Event based social networking

• US 9,596,208 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lane A. Ekberg
• Original Assignee: Lane A. Ekberg
• Inventors: Ekberg, Lane A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolchinsky, Gregory P
• Application Number:
  US13/764,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for facilitating networked communication. An event creation module is configured to create an event profile within a social networking service. A check in module is configured to associate a plurality of user profiles of the social networking service with the event profile. A message interface module is configured to provide a message interface in response to determining that a user profile of a first user of the social networking service and a user profile of a second user of the social networking service are associated with the event profile. The message interface is operable by the first user to send a private message to the second user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating networked communication, the method comprising:

creating an event profile within a social networking service;

associating a plurality of user profiles of the social networking service with the event profile;

providing a message interface operable by a first user of the social networking service to send a private message to a second user of the social networking service, in response to determining that a user profile of the first user and a user profile of the second user are associated with the event profile;

using a plurality of filter categories associated with the event profile to categorize each user profile of the plurality of user profiles associated with the event profile, the plurality of filter categories comprising one or more of a business category, a dating category, and a friendship category, wherein categorizing a user profile for a user comprises presenting an interface for the user to select a filter category from the plurality of filter categories for the user'"'"'s own user profile; and

displaying an event profile page, the event profile page comprising a page for the event profile with information about the event profile and links, on the event profile page, to multiple user profiles selected from the plurality of user profiles based on one or more of the filter categories.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filter categories further comprises a promotional category definable by an administrator for promoting one or more of a business, a location, a good, and a service associated with the event profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating a plurality of user profiles with the event profile comprises determining that a location for at least one user profile satisfies one or more location criteria for the event profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the private message comprises one or more of an email message, a chat message, a video message, and an audio message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a storefront interface associated with the event profile.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a classified marketplace interface associated with the event profile.

7. An apparatus for facilitating networked communication, the apparatus comprising:

an event creation module configured to create an event profile within a social networking service;

a check in module configured to associate a plurality of user profiles of the social networking service with the event profile;

a message interface module configured to provide a message interface operable by a first user of the social networking service to send a private message to a second user of the social networking service, in response to determining that a user profile of the first user and a user profile of the second user are associated with the event profile;

a filter category module configured to use a plurality of filter categories associated with the event profile to categorize each user profile of the plurality of user profiles associated with the event profile, the plurality of filter categories comprising one or more of a business category, a dating category, and a friendship category, wherein the filter category module categorizes a user profile for a user by presenting an interface for the user to select a filter category from the plurality of filter categories for the user'"'"'s own user profile; and

an event information module configured to display an event profile page, the event profile page comprising a page for the event profile with information about the event profile and links, on the event profile page, to multiple user profiles selected from the plurality of user profiles based on one or more of the filter categories;

wherein the modules comprise one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an event map module configured to display a map comprising a link to the event profile, the link positioned at a location on the map corresponding to a location for the event profile, wherein the event map module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the message interface provided by the message interface module is operable by the second user to block one or more messages from the first user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a user profile information module configured to display information about one user profile, the information comprising one or more of a link to a viewed user profile and a link to a viewer user profile, wherein the user profile information module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a physical attendee module configured to categorize at least one user profile of the plurality of user profiles as a physical attendee for the event profile, in response to determining that a location for the at least one user profile satisfies one or more location criteria for the event profile, wherein the physical attendee module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a related event module configured to display information about the event profile, the displayed information comprising one or more links to one or more related event profiles, wherein the related event module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an event feedback module configured to display information about the event profile, the displayed information comprising user feedback about the event profile, wherein the event feedback module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an advertisement module configured to display information about the event profile with advertisements, wherein the advertisement module comprises one or more of a hardware circuit, a programmable hardware device and a processor executing code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer usable program code executable to perform operations for facilitating networked communication, the operations comprising:

creating an event profile within a social networking service;

associating a plurality of user profiles of the social networking service with the event profile;

providing a message interface operable by a first user of the social networking service to send a private message to a second user of the social networking service, in response to determining that a user profile of the first user and a user profile of the second user are associated with the event profile;

using a plurality of filter categories associated with the event profile to categorize each user profile of the plurality of user profiles associated with the event profile, the plurality of filter categories comprising one or more of a business category, a dating category, and a friendship category, wherein categorizing a user profile for a user comprises presenting an interface for the user to select a filter category from the plurality of filter categories for the user'"'"'s own user profile; and

displaying an event profile page, the event profile page comprising a page for the event profile with information about the event profile and links, on the event profile page, to multiple user profiles selected from the plurality of user profiles based on one or more of the filter categories.