Social networking system which provides location information of related

• US 9,563,922 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US13/029,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,183 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a processing device, a current location associated with a first mobile communication device;

receiving, by the processing device, a user selection of one or more types of location label selected from a plurality of location label types;

displaying, by the processing device, a plurality of suggested labels for user selection, wherein the suggested labels identify the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device, and wherein the processing device displays the plurality of suggested labels to the user in response to the user selection of the one or more types of location label;

identifying, by the processing device, a second mobile communication device;

receiving, by the processing device, a user selection of a label selected from the plurality of suggested labels, wherein receiving the user selection of a label selected from the plurality of suggested labels comprises receiving a user request to assign the selected label to the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device; and

transmitting, by the processing device, the selected label to the second mobile communication device in response to identifying the second mobile communication device and receiving the user selection of the selected label.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected label comprises a user-supplied label.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected label comprises a default label assigned by a service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected label is transmitted while the first mobile communication device is located at the determined current location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected label is selected by a user associated with a user network, wherein the method further comprises storing, by the processing device, the plurality of suggested labels that are associated with the determined current location, and wherein the plurality of suggested labels were supplied by other users within the same user network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected label is selected by a user associated with a user network, and wherein the plurality of suggested labels comprise labels supplied by users within the same user network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selected label comprises a label included in a user profile corresponding to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a second user selection of a second label from the plurality of suggested labels, wherein the second label is different than the selected label;

identifying, by the processing device, a third mobile communication device; and

transmitting, by the processing device, the selected second label to the third mobile communication device in response to identifying the third mobile communication device.

9. A memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

determining a current location associated with a first mobile communication device;

receiving a user selection of one or more types of location label selected from a plurality of location label types;

prompting display of a plurality of suggested labels for user selection, wherein the suggested labels identify the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device, and wherein the plurality of suggested labels are displayed in response to the user selection of the one or more types of location label;

identifying a second mobile communication device;

receiving a user selection of a label from the plurality of suggested labels, wherein receiving the user selection of a label selected from the plurality of suggested labels comprises receiving a user request to assign the selected label to the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device; and

transmitting the selected label to the second mobile communication device in response to identifying the second mobile communication device and receiving the user selection of the selected label.

10. The memory device of claim 9, wherein the selected label comprises a user-supplied label.

11. The memory device of claim 9, wherein the selected label is transmitted while the first mobile communication device is located at the determined current location.

12. The memory device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of suggested labels comprise a group of label types including address-type labels and user-defined-type labels.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

location detection circuitry configured to determine a current location associated with a first mobile communication device;

a processing device configured to identify a second mobile communication device and to receive a user selection of one or more types of location label selected from a plurality of location label types, wherein the processing device is further configured to provide a plurality of suggested labels in response to the user selection of the one or more types of location label;

a user interface configured to receive a user selection of a label from the plurality of suggested labels displayed on the first mobile communication device, wherein the suggested labels comprise descriptions of the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device, and wherein the user selection of a label selected from the plurality of suggested labels is received as a user request to assign the selected label to the determined current location associated with the first mobile communication device; and

a communication device configured to transmit the selected label to the second mobile communication device in response to identifying the second mobile communication device and receiving the user selection of the selected label.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selected label comprises a user-supplied label.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selected label is transmitted while the first mobile communication device is located at the determined current location.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the selected label comprises a customized description of the determined current location.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location detection circuitry is further configured to determine the current location at a certain point in time corresponding to when the user selection of the label is received.