Electronic messaging systems

• US 9,338,124 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VNP Software Inc.
• Original Assignee: VNP Software Inc.
• Inventors: King, Paul, Martin, Neil Stephen Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US14/223,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region

Abstract

A computer system for facilitating communications between users that, in various embodiments, is configured for: (A) receiving, from a first user, one or more user watch area attributes; (B) using the one or more user watch area attributes to define a watch area; (C) receiving, from a second user, a message associated with a particular geographical location, wherein the second user has indicated that the message should be associated with the particular geographical location; (D) determining whether the particular geographical location is located within the user watch area; and (E) at least partially in response to determining that the particular geographical location is located within the user watch area, subscribing the first user to a thread of messages that includes the message.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for:

(A) receiving, from a first user, one or more user watch area attributes;

(B) using said one or more user watch area attributes to define a watch area;

(C) determining whether said first user has entered a shared watch area;

(D) at least partially in response to determining that said first user has entered said shared watch area, automatically adding said shared watch area to said user watch area;

(E) receiving, from a second user, a message associated with a particular geographical location, wherein said second user has indicated that said message should be associated with said particular geographical location;

(F) determining whether said particular geographical location is located within said user watch area;

(G) at least partially in response to determining that said particular geographical location is located within said user watch area, subscribing said first user to a thread of messages that includes said message; and

(H) decreasing a size of said user watch area in response to determining that a number of message postings within said user watch area is more than a predetermined threshold value.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said shared watch area is selected from a group consisting of:

i. a particular neighborhood;

ii a particular pathway;

iii. a particular park;

iv. an area bounded by one or more electronic markers; and

v. a particular landmark.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

said geographic location is a particular area; and

determining whether said particular geographical location is located within said user watch area comprises determining whether said particular are at least partially overlaps said user watch area.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein said particular area is a substantially circular area substantially centered on a location associated with said message.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further storing computer-executable instructions for:

determining a distance between said first user and said second user; and

at least partially in response to determine that said distance is less than a particular distance, notifying said first user of said message by transmitting said notification substantially directly from a client device associated with said second user to a client device associated with said first user.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein transmitting said notification comprises transmitting said notification via a protocol selected from a group consisting of:

i. Bluetooth;

ii. Low Energy Bluetooth; and

iii. Near Field Communication.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

said system is further configured for receiving social networking data associated with said first user; and

said subscribing said first user to said thread of messages that includes said message is based at least in part on said social networking data.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said system is further configured for:

determining, based at least in part on said social networking data, whether said second user is associated with said first user; and

at least partially in response to determining that said second user is associated with said first user, subscribing said first user to said thread of messages that includes said message.