Proximity-based content sharing application

• US 9,356,995 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BounceChat, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BounceChat, Inc.
• Inventors: Schaeffer, Gordon Arlan III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Application Number:
  US13/844,287
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Proximity-based content sharing application between users of smart phones, tablets, and computers based on the physical proximity between the sender and receiver of the content. The sender selects a proximity range and GPS technology is used to create a virtual perimeter within which all users with the application open will be able to receive the content being shared by the sender, if they choose to accept it.

Claims

1. An application for use on communication devices of a sender and a potential receiver and capable of enabling the transmission of digital content from said sender to said potential receiver, said application configured to perform the following steps:

allowing said sender to select within said application a predetermined proximity range from a group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges to thereby define a virtual perimeter relative to the physical location of said sender that establishes a maximum distance that digital content communications initiated by said sender using said application can be sent away from said physical location of said sender, wherein said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges includes a lowest range of at least one meter;

allowing said sender to select using said application digital content to define selected digital content to be transferred to a potential receiver, wherein said potential receiver consists of every individual having a communication device running said application who is physically located within said virtual perimeter established by said sender by selecting within said application said predetermined proximity range from said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges without regard to any other selection criteria; and

transferring said selected digital content within said application to each potential receiver who agreed to accept digital content within said application, wherein said selected digital content is transferred to each said potential receiver within said application for consumption by each said potential receiver within said application.

2. The application of claim 1, wherein said selected digital content may be selected by said sender by manually selecting digital content from a list of digital content located on at least one of said communication device of said sender using said application and a web-based storage location accessible by said sender using said application.

3. The application of claim 1, comprising a voice recognition system on said communication device of said sender capable of enabling the selection of said selected digital content and said transfer of said selected digital content to said potential receiver based on verbal commands from said sender to said voice recognition system.

4. The application of claim 1, wherein said communication device of said sender and each said potential receiver is at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and computer.

5. The application of claim 1, wherein said predetermined proximity range is at least one of selected from a list of at least four predefined proximity ranges and a custom proximity range defined manually by said sender, wherein said four predetermined proximity ranges includes a lowest range of at least one meter.

6. The application of claim 1, wherein said selected digital content is in electronic form and may take the form of at least one of music, video, photographs, documents, URLs, and alphanumeric messages.

7. A method of sharing content between a sender having a communications device and at least one potential receiver having a communications device who is disposed within a predetermined proximity of said sender, wherein each communications device has an application downloaded and operational to enable the steps comprising:

selecting using said application on said communications device of said sender a predetermined proximity range relative to the physical location of the sender, wherein said predetermined proximity range is selected by said sender from a group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges to thereby define a virtual perimeter relative to the physical location of said sender that establishes a maximum distance that digital content communications initiated by said sender using said application can be sent away from said physical location of said sender, wherein said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges includes a lowest range of at least one meter;

selecting using said application on said communications device of said sender digital content to define selected digital content to be transferred to said potential receiver, wherein said potential receiver consists of every individual having a communication device running said application who is physically located within said virtual perimeter established by said sender by selecting within said application said predetermined proximity range from said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges without regard to any other selection criteria; and

transferring using said application said selected digital content to each said potential receiver who agreed to accept digital content using said application, wherein said selected digital content is transferred to each said potential receiver within said application for consumption by each said potential receiver within said application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selected digital content may be selected by said sender by manually selecting digital content from a list of digital content located on at least one of said communication device of said sender using said application and a web-based storage location accessible by said sender using said application.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising a voice recognition system on said communication device of said sender capable of enabling the selection of said selected digital content and said transfer of said selected digital content to said potential receiver based on verbal commands from said sender to said voice recognition system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said communication device of said sender and said potential receiver is at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and computer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said predetermined proximity range is at least one of selected from a list of at least four predefined proximity ranges and a custom proximity range defined manually by said sender.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said selected digital content is in electronic form and may take the form of at least one of music, video, photographs, documents, URLs, and alphanumeric messages.

13. A communication device having an application downloaded for use in sharing digital content between a sender and a potential receiver, said application configured to:

(a) allow said sender to select within said application a predetermined proximity range relative to the physical location of said sender, wherein said predetermined proximity range is selected by said sender from a group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges to thereby define a virtual perimeter relative to the physical location of said sender that establishes a maximum distance that digital content communications initiated by said sender using said application can be sent away from said physical location of said sender, wherein said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges includes a lowest range of at least one meter;

(b) allow said sender to select digital content using said application to be transferred to a potential receiver, wherein said potential receiver consists of every individual having a communication device running said application who is physically located within said virtual perimeter established by said sender by selecting within said application said predetermined proximity range from said group of at least four predetermined proximity ranges without regard to any other selection criteria; and

(c) transfer said selected digital content from said application of said sender to said application of each said potential receiver who agreed to accept digital content using said application, wherein said selected digital content is transferred to each said potential receiver within said application for consumption by each said potential receiver within said application.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein said selected digital content may be selected by said sender by manually selecting digital content from a list of digital content located on at least one of said communication device of said sender using said application and a web-based storage location accessible by said sender using said application.

15. The communication device of claim 13, comprising a voice recognition system on said communication device of said sender capable of enabling the selection of said selected digital content and said transfer of said selected digital content to said potential receiver based on verbal commands from said sender to said voice recognition system.

16. The communication device of claim 13, wherein said predetermined proximity range is at least one of selected from a list of at least four predefined proximity ranges and a custom proximity range defined manually by said sender.

17. The communication device of claim 13, wherein said selected digital content is in electronic form and may take the form of at least one of music, video, photographs, documents, URLs, and alphanumeric messages.

18. The communication device of claim 13, wherein said communication device of said sender and said potential receiver is at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and computer.