Lifestyle-based social groups

• US 9,769,107 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marti, Lukas M., Ma, Shannon M., Dal Santo, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US14/070,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 709205, 709206, 709207, 709208, 705 144, 705 1449, 705 1458
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Techniques for lifestyle-based social groups are described. A user device can learn movement patterns of the user device. Based on the movement pattern, and a user activity history, a computer system can determine a lifestyle of a user, or a meaning of a location. The system can create a social group based on the lifestyle and the meaning of location. The system can designate the lifestyle or meaning as a theme of the social group. The social group can be an ad hoc social network. For example, the social group can be created without an explicit user request, can be anonymous, and can be lifestyle and location based.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first user device, activity information on an activity performed by a user of the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, a location where the first user device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

automatically determining, based on the activity information, a type of the activity;

creating a social group based on the location and the type of the activity, including determining a theme of the social group based on the type of the activity;

determining that a first condition that a second user device is located at the location or will visit the location is satisfied;

determining that a second condition that the second user device seeks information related to the location or related to the theme of the social group is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the first and second conditions are satisfied, providing a recommendation to join the social group to the second user device,

wherein the method is performed by one or more computers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity information comprises:

sensor readings of the first user device indicative of movement of the first user device;

a history of content access that occurred on the first user device at the location;

or

a history of application program launching that occurred on the first user device at the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the social group is an ad hoc group including anonymous participants, the social group being created by the one or more computers without being initiated by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising removing a user of the second user device from the social group upon determining that the second user device has left the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a meaning of the location based on a pattern of the first device visiting the location and one or more rules corresponding to patterns of human behavior; and

determining the theme based on the meaning and the activity information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a lifestyle of one or more users based on the activity information and the location, the lifestyle including a movement pattern; and

determining the theme based on the location and the lifestyle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the theme comprises determining web content or application programs to be associated with the social group based on the type of the activity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first condition is satisfied comprises:

receiving, from the second user device, an indication that the second user device is located at the location for at least the threshold amount of time;

or

receiving, from the second user device, a current location of the second user device and predicting that the second user device will visit the location based on the current location, a future time, and a state model representing past movements of the second user device.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a count of user devices that are located at the location and that have joined the social group as a membership count to be associated with the recommendation.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining that the second user device is an infrequent visitor of the location; and

in response, providing a selection recommendation for joining the social group and a second social group, wherein the social group is designated as a social group of residents local to the location and the second social group is designated as a social group of visitors foreign to the location.

11. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices; and

at least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions operable to cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a first user device, activity information on an activity performed by a user of the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, a location where the first user device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

automatically determining, based on the activity information, a type of the activity;

creating a social group based on the location and the type of the activity, including determining a theme of the social group based on the type of the activity;

determining that a first condition that a second user device is located at the location or will visit the location is satisfied;

determining that a second condition that the second user device seeks information related to the location or related to the theme of the social group is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the first and second conditions are satisfied, providing a recommendation to join the social group to the second user device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the activity information comprises:

sensor readings of the first user device indicative of movement of the first user device;

a history of content access that occurred on the first user device at the location;

or

a history of application program launching that occurred on the first user device at the location.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the social group is an ad hoc group including anonymous participants, the social group being created by the one or more computers without being initiated by the user.

14. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising removing a user of the second user device from the social group upon determining that the second user device has left the location.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a meaning of the location based on a pattern of the first device visiting the location and one or more rules corresponding to patterns of human behavior; and

determining the theme based on the meaning and the activity information.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a lifestyle of one or more users based on the activity information and the location, the lifestyle including a movement pattern; and

determining the theme based on the location and the lifestyle.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the theme comprises determining web content or application programs to be associated with the social group based on the type of the activity.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the first condition is satisfied comprises:

receiving, from the second user device, an indication that the second user device is located at the location for at least the threshold amount of time;

or

receiving, from the second user device, a current location of the second user device and predicting that the second user device will visit the location based on the current location, a future time, and a state model representing past movements of the second user device.

19. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising providing a count of user devices that are located at the location and that have joined the social group as a membership count to be associated with the recommendation.

20. The system of claim 11, the operations comprising:

determining that the second user device is an infrequent visitor of the location; and

in response, providing a selection recommendation for joining the social group and a second social group, wherein the social group is designated as a social group of residents local to the location and the second social group is designated as a social group of visitors foreign to the location.

21. At least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions operable to cause one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user device, activity information on an activity performed by a user of the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, a location where the first user device has stayed for at least a threshold amount of time;

determining a type of the activity;

creating a social group based on the location and the type of the activity, including determining a theme of the social group based on the type of the activity;

determining that a first condition that a second user device is located at the location or will visit the location is satisfied;

determining that a second condition that the second user device seeks information related to the location or related to the theme of the social group is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the first and second conditions are satisfied, providing a recommendation to join the social group to the second user device.

22. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein the activity information comprises:

sensor readings of the first user device indicative of movement of the first user device;

a history of content access that occurred on the first user device at the location;

or

a history of application program launching that occurred on the first user device at the location.

23. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein the social group is an ad hoc group including anonymous participants, the social group being created by the one or more computers without being initiated by the user.

24. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, the operations comprising removing a user of the second user device from the social group upon determining that the second user device has left the location.

25. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a meaning of the location based on a pattern of the first device visiting the location and one or more rules corresponding to patterns of human behavior; and

determining the theme based on the meaning and the type of the activity.

26. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein determining the theme of the social group comprises:

determining a lifestyle of one or more users based on the activity information and the location, the lifestyle including a movement pattern; and

determining the theme based on the location and the lifestyle.

27. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein determining the theme comprises determining web content or application programs to be associated with the social group based on the activity information.

28. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, wherein determining that the first condition is satisfied comprises:

receiving, from the second user device, an indication that the second user device is located at the location for at least the threshold amount of time;

or

receiving, from the second user device, a current location of the second user device and predicting that the second user device will visit the location based on the current location, a future time, and a state model representing past movements of the second user device.

29. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, the operations comprising providing a count of user devices that are located at the location and that have joined the social group as a membership count to be associated with the recommendation.

30. The non-transitory storage device of claim 21, the operations comprising:

determining that the second user device is an infrequent visitor of the location; and

in response, providing a selection recommendation for joining the social group and a second social group, wherein the social group is designated as a social group of residents local to the location and the second social group is designated as a social group of visitors foreign to the location.