Social networking and network connectivity

• US 9,525,732 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stankey, John Thomas, Malik, Dale W., Mikan, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANTON, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US14/929,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 416 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Social networking is used to enhance content delivery to mobile devices. Sometimes a mobile device lacks network connectivity, such as when the mobile device is off or offline. Content cannot be sent to the mobile device when lacking network connectivity. A social network, however, may be retrieved for interim storage of the content. When the mobile device lacks network connectivity, the content may be routed to a member device of the social network. The member device stores the content until the mobile device resumes network connectivity. The member device may then send or forward the content to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a server, content associated with a first user for delivery to a second user;

retrieving, by the server, information describing wireless connectivity associated with the second user;

determining, by the server, a device associated with the second user lacks the wireless connectivity to a communications network;

identifying, by the server, a social network associated with the second user lacking the wireless connectivity; and

selecting, by the server, a member of the social network as an alternate recipient for the content in response to the device associated with the second user lacking the wireless connectivity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a network address from member addresses associated with the social network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an electronic notification to the second user notifying of the alternate recipient for the content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an electronic notification to the first user notifying of the alternate recipient for the content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an electronic notification to the alternate recipient, the notification notifying the alternate recipient of the second user lacking the wireless connectivity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an instruction to route the content to a network address associated with the member of the social network selected as the alternate recipient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an instruction to route the content for interim storage to a network address associated with the member of the social network selected as the alternate recipient.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing executable instructions, the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving electronic packets of data associated with a user associated with a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a recipient network address;

retrieving information describing wireless connectivity associated with the recipient network address;

determining that the mobile device associated with the recipient network address lacks the wireless connectivity;

retrieving a social network associated with the user; and

routing the electronic packets of data for interim storage to a friend'"'"'s network address associated with the social network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the friend'"'"'s network address from member addresses associated with the social network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending an electronic notification to the recipient network address, the electronic notification notifying of the interim storage to the friend'"'"'s network address.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending an electronic notification to the friend'"'"'s network address notifying of the interim storage.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database to determine the wireless connectivity associated with the recipient network address.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise storing electronic database associations between different network addresses and the wireless connectivity.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending an instruction to the friend'"'"'s network address to interim store the electronic packets of data.

15. A memory device storing code that when executed causes a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving electronic packets of data identifying a recipient network address associated with a mobile device;

retrieving information describing wireless connectivity associated with the recipient network address;

determining that the mobile device associated with the recipient network address lacks the wireless connectivity;

retrieving a social network associated with the recipient network address associated with the mobile device; and

routing the electronic packets of data for interim storage to a friend'"'"'s network address associated with the social network.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the friend'"'"'s network address from member addresses associated with the social network.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending an electronic notification to the network address associated with the mobile device, the electronic notification notifying of the interim storage to the friend'"'"'s network address.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending an electronic notification to the friend'"'"'s network address notifying of the interim storage.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database to determine the wireless connectivity associated with the network address.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending an instruction to the friend'"'"'s network address to interim store the electronic packets of data.