Geographic content discovery

• US 9,648,056 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Mitchell, Mohla, Dave, Khare, Devesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US13/676,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1455, 705 725, 705 1449, 705 1458, 705 1457, 705 1464, 705 1466, 705 1467, 705 145, 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a geographic content discovery application. The geographic location of a client device is determined. Opportunities to obtain content are communicated to the client responsive to the client device being located in a defined geographic boundary. The content may be determined as a function of relevance, incentives associated with the geographic boundary, or nearby clients.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory; and

a geographic content discovery application executable by the at least one computing device, the geographic content discovery application configured to at least perform;

receiving, from a user client device, a geographic location associated with the user client device, wherein the geographic location is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the user client device;

determining that the user client device is located within a geographic boundary;

determining a plurality of digital content stored on a plurality of proximate user client devices that are distinct from the user client device and available for sharing with the user client device within the geographic boundary;

generating an available content list comprising a web page listing the plurality of digital content stored on the plurality of the proximate user client devices; and

transmitting, through a network to a browser content application of the user client device, the available content list on the web page, wherein the available content list on the web page is displayed on the browser content application of the user client device and the plurality of digital content is available for download through a peer-to-peer download from at least one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the available content list is generated as a function of digital content sharing preferences implemented on the at least one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic content discovery application is further configured to perform initiating the peer-to-peer download of at least one digital content from the at least one of the plurality of proximate user client devices to the user client device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the available content list further comprises a predefined list of digital content relevant with respect to the geographic boundary.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital content comprises functionality whose use is restricted in response to the user client device being outside the geographic boundary.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the available content list further comprises at least one discount with respect to a future purchase of at least one digital content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one discount expires responsive to the user client device being outside of the geographic boundary.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one discount expires at a predefined future time as a function of a time the user client device exits the geographic boundary.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital content comprises functionality whose use is restricted responsive to the user client device being outside the geographic boundary.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographic boundary is dynamically generated as a function of a weather pattern.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital content comprises at least one of an application or an unlocking of a functionality for a previously obtained application.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a geographic content discovery application executed by at least one computing device, a geographic location from a user client device, wherein the geographic location is associated with the user client device and is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the user client device;

determining, by the geographic content discovery application executed by the at least one computing device, that the user client device is within a geographic boundary;

determining, by the geographic content discovery application executed by the at least one computing device, a plurality of digital content stored on each of a plurality of proximate user client devices that are distinct from the user client device and available for sharing with the user client device within the geographic boundary;

generating, by the geographic content discovery application executed by the at least one computing device, an available content list comprising a web page listing the plurality of digital content stored on the plurality of the proximate user client devices; and

transmitting, by the geographic content discovery application executed by the at least one computing device through a network to a browser content application of the user client device, the available content list on the web page, wherein the available content list on the web page is displayed on the browser content application of the user client device and the plurality of digital content is available for download through a peer-to-peer download from at least one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the available content list further comprises obtaining, from a digital content distribution service, a predefined list of digital content relevant with respect to the geographic boundary.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating the available content list further comprises obtaining, from the digital content distribution service, an offer to purchase at least one digital content in the predefined list at a discounted price.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the offer to purchase the at least one digital content at the discount price expires responsive to the user client device being outside the geographic boundary.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the available content list comprises an application program interface call to restrict functionality of at least one of the plurality of digital content as a function of a geographic location of the user client device and the geographic boundary.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the geographic boundary comprises an altitude threshold.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the geographic boundary comprises a geographic reference point and a radius applied to the geographic reference point.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the geographic boundary comprises a plurality of connected geographic reference points.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the user client device obtains at least a portion of the plurality of digital content via the peer-to-peer download from one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the geographic boundary as a function of a weather pattern.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the available content list is performed as a function of sharing permissions implemented on the plurality of proximate user client devices, the sharing permissions restricting accessing the plurality of digital content stored on the plurality of proximate user client devices.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device, the program, when executed by a processor, causes the computing device to at least:

receive a geographic location from a user client device, wherein the geographic location is associated with the user client device and is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the user client device;

determine that the user client device is within a geographic boundary;

determine a plurality of digital content stored on each of a plurality of proximate user client devices that are distinct from the user client device and available for sharing with the user client device within the geographic boundary;

generate an available content list comprising a web page listing the plurality of digital content stored on the plurality of the proximate user client devices; and

transmit, through a network to a browser content application of the user client device, the available content list on the web page, wherein the available content list on the web page is displayed on the browser content application of the user client device and the plurality of digital content is available for download through a peer-to-peer download from at least one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, the program further causing the user client device to obtain at least a portion of the plurality of digital content via the peer-to-peer download from one of the plurality of proximate user client devices.