Method, system and apparatus for location-based machine-assisted interactions

• US 9,894,476 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Agency LLC (Wagoo L.L.C.)
• Original Assignee: Federico Fraccaroli
• Inventors: Fraccaroli, Federico
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US14/274,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20150094097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,374 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 4554042, 4554561, 707758, 707792, 715733, 715751
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

In accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention a method comprises at least partially enabling a set of functionalities and attributes associated to an area for facilitating business transactions, networking activities, or social interactions of users who are within, proximate, or associated, at least provisionally, with said area. In some implementations, the present invention provides functionalities apt to discover taxonomies of users in relation to locations. In some other implementations, the present invention provides functionalities apt to trace or follow up with users who have associated their identities, at least during a time window, with said area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

facilitating discovery of indicia of a session area via a location aware mobile application;

wherein;

a) said session area is anchored to at least one reference point;

b) said session area exhibits at least one first set of spatial boundaries associated with said at least one reference point;

c) said session area is associated with at least one time-related parameter defining at least one functionality connected with said session area;

d) said discovery of indicia of said session area is facilitated, at least in part, based on assessment of a distance data from said at least one reference point;

facilitating association with said session area of at least one user among a first plurality of users based, at least in part, on a distance parameter from said at least one reference point;

facilitating selectively enabling the activation of a second plurality of users by an authority, wherein said activation facilitates the association of said second plurality of users with said first plurality of users;

facilitating enabling at least one interactive networking functionality for said at least one user among said first plurality of users, wherein said at least one user among said first plurality of users selectively receives indicia of at least one user among said second plurality of users;

facilitating determining which user among said second plurality of users has the strongest connection with said reference point based, at least in part, on that user'"'"'s location;

facilitating activating a timer associated with said one user among said second plurality of users such that if a task is not accomplished by said one user among said second plurality of users within the expiration of said timer, an association with said at least one user among said first plurality of users is inhibited, at least temporarily, and thus the quality of interactions between said first plurality of users and said second plurality of users is regulated;

facilitating providing guidance indicia to said one user among said second plurality of users to facilitate a meeting with said at least one user among said first plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of spatial boundaries defines a threshold condition for members of said first plurality of users such that association with said session area is inhibited outside such boundaries.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a parameter representing a radius of discoverability of a session area adjusts to balance requests for interactions among users of said second plurality of users according to a predetermined optimization criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one interactive networking functionality is governed by parameters selected from the group consisting of:

a time parameter regulating incoming requests for interaction according to a predetermined time threshold, a predetermined threshold data parameter of previously received requests for interaction regulating incoming requests for interaction, prioritization of requests of interactions according to a premium subscriptions data parameter, a time data parameter associated with permanence within said at least one first set of spatial boundaries, a time data parameter associated with usage of a mobile application, a recurrence data parameter of associations with said session area, a user data score parameter based on feedback from users, an activity threshold parameter, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said session area is characterized by a session area model profile detailing, at least in part, a subset of attributes that pertain to said one user among said first plurality of users, wherein a correlation engine determines a correlation score between said one user among said first plurality of users and said session area model profile such that said correlation score is used to regulate parameters selected from the group consisting of:

visibility of said session area as compared to other session areas, discoverability of said session area, discoverability of said one user among said first plurality of users, visibility of said one user among said first plurality of users, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating providing indicia pertaining to members of said first plurality of users or said second plurality of users wherein said indicia are based on data selected from the group consisting of:

analytics of spatial patterns of members of said first plurality of users, analytics of temporal patterns of members of said first plurality of users, a real time indication of the position of said one user among said first plurality of users, a real time indication of the position of said one user among said second plurality of users, data with reference to a position pledge information pertaining to said one user among said second plurality of users, data with reference to a position pledge information pertaining to said one user among said first plurality of users, and combinations thereof;

wherein said indicia facilitate the occurrence of said meeting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said meeting with said at least one user among said first plurality of users is associated with a predetermined location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of said second plurality of users is associated with a second set of boundaries defining an area where said at least a subset of said second plurality of users enjoys privileges deriving from settings of said authority such that interferences among said second plurality of users are minimized.

9. A computer software system having a set of instructions stored in at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium for controlling at least one digital computer in performing desired functions comprising:

a set of instructions formed into each of a plurality of modules, each modules comprising;

a process for facilitating fruition of functionalities associated with a session area via a location aware mobile application;

wherein;

a) said session area exhibits at least one first set of spatial boundaries;

b) said session area is associated with at least one time related parameter defining at least one functionality connected with said session area;

a process for facilitating association with said session area of at least one user among a first plurality of users based, at least in part, on determining said at least one user'"'"'s location;

a process for facilitating selectively enabling the activation of a second plurality of users by an authority, wherein said activation allows the selective association of said second plurality of users with said first plurality of users;

a process for facilitating enabling at least one interactive networking functionality for said at least one user among said first plurality of users, wherein said at least one user among said first plurality of users selectively receives indicia of at least one user among said second plurality of users;

a process for facilitating determining which user among said second plurality of users has the strongest connection with said session area based, at least in part, on time spent within said at least one first set of spatial boundaries, such that said second plurality of users are ranked one above the other according to status;

a process for facilitating activating a timer associated to said one user among said second plurality of users such that if a task is not accomplished by said one user among said second plurality of users within the expiration of said timer, an association with said at least one user among said first plurality of users is inhibited, at least temporarily, and thus the quality of interactions between said first plurality of users and said second plurality of users is regulated;

a process for providing indicia to facilitate an encounter between said at least one user among said first plurality of users and said at least one user among said second plurality of users.

10. The computer software system of claim 9, wherein said session area is anchored to at least one reference point and said reference point is selected from the group consisting of:

instantaneous location of said least one user among said first plurality of users, instantaneous location of said least one user among said second plurality of users, a commercial establishment, a private establishment, and combinations thereof.

11. The computer software system of claim 9, wherein said authority selectively controls the enabling of said second plurality of users according to parameters selected from the group consisting of:

presence within a predetermined area parameter, presence outside a predetermined area parameter, a time window parameter, and combinations thereof.

12. The computer software system of claim 9, wherein a rate of interaction of said at least one user among said second plurality of users with users among said first plurality of users affects at least a parameter related to said at least one user among said second plurality of users selected from the group consisting of:

a reward level, a status level, discoverability, visibility, and combinations thereof.

13. The computer software system of claim 9, wherein said at least one user among said second plurality of users communicates indicia pertaining to his own anticipated future location to facilitate enabling at least one interactive networking functionality for said at least one user among said first plurality of users.

14. The computer software system of claim 9, further comprising a process for facilitating producing maps indicating clouds of spatial and/or time probability of users selected from the group consisting of:

said first plurality of users, said second plurality of users, and combinations thereof.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including a computer program code;

the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

facilitating discovery of indicia of a session area via a location aware mobile application;

wherein;

a) said session area is anchored to at least one reference point;

b) said session area exhibits at least one first set of spatial boundaries associated with said at least one reference point;

c) said session area is associated with at least one time related parameter defining at least one functionality connected with said session area;

d) said discovery of indicia of said session area is facilitated, at least in part, based on a distance data from said at least one reference point;

facilitating association with said session area of at least one user among a first plurality of users based, at least in part, on a distance parameter from said at least one reference point;

facilitating selectively enabling discoverability of a second plurality of users by an authority, wherein said authority facilitates association of said second plurality of users with said first plurality of users;

facilitating enabling at least one interactive networking functionality for said at least one user among said first plurality of users, wherein said at least one user among said first plurality of users selectively receives indicia of at least one user among said second plurality of users;

facilitating determining which user among said second plurality of users has the strongest connection with said one user among said first plurality of users based, at least in part, on a distance data between said one user among said first plurality of users and said one user among said second plurality of users;

facilitating activating a timer associated to said one user among said second plurality of users such that if a task is not accomplished by said one user among said second plurality of users within the expiration of said timer, an association with said at least one user among said first plurality of users is inhibited, at least temporarily, and thus the quality of interactions between said first plurality of users and said second plurality of users is regulated;

facilitating providing indicia to assist an encounter between said one user among said second plurality of users and said one user among said first plurality of users such that a service is provided.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said distance parameter from said at least one reference point varies to optimize the load among said second plurality of users according to at least one predetermined criterion of said authority.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said encounter occurs in a predetermined location selected from the group consisting of:

a location selected by said least one user among said first plurality of users, a location selected by said least one user among said second plurality of users, a location corresponding to said reference point, a location selected by said authority.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said apparatus regulates discoverability of said session area according to a correlation score between a session area model-profile and the profile of users selected from the group consisting of:

said first plurality of users, said second plurality of users, and combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a feedback parameter influences association between said one user among said first plurality of users and said one user among said second plurality of users.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said computer program code further causes the apparatus to provide space and time indicia related to an area of high concentration of users of said first plurality of users.