System and method for automatic social messaging

• US 9,336,514 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gittleman, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Means, Jaren M
• Application Number:
  US12/537,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,469 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• 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 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A system and method for automatic social messaging is provided. The social networking device includes an automatic social messaging module and one or more applications configured to coordinate with the automatic social messaging module. In a social network device, the automatic messaging module receives, from an application, an indication that a predefined trigger event has occurred. The automatic messaging module then accesses a set of event parameters for the predefined trigger event. The set of parameters includes a set of recipients for a notification message associated with the trigger event. The parameters may also include update information, message details, a filter criteria for the trigger event. The automatic messaging module then transmits the notification message associated with the predefined trigger event to the set of recipients according to the trigger event parameters.

Claims

1. A method for automatic social messaging in a user communications device, comprising:

providing a user interface by which a user can define a plurality of trigger events, each trigger event in the plurality of trigger events being associated with a different application available on the user communications device;

receiving, from an application executing on the user communications device, an indication of an occurrence of a predefined trigger event, the predefined trigger event comprising one of a user requesting a location or the user requesting directions;

accessing a set of event parameters for the predefined trigger event stored on the user communications device, the set of event parameters including

a set of recipients for a notification message associated with the predefined trigger event, and

notification update information, the notification update information including an update interval based on distance progressed toward a desired location, the update interval triggering an automatic transmission of a notification update message when the update interval expires to provide continual update information;

enabling the user to customize at least one of content or format of the notification message; and

automatically transmitting the notification message associated with the predefined trigger event to the set of recipients through a social networking medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically transmitting a notification message update for the predefined trigger event to the set of recipients when the update interval expires.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of event parameters includes filter criteria for the predefined trigger event.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining whether to transmit the notification message based on the filter criteria for the predefined trigger event.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining the set of recipients based on the filter criteria for the predefined trigger event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a recipient includes an account on a social networking server and wherein automatically transmitting the notification message includes:

automatically transmitting the notification message for the predefined trigger event to the account on the social networking server, wherein the social networking server forwards the notification message to the recipients associated with the account on the social networking server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in a memory of the user communications device;

a set of predefined trigger events supported by the user communications device, and

a set of event parameters associated with one or more predefined trigger events in the set of predefined trigger events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined trigger event comprises one of a user requesting a location or the user requesting directions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to customize at least one of content or format of the notification message.

10. A social networking device for automatic social messaging in a user communications device, comprising:

a memory of the user communications device configured to store a set of predefined trigger events supported by the social networking device and to store a set of event parameters associated with one or more predefined trigger events in the set of supported predefined trigger events; and

a processor of the user communications device configured to;

receive, from an application executing on the social networking device, an indication of an occurrence of a particular predefined trigger event in the set of stored supported predefined trigger events, the particular predefined trigger event comprising an action taken by a user, including the user requesting directions from a present location to a desired location;

access the stored set of event parameters for the particular predefined trigger event, the set of event parameters including

a set of recipients for a notification message associated with the particular predefined trigger event, and

notification update information, the notification update information including an update interval based on distance progressed toward a desired location, the update interval triggering an automatic transmission of a notification update message when the update interval expires to provide continual update information one or more trigger event filters that define when the notification message is to be sent for the particular predefined trigger; and

automatically transmit the notification message associated with the particular predefined trigger event to the set of recipients through a social networking medium.

11. The social networking device of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface configured to allow the user to select a predefined trigger event from the set of stored supported predefined trigger events and to define a set of parameters for a selected predefined trigger event.

12. The social networking device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically transmit a notification update message when an update interval associated with the particular predefined trigger event expires.

13. The social networking device of claim 10, wherein the application is a location application.

14. The social networking device of claim 10, wherein the social networking device is a multi-media phone system.

15. The social networking device of claim 14, wherein the particular set of stored supported predefined trigger events includes activation of an application on the multi-media phone system.

16. The social networking device of claim 10, further comprising:

a GPS unit.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the stored set of event parameters further includes one or more trigger event filters that define when the notification message is to be sent for the particular predefined trigger event.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage device including computer-executable instructions stored therein enabling automatic social messaging in a user communications device, that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

providing a user interface by which a user can define a plurality of trigger events, each trigger event in the plurality of trigger events being associated with a different application available on the user communications device;

receiving, from an application executing on the user communications device, an indication of an occurrence of a particular trigger event;

accessing a set of event parameters for the particular trigger event stored on the user communication device, the set of event parameters including

a set of recipients for a notification message associated with the particular trigger event, and

notification update information, the notification update information including an update interval based on distance progressed toward a desired location, the update interval triggering an automatic transmission of a notification update message when the update interval expires to provide continual update information;

automatically transmitting the notification message associated with the particular trigger event to the set of recipients through a social networking medium.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

automatically transmitting a notification message update for the particular trigger event to the set of recipients when an update interval for the particular trigger event expires.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether to transmit the notification message based on filter criteria associated with the particular trigger event.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein a recipient includes an account on a social networking server and the method further includes:

automatically transmitting the notification message for the particular trigger event to the account on the social networking server, wherein the social networking server forwards the notification message to the recipients associated with the account on the social networking server.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiving, from an application executing on the user communications device, an indication of an occurrence of a particular trigger event comprises:

receiving an indication of the occurrence of a function activation by the user of the communications device.