Systems and methods for utilizing wireless communications to suggest connections for a user

• US 9,820,118 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US15/015,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20160157071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 4554142, 455416, 455457, 455458, 455459
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can broadcast a first wireless communication including information associated with a first user. A second wireless communication including information associated with a second user can be detected. Log data including at least a portion of the information associated with the second user can be generated. The log data can also include signal strength data associated with the second wireless communication and time data indicating when the second wireless communication was detected. The log data can be provided for analysis. One or more connections suggested for the first user based, at least in part, on the log data can be received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

broadcasting, by a computing system, a first wireless communication including information associated with a first user;

detecting, by the computing system, a second wireless communication including information associated with a second user;

enabling, by the computing system, signal strength data associated with the second wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a locational proximity between the first user and the second user; and

receiving, by the computing system, one or more connections suggested for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user suggested based, at least in part, on the locational proximity inferred from analyzing the signal strength data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a likelihood of an occurrence of a meeting between the first user and the second user to be increased when the locational proximity is below a specified allowable distance.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

acquiring time data indicating when the second wireless communication was detected; and

enabling the time data to be analyzed to infer a duration of the meeting between the first user and the second user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user; and

receiving an instruction from the first user to connect with the second user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the first user includes a first identifier of the first user within a social networking service, and wherein the information associated with the second user includes a second identifier of the second user within the social networking service.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third wireless communication including information associated with a third user;

acquiring at least a portion of the information associated with the third user, second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication, and second time data indicating when the third wireless communication was detected;

enabling the second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a second locational proximity between the first user and the third user; and

receiving a suggestion for the first user to connect with the third user, wherein the suggestion is based, at least in part, on the second locational proximity.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication corresponds to at least one of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, a ZigBee communication, a Z-Wave communication, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication, a near-field communication (NFC), or a personal area network (PAN) communication.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform;

broadcasting a first wireless communication including information associated with a first user;

detecting a second wireless communication including information associated with a second user;

enabling signal strength data associated with the second wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a locational proximity between the first user and the second user; and

receiving one or more connections suggested for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user suggested based, at least in part, on the locational proximity inferred from analyzing the signal strength data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the system to further perform:

causing a likelihood of an occurrence of a meeting between the first user and the second user to be increased when the locational proximity is below a specified allowable distance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the system to further perform:

acquiring time data indicating when the second wireless communication was detected; and

enabling the time data to be analyzed to infer a duration of the meeting between the first user and the second user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the system to further perform:

presenting, for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user; and

receiving an instruction from the first user to connect with the second user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the first user includes a first identifier of the first user within a social networking service, and wherein the information associated with the second user includes a second identifier of the second user within the social networking service.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the system to further perform:

acquiring at least a portion of the information associated with the third user, second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication, and second time data indicating when the third wireless communication was detected;

enabling the second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a second locational proximity between the first user and the third user; and

receiving a suggestion for the first user to connect with the third user, wherein the suggestion is based, at least in part, on the second locational proximity.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication corresponds to at least one of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, a ZigBee communication, a Z-Wave communication, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication, a near-field communication (NFC), or a personal area network (PAN) communication.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method comprising:

broadcasting a first wireless communication including information associated with a first user;

detecting a second wireless communication including information associated with a second user;

enabling signal strength data associated with the second wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a locational proximity between the first user and the second user; and

receiving one or more connections suggested for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user suggested based, at least in part, on the locational proximity inferred from analyzing the signal strength data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to further perform:

causing a likelihood of an occurrence of a meeting between the first user and the second user to be increased when the locational proximity is below a specified allowable distance.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to further perform:

acquiring time data indicating when the second wireless communication was detected; and

enabling the time data to be analyzed to infer a duration of the meeting between the first user and the second user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to further perform:

presenting, for the first user, the one or more connections including the second user; and

receiving an instruction from the first user to connect with the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information associated with the first user includes a first identifier of the first user within a social networking service, and wherein the information associated with the second user includes a second identifier of the second user within the social networking service.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the computing system to further perform:

acquiring at least a portion of the information associated with the third user, second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication, and second time data indicating when the third wireless communication was detected;

enabling the second signal strength data associated with the third wireless communication to be analyzed to infer a second locational proximity between the first user and the third user; and

receiving a suggestion for the first user to connect with the third user, wherein the suggestion is based, at least in part, on the second locational proximity.