have joined said session area during said active status.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

restricting the visibility of at least some members of said at least second group in said social network to at least some members of said at least first group in said social network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said active status is recurrent during predetermined time windows.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating attainment of a predefined numerical proportion between said members of said at least first group in said social network and said members of said at least second group in said social network via functionalities associated with said session area selected from the group consisting of;

a notification functionality, a reservation functionality, a restricted permission to join functionality, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a reservation functionality, wherein said members of said at least first group in said social network can reserve, before the occurrence of a time window associated with said session area, a right to join said session area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a notification functionality that is regulated according to data selected from the group consisting of;

data representative of a number of members of said at least first group in said social network who joined said session area at a point in time, data representative of a number of members of said at least first group in said social network who reserved a right to join said session area via a reservation functionality at a point in time, and combinations thereof.

7. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having a set of instructions for controlling at least one general-purpose digital computer in performing desired functions comprising a set of instructions formed into each of a plurality of modules, said modules comprising:

a process for causing, at least in part, visual indicia of a session area that is anchored to a fixed point, wherein said session area is;

at least during a time window, in an active status and, while in said active status, said session area is joined by said members of said social network by means of mobile equipment associated with said members, when said mobile equipment is determined to be positioned within boundaries associated with said session area via at least one positioning related technology selected from the group consisting of;

satellite positioning technology, geo-fencing technology, radio horizon measurements technology, triangulation technology, cell ID reporting technology, WLAN cell ID identification technology, Bluetooth cell ID identification technology, RF-ID cell identification technology, RF-ID tagging technology, inertial positioning technology, time of arrival measurements technology, received signal strength measurements technology, angle of arrival measurements technology, choke points technology, location indexing technology, presence reporting technology and combinations thereof;

a process for regulating, at least in part, the joining of said session area by members of at least a first group in said social network, wherein said first group is characterized by at least a first set of attributes;

a process for regulating, at least in part, said joining of said session area by members of at least a second group in said social network, wherein said second group is characterized by at least a second set of attributes, wherein pairing of said first set of attributes with said second set of attributes forms a predetermined complementary set of attributes that is associated to said session area;

a process for causing, at least in part, visual indicia associated with said session area to said members of said social network selected from the group consisting of;

said members of said first group, said members of said second group, and combinations thereof;

such that a predetermined mix of members of said first group and members of said second group joining said session area during said active status is attained;

a process for enabling, at least in part, a networking related functionality for at least some of said members of at least said first group that have joined said session area during said active status and for at least some of said members of said at least second group that have joined said session area during said active status.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, said modules further comprising:

a process for restricting the visibility of at least some members of said at least second group in said social network to at least some members of said at least first group in said social network.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said active status occurs during predetermined time windows.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, said modules further comprising:

a process for facilitating attainment of a predefined numerical proportion between said members of said at least first group in said social network and said members of said at least second group in said social network via functionalities associated with said session area and selected from the group consisting of;

a notification functionality, a reservation functionality, a restricted permission to join functionality, and combinations thereof.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, said modules further comprising:

a process for providing a reservation functionality wherein said members of said at least first group in said social network can reserve, before the occurrence of a time window associated with said session area, a right to join said session area.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, said modules further comprising:

a process for regulating a notification functionality, at least in part, according to data selected from the group consisting of;

data representative of a number of members of said, at least first group in said social network who joined said session area at a point in time, data representative of the number of members of said at least first group in said social network who reserved a right to join said session area via a reservation functionality at a point in time, and combinations thereof.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, said modules further comprising:

a process for creating a log of indicia of at least a subset of members of said social network who joined said session area during a predetermined time window.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including a computer program code;

the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

causing, at least in part, indicia of a session area that is anchored to a fixed point, wherein said session area is;

at least during a time window, in an active status and, while in said active status, said session area is joined by said members of said social network by means of mobile equipment associated with said members, when said mobile equipment is determined to be positioned within boundaries associated with said session area via at least one positioning related technology selected from the group consisting of;

satellite positioning technology, geo-fencing technology, radio horizon measurements technology, triangulation technology, cell ID reporting technology, WLAN cell ID identification technology, Bluetooth cell ID identification technology, RF-ID cell identification technology, RF-ID tagging technology, inertial positioning technology, time of arrival measurements technology, received signal strength measurements technology, angle of arrival measurements technology, choke points technology, location indexing technology, presence reporting technology and combinations thereof;

enabling, at least in part, the joining of said session area by members of at least a first group in said social network, wherein said first group is characterized by at least a first set of attributes;

enabling at least in part, said joining of said session area by members of at least a second group in said social network, wherein said second group is characterized by at least a second set of attributes and pairing of said first set of attributes with said second set of attributes forms a predetermined complementary set of attributes that is associated, at least temporarily, to said session area;

providing, at least in part, indicia associated with said session area to said members of said social network selected from the group consisting of;

said members of said first group, said members of said second group, and combinations thereof, whereby a predetermined mix of members of said first group and members of said second group joining said session area during said active status is attained; and

enabling, at least in part, a networking functionality between at least some of said members of at least said first group that have joined said session area during said active status and at least some of said members of said at least second group that have joined said session area during said active status.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

said at least one processor; and

said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code;

the said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and said computer program code configured to, with said at least one processor, cause the apparatus to additionally perform at least the following;

restricting the visibility of at least some members of said at least second group in said social network to at least some members of said at least first group in said social network.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said active status occurs during a predetermined time window.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

said at least one processor; and

said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code;

the said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and said computer program code configured to, with said at least one processor, cause the apparatus to additionally perform at least the following;

facilitating attainment of a predefined numerical proportion between said members of said at least first group in said social network and said members of said at least second group in said social network via functionalities associated with said session area selected from the group consisting of;

a notification functionality, a reservation functionality, a restricted permission to join functionality, and combinations thereof.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

said at least one processor; and

said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code;

the said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and said computer program code configured to, with said at least one processor, cause the apparatus to additionally perform at least the following;

implementing a reservation functionality wherein said members of said first group in said social network can reserve, before the occurrence of a time window associated with said session area, a right to said joining of said session area, and thus said right to said joining of said session area is regulated.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

said at least one processor; and

said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code;

the said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and said computer program code configured to, with said at least one processor, cause the apparatus to additionally perform at least the following;

providing a notification functionality that is regulated, at least in part, according to data selected from the group consisting of;

data representative of the number of members of said at least first group in said social network who joined said session area at a point in time, data representative of the number of members of said at least first group in said social network who reserved a right to join said session area via a reservation functionality at a point in time, and combinations thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

said at least one processor; and

said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code said at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and said computer program code configured to, with said at least one processor, cause the apparatus to additionally perform at least the following;

facilitating the creation of a log of indicia of at least a subset of members of said social network who joined said session area.