Location based content aggregation and distribution systems and methods

• US 9,338,123 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Kristopher T., Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US14/081,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 340/995.1, 701/482
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a content hub subsystem receiving a content posting from an access device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user. The content posting includes data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance. The exemplary method further includes the content hub subsystem storing the content posting and selectively distributing the content instance to at least one other access device connected to the wireless network based on the geographic location, the at least one other access device associated with a second user. A past or present physical location of the at least one other access device within a predefined proximity of the geographic location is requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other access device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, a content posting from an device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

storing, by the computing system, the content posting;

selectively distributing, by the computing system, the content instance to at least one other device connected to the wireless network, the at least one other device associated with a second user, wherein the second user previously posted content associated with the geographic location to the computing system or previously retrieved content associated with the geographic location from the computing system; and

sending a notification to the at least one other device indicating an availability of the content instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content instance is created by the device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to sending the notification to the at least one other device indicating the availability of the content instance, distributing, by the computing system, the content instance to a third device associated with the second user, the third device being within a predefined proximity of the geographic location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, an annotation to the content instance from at least one of the device and the at least one other device, the annotation created by at least one of the first user associated with the device and the second user associated with the at least one other device;

associating, by the computing system, the annotation with the content instance;

selectively distributing, by the computing system, the annotation in association with the content instance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the annotation comprises at least one of a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, and an edit to the content instance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second users are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group is requisite to the distribution of the content instance to the at least one other device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content instance comprises at least one of an electronic data set representative of text, a message, a symbol, a graph, an image, and a video, audio, or multimedia file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tag data is created by the first user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

including the tag data in the notification to the at least one other device indicating the availability of the content instance.

16. The system of claim 4, wherein the content instance comprises at least one of an electronic data set representative of text, a message, a symbol, a graph, an image, and a video, audio, or multimedia file.

11. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a content posting from an device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

store the content posting;

selectively distribute the content instance to at least one other device connected to the wireless network, the at least one other device associated with a second user, wherein the second user previously posted content associated with the geographic location to the computing system or previously retrieved content associated with the geographic location from the computing system; and

send a notification to the at least one other device indicating an availability of the content instance.

12. The media of claim 11, further comprising software that is operable when executed to:

subsequent to sending the notification to the at least one other device indicating the availability of the content instance, distribute the content instance to a third device associated with the second user, the third device being within a predefined proximity of the geographic location.

13. The media of claim 11, further comprising software that is operable when executed to:

receive an annotation to the content instance from at least one of the device and the at least one other device, the annotation created by at least one of the first user associated with the device and the second user associated with the at least one other device;

associate the annotation with the content instance;

selectively distribute the annotation in association with the content instance.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a content posting from an device connected to a wireless network and associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

store the content posting;

selectively distribute the content instance to at least one other device connected to the wireless network, the at least one other device associated with a second user, wherein the second user previously posted content associated with the geographic location to the computing system or previously retrieved content associated with the geographic location from the computing system; and

send a notification to the at least one other device indicating an availability of the content instance.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the content instance is created by the device.

17. The system of claim 14, the processors being further operable when executing the instructions to:

associate the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tag data is created by the first user.