Communicating information describing activity of computer system users among computer system users

• US 9,614,805 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jhanji, Neeraj
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US14/245,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709204, 709206, 709207, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• 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: 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A computer-implemented method receiving receives information describing a current or future activity from a user of a computing system via a mobile device. The current activity is an activity occurring at a current time when the information is received, while the future activity is an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time when the information is received. The method transmits the information describing the current or future activity to a backend database coupled to the Internet and remote from the mobile device. The information describing the current or future activity is accessible to at least one recipient having access privilege to information associated with the user and describing the current or future activity via the Internet.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server, data from a mobile computing device associated with a sending user, the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating a physical location and a proposed activity to occur at the physical location at a future timepoint;

determining a user profile maintained by the server and associated with the sending user based at least in part on the received data;

receiving, from an additional user, search criteria to identify users that have indicated current or future engagement in the proposed activity;

determining that the proposed activity associated with the physical location satisfies the received search criteria based at least in part on the data received from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user;

identifying the additional user as authorized by the sending user to access activity information associated with the sending user;

providing, for display on a mobile computing device associated with the additional user, the physical location and the proposed activity associated with the physical location indicated by the received data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user that satisfied the received search criteria;

receiving, at the server, a request from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user including one or more location parameters;

selecting one or more users associated with a second physical location satisfying at least one location parameter included in the request, the one or more users having previously authorized the sending user to access location information associated with a user; and

sending information identifying the selected one or more users to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating the physical location of the sending user is manually provided by the sending user to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating the physical location of the sending user is determined by an automatic location finding technology included on the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message includes an invitation for the additional user to meet the sending user at the physical location of the sending user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity associated with the physical location is at least one of shopping, dining, playing a sport, or working.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity associated with the physical location is an activity that the sending user is engaged in or will be engaged in.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server, data from a mobile computing device associated with a sending user, the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user describing a proposed activity associated with the sending user to occur at a future timepoint at a physical location;

determining a user profile maintained by the server and associated with the sending user based at least in part on the received data;

receiving, at the server, a request from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user including the physical location;

selecting one or more users associated with the physical location included in the request, the one or more users having previously authorized the sending user to access location information associated with a user;

sending information identifying the selected one or more users to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user;

receiving, from an additional user, search criteria to identify users that have indicated current or future engagement in the proposed activity;

determining that the activity associated with the physical location satisfies the received search criteria based at least in part on the data received from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user;

identifying the additional user as authorized by the sending user to receive information describing activity information associated with the sending user; and

providing, for display on a mobile computing device associated with the additional user, the proposed activity associated with the sending user described by the received data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user that satisfied the received search criteria.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the activity has a description and the sending user provides the description of the activity to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the activity has a description and the sending user selects the description of the activity from one or more descriptions associated with activities presented by the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the message includes an invitation for the additional user to participate in the activity with the sending user.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a server, data from a mobile computing device associated with a sending user, the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating a physical location and a proposed activity to occur at the physical location at a future timepoint;

determine a user profile maintained by the server and associated with the sending user based at least in part on the received data;

receive, from an additional user, search criteria to identify users that have indicated current or future engagement in the proposed activity;

determine that the proposed activity associated with the physical location satisfies the received search criteria based at least in part on the data received from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user;

identify the additional user as authorized by the sending user to access activity information associated with the sending user;

provide, for display on a mobile computing device associated with the additional user, the physical location and the proposed activity associated with the physical location indicated by the received data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user that satisfied the received search criteria;

receive, at the server, a request from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user including one or more location parameters;

select one or more users associated with a second physical location satisfying at least one location parameter included in the request, the one or more users having previously authorized the sending user to access location information associated with a user; and

send information identifying the selected one or more users to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating the physical location of the sending user is manually provided by the sending user to the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the data from the mobile computing device associated with the sending user indicating the physical location of the sending user is determined by an automatic location finding technology included on the mobile computing device associated with the sending user.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the message includes an invitation for the additional user to meet the sending user at the physical location of the sending user.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the activity associated with the physical location is at least one of shopping, dining, playing a sport, or working.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the activity associated with the physical location is an activity that the sending user is engaged in or will be engaged in.