Presence and geographic location notification based on a delegation model

• US 9,281,961 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US13/015,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20110126109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 715/758, 715/772, 715/743
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A user of an instant messaging system may store names of other users of the instant messaging system on a participant list (which may be referred to as a “buddy list”), and the names may be categorized into one or more groups. Similarly, a user of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, may store contact information about people on the mobile device. Information describing the on-line presence of the user within the instant messaging system or geographic location of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone associated with the user system, may be disseminated to users on the participant list or people on the contact list based on notification information that is associated with groups of users or contacts. A delegation model is used to control whether a user is permitted to make modifications to the notification information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface comprising;

a list of selectable additional users;

based on a selection of a first additional user, a first notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected first additional user; and

based on a selection of a second additional user, a second notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected second additional user;

detecting, using at least one processor, a selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users;

in response to detecting the selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users, providing for display the first notification settings area that indicates one or more selectable notification settings associated with the first additional user that were previously selected by the user;

receiving, from the user by way of the first notification settings area, a request to modify the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user; and

modifying, using the at least one processor, the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user in accordance with the received request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises a geographic location of a mobile device associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises presence information associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a second graphical user interface to the first additional user, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises notification information associated with the user in accordance with the modified one or more selectable notification settings.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises a graphical user interface element representative of the notification information associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface element comprises an icon representative of the notification information associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the icon represents a geographic location of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises:

a list of selectable user groups; and

based on a selection of a user group, a group notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected user group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises an option to apply the one or more selectable notification settings to a specific date or time period.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

provide a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface comprising;

a list of selectable additional users;

based on a selection of a first additional user, a first notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected first additional user; and

based on a selection of a second additional user, a second notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected second additional user;

detect a selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users;

in response to detecting the selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users, providing for display the first notification settings area that indicates one or more selectable notification settings associated with the first additional user that were previously selected by the user;

receive, from the user by way of the first notification settings area, a request to modify the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user; and

modify the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user in accordance with the received request.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the notification information comprises a geographic location of a mobile device associated with the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the notification information comprises presence information associated with the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, the at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least processor, cause the apparatus to provide a second graphical user interface to the first additional user, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises notification information associated with the user in accordance with the modified one or more selectable notification settings.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises a graphical user interface element representative of the notification information associated with the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the graphical user interface element comprises an icon representative of a geographic location of the user.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to perform a method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to a user, the graphical user interface comprising;

a list of selectable additional users;

based on a selection of a first additional user, a first notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected first additional user; and

based on a selection of a second additional user, a second notification settings area displaying one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user, wherein the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected second additional user control the dissemination of notification information associated with the user to the selected second additional user;

detecting, using the at least one processor, a selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users;

in response to detecting the selection of the first additional user from the list of selectable additional users, providing for display the first notification settings area that indicates one or more selectable notification settings associated with the first additional user that were previously selected by the user;

receiving, from the user by way of the first notification settings area, a request to modify the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user; and

modifying the one or more selectable notification settings associated with the selected first additional user in accordance with the received request.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to provide a second graphical user interface to the first additional user, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises notification information associated with the user in accordance with the modified one or more selectable notification settings.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second graphical user interface comprises a graphical user interface element representative of the notification information associated with the user.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the graphical user interface element comprises an icon representative of a geographic location of the user.