Event planning on online social networks

• US 9,992,150 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koolwal, Aditya Brij, Smith, Daniel Warner, Maia, Eduardo de Mello, Spencer, Curtis Wayne, Deeter, Ken, Lafferty, Kieran, Ederle, Jason Reid
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US14/571,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20160173436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a computer server may receive information regarding an event proposal from an event organizer, where the information includes an identification of multiple invitees, and where the information is missing one or more significant details of the event proposal. The computer server may send the information regarding the event proposal to one or more client devices, where each of the client devices is associated with one of the invitees. The computer server may receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees, and based on the received feedback, the computer server may determine at least one of the missing significant details of the event proposal. The computer server may send information regarding final details of an event based on the event proposal to one or more of the client devices associated with the invitees.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer server, information regarding an event proposal from an event organizer, wherein the information comprises an identification of a plurality of invitees, and wherein the information is missing one or more details of the event proposal, wherein the details comprise one or more event characteristics;

sending, by the computer server, the information regarding the event proposal to one or more client devices, wherein each of the client devices is associated with one of the invitees;

receiving, at the computer server, feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees, wherein the receiving feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises creating a chat thread for discussion of details related to the event proposal;

determining, by the computer server, at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback, wherein the determining at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises;

extracting one or more words or strings from one or more comments in the chat thread, and

matching the extracted words or strings from the comments in the chat thread with one or more terms in the event proposal; and

sending, by the computer server, information regarding final details of an event based on the event proposal to one or more of the client devices associated with the invitees.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises:

providing a chat interface to the invitees;

sending a notification to the invitees that the chat thread has been created; and

receiving, at the computer server, messages sent, using the chat interface, by the invitees in relation to the chat thread.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

for each of the invitees, sending a summary of the information regarding the event proposal as part of a list of event proposals that have been sent to the invitee, each entry of the list comprising a link to a corresponding chat thread, and wherein the sending the information regarding the final details of the event comprises sending an update to the summary of the information regarding the event proposal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the event proposal has been configured to expire after a particular duration of time, further comprising:

once the duration of time has passed, sending a cancellation instruction for the event proposal to any one of the client devices from which no feedback has been received, wherein the cancellation instruction operates to remove the information regarding the event proposal from the client device and to remove the summary of the information regarding the event proposal from the list of event proposals.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the receiving feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises receiving one or more opt-in notifications related to the event proposal;

wherein the determining at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises processing the opt-in notifications to determine a subset of the invitees who have opted in; and

wherein sending the information regarding the final details of the event to one or more of the client devices comprises sending the information regarding the final details of the event to only the client devices associated with invitees in the subset of the invitees.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the receiving feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises receiving one or more votes in a poll related to the at least one of the missing details;

and

wherein the determining at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises tallying the votes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the information regarding the final details of the event further comprises:

sending information to request final confirmation of attendance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sending the information to request final confirmation of attendance further comprises:

sending information to request pre-payment for the event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving the information regarding the event proposal from the event organizer, providing the information regarding the event proposal to a third-party;

receiving sponsored content relating to one or more of the missing details; and

presenting the sponsored content to the event organizer or the invitees.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback further comprises determining how many of certain words or strings are present in the chat thread.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the certain words or strings comprise names of one or more proposed venues.

10. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive information regarding an event proposal from an event organizer, wherein the information comprises an identification of a plurality of invitees, and wherein the information is missing one or more details of the event proposal, wherein the details comprise one or more event characteristics;

send the information regarding the event proposal to one or more client devices, wherein each of the client devices is associated with one of the invitees;

receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees, wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises create a chat thread for discussion of details related to the event proposal;

determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback, wherein the determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises;

extract one or more words or strings from one or more comments in the chat thread, and

match the extracted words or strings from the comments in the chat thread with one or more terms in the event proposal; and

send information regarding final details of an event based on the event proposal to one or more of the client devices associated with the invitees.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises:

provide a chat interface to the invitees;

send a notification to the invitees that the chat thread has been created; and

receive messages sent, using the chat interface, by the invitees in relation to the chat thread.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

for each of the invitees, send a summary of the information regarding the event proposal as part of a list of event proposals that have been sent to the invitee, each entry of the list comprising a link to a corresponding chat thread, and wherein the send the information regarding the final details of the event comprises send an update to the summary of the information regarding the event proposal.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the event proposal has been configured to expire after a particular duration of time, and the software is further operable when executed to:

once the duration of time has passed, send a cancellation instruction for the event proposal to any one of the client devices from which no feedback has been received, wherein the cancellation instruction operates to remove the information regarding the event proposal from the client device and to remove the summary of the information regarding the event proposal from the list of event proposals.

14. The media of claim 10,

wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises receive one or more opt-in notifications related to the event proposal;

wherein the determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises process the opt-in notifications to determine a subset of the invitees who have opted in; and

wherein the send the information regarding the final details of the event to one or more of the client devices comprises send the information regarding the final details of the event to only the client devices associated with invitees in the subset of the invitees.

15. The media of claim 10,

wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises receive one or more votes in a poll related to the at least one of the missing details;

and

wherein the determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises tally the votes.

16. The media of claim 10, wherein the send the information regarding the final details of the event further comprises:

send information to request final confirmation of attendance.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive information regarding an event proposal from an event organizer, wherein the information comprises an identification of a plurality of invitees, and wherein the information is missing one or more details of the event proposal, wherein the details comprise one or more event characteristics;

send the information regarding the event proposal to one or more client devices, wherein each of the client devices is associated with one of the invitees;

receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees, wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises create a chat thread for discussion of details related to the event proposal;

determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback, wherein the determine at least one of the missing details of the event proposal based on the received feedback comprises;

extract one or more words or strings from one or more comments in the chat thread, and

match the extracted words or strings from the comments in the chat thread with one or more terms in the event proposal; and

send information regarding final details of an event based on the event proposal to one or more of the client devices associated with the invitees.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the receive feedback regarding the event proposal from at least one of the invitees comprises:

provide a chat interface to the invitees;

send a notification to the invitees that the chat thread has been created; and

receive messages sent, using the chat interface, by the invitees in relation to the chat thread.