Social networking website system with automatic participation based on current location information

• US 9,485,211 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bindu Rama Rao
• Original Assignee: Bindu Rama Rao
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Angela
• Application Number:
  US14/971,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20160099907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2230/00 Voting or election arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• 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: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• 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 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A social networking website system with automatic registration based on a current location information. Individuals are automatically enrolled into social network services based on a current location determined from their mobile devices. In particular, farmers in rural places can be enrolled into social networks in their local districts, and they can interact with others using audio and video messages employing their local languages. Such interaction can be adhoc in nature, employing audio messages, or audio and video messages. In general, automatic memberships to social networks, social groups and to discussion lists are provided to users, based on user'"'"'s current location.

Claims

1. A social networking website system that supports user interactions in a plurality of social networks, the social networking website system comprising:

a server enabling a user to participate in a plurality of social networks based on a current location information;

the server monitoring the current location information of the user, and, based on changes to the current location, adjusting the user'"'"'s membership to, or participation in, the social networks and social groups;

the server automatically enabling communication among a plurality of mobile devices used by a corresponding plurality of users via the plurality of social networks, each of the plurality of mobile devices identifies a corresponding current location information based on GPS coordinates; and

the server automatically, without employing invitations and explicit user acceptance, automatically registering and including a first user among the plurality of users in a new social network based on GPS coordinates of the current location of the first user'"'"'s mobile device among the plurality of mobile devices;

wherein a current location to social networks mapping is employed to determine appropriate social networks and associated social groups for the first user based on the current location.

2. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein, the appropriate social networks and associated social groups are associated with a corresponding street, city, county, region, state or country.

3. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server enables the user to participate in a plurality of social networks based on the current location and at least one of the following:

businesses typically used by the user, the social interests of the user, the businesses available at the current location, and social interests of people in the current location.

4. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server switches a default language on the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices based on its current location.

5. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server comprises a content repository module that makes it possible for the user to store content, manage content, include them in a posting, and broadcast content, via one or more social networks and one or more social groups.

6. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server allows adhoc audio messages or video messages sent from the first user to many recipients among the plurality of users.

7. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server also provides automatic user registration to some paid social groups and user approved user registration to other paid social groups.

8. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server assigns a primary and a secondary language to each of the plurality of users for content and for user interaction screens presented;

wherein the server generates reports regarding popularity of various types of content that is pushed or delivered to the plurality of users participating in the plurality of social networks.

9. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server receives the current location information along with a mobile phone number of the first mobile device, in response to which the server maps the current location information to appropriate social groups that the associated first user can participate in by default.

10. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of social groups to which a user is automatically included based on the current location also comprise, as members, agents of local banks that lends funds, agents of local insurance companies, local experts, local meteorologists, local service providers, and local contract labor.

11. The social networking website system of claim 1 wherein the server provides solutions to problems expressed by subscribers, to the user via the social networks.

12. A mobile device for accessing a social networking website managed by a social networking website system, the mobile device comprising:

a memory;

a location determination circuitry that facilitates determination of a current location;

a processing circuitry coupled to the memory and the location determination circuitry;

a client that is executed by the processing circuitry, wherein the client, when operable, interacts with the social networking website, without conducting any upfront registration, without sharing any user profile and without need for invitations;

the client determining the current location of the mobile device employing the location determination circuitry and processing circuitry;

the client automatically registering the current location of the mobile device with the social networking website system, without employing invitations and explicit user acceptance to join them, whereby the social networking website system, in response, automatically assigns the user as a member of at least one social network selected by the social networking website system from a plurality of social networks based on the current location of the mobile device; and

the client monitors the current location for the user, and communicates changes to the current location, to adjust the user'"'"'s membership to the social networks and social groups based on changes to the current location.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the mobile device receives automatic registration to free social groups and also user approved user registration to paid social groups.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the mobile device also receives assignment of a primary and a secondary language to the user for content and for user interaction screens presented.

15. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the mobile device generates reports regarding popularity of various types of content that is pushed or delivered to the user participating in the plurality of social networks.

16. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the client communicates an adhoc message, created by the user, to a plurality of recipients or to the at least one social network.

17. A method of managing a social network by a server, the method comprising:

enabling, by the server, automatic participation by users of mobile devices, based on their current location determined as GPS coordinates by their corresponding mobile devices, without requiring invitations or responses to invitations;

receiving, by the server from the mobile devices, postings for the social network, and sharing those postings with the social network;

storing, by the server, personal recommendations created by the users for products or services, that is shared with other members of the social network; and

connecting, by the server, a user with colleagues and business partners based on the current location of their corresponding ones of the mobile devices, for interactions via message exchanges; and

monitoring the current location for the user, and communicating changes to the current location, in order to adjust the user'"'"'s membership to the social networks and social groups, based on changes to the current location.

18. The method of managing a social network of claim 17 further comprising automatic registering, wherein the automatic registering comprises:

determining a current location of each of the mobile devices; and

sending, to the corresponding ones of the mobile devices, an identification of the social network after automatic enrollment of the user based on the current location and a personal profile of the user.

19. The method of managing a social network of claim 17 further comprising:

providing connections to agents of local banks, agents of local insurance companies, local experts, local meteorologists, local product providers, and local contract labor, to members of the social network.

20. The method of managing a social network of claim 17 further comprising:

prompting the creation of personal social groups by the users, to facilitate interaction and message sharing by the users, with others who share common interests or affiliations.