Restricted group content collection

• US 10,523,625 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, Nicholas Richard, Andreou, Jacob, Spiegel, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US15/454,784
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 709206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A messaging server system receives a message creation input from a first client device that is associated with a first user registered with the messaging server system. The messaging server system determines, based on an entity graph representing connections between a plurality of users registered with the messaging server system, that the first user is within a threshold degree of connection with a second that initiated a group story in relation to a specified event. The messaging server system determines, based on location data received from the first client device, that the first client device was located within a geo-fence surrounding a geographic location of the specified event during a predetermined event window, the geo-fence and event window having been designated by the second user, and causes the first client device to present a user interface element that enables the first user to submit content to the group story.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input from a second user, registered with a messaging server system, that initiates a group story in relation to a specified event, the input received from the second user designates a geo-fence surrounding a geographic location of the specified event and a predetermined event window comprising a start time and an end time;

determining, based on an entity graph representing connections between a plurality of users registered with the messaging server system, that a first user, associated with a first client device, is within a threshold degree of connection with the second user;

receiving location data from the first client device that indicates a geographic location of the first client device at a specified time;

obtaining the predetermined event window comprising the start time and the end time of the specified event;

after the group story has been initiated by the input received from the second user, determining, based on the received location data, that the first client device of the first user was previously located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the obtained predetermined event window; and

causing the first client device to present a user interface element that enables the first user to submit content to the group story initiated by the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining, based on the location data, that the first client device was located within the geo-fence for a threshold period of time during the predetermined event window;

after causing the first client device to present the user interface element, receiving, from the first client device, content for inclusion in the group story; and

adding the content to the group story.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prior to adding the content to the group story;

obtaining metadata associated with the content, the metadata indicating a time at which the content was captured and a geographic location at which the content was captured; and

determining that the content was captured from within the geo-fence during the predetermined event window based on the metadata;

prior to adding the content to the group story, transmitting, to a second client device associated with the second user, the content received from the first client device; and

receiving, from the second client device, an authorization message to add the content to the group story.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a message access input from a second client device associated with a third user registered with the messaging server system;

determining that the third user is authorized to view the group story;

providing content included in the group story to the second client device, the content including the content received from the first client device for inclusion in the group story.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the third user is authorized to view the group story comprises:

determining, based on the entity graph, that the third user is within the threshold degree of connection with the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the third user is authorized to view the group story further comprises:

determining, based on location data gathered by the second client device, that the second client device was located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the predetermined event window.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message creation input from a second client device, the second client device being associated with a third user registered with the messaging server system;

determining that the third user is included in a list of users authorized by the second user to add content to the group story;

determining, based on location data received from the second client device, that the second client device was located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the predetermined event window; and

causing the second client device to present a user interface element that enables the third user to submit content to the group story.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a second client device, group story parameters selected by the second user, the group story parameters including the threshold degree of connection with the second user, the geographic location of the specified event, the predetermined event window and dimensions of the geo-fence; and

retrieving the geographical location of the first client device based on the predetermined event window.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client device was previously located within the geo-fence between the start time and the end time of the predetermined event window of the specified event, and the method further comprises:

receiving input from the second user that defines a period of time during which authorized users are permitted to contribute content to the group story, wherein a given one of the authorized users is permitted to contribute content to the group story during the period of time and is prevented from contributing content to the group story outside of the period of time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the group story has remained inactive for a threshold period of time; and

deleting the group story.

11. A messaging server system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the messaging server system to perform operations comprising;

receiving input from a second user, registered with a messaging server system, that initiates a group story in relation to a specified event, the input received from the second user designates a geo-fence surrounding a geographic location of the specified event and a predetermined event window comprising a start time and an end time;

determining, based on an entity graph representing connections between a plurality of users registered with the messaging server system, that a first user, associated with a first client device, is within a threshold degree of connection with the second user;

receiving location data from the first client device that indicates a geographic location of the first client device at a specified time;

obtaining the predetermined event window comprising the start time and the end time of the specified event;

after the group story has been initiated by the input received from the second user, determining, based on the received location data, that the first client device of the first user was previously located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the obtained predetermined event window; and

causing the first client device to present a user interface element that enables the first user to submit content to the group story initiated by the second user.

12. The messaging server system of claim 11, the operations comprising:

determining, based on the location data, that the first client device was located within the geo-fence for a threshold period of time during the predetermined event window;

after causing the first client device to present the user interface element, receiving, from the first client device, content for inclusion in the group story; and

adding the content to the group story.

13. The messaging server system of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

prior to adding the content to the group story;

obtaining metadata associated with the content, the metadata indicating a time at which the content was captured and a geographic location at which the content was captured; and

determining that the content was captured from within the geo-fence during the predetermined event window based on the metadata;

prior to adding the content to the group story, transmitting, to a second client device associated with the second user, the content received from the first client device; and

receiving, from the second client device, an authorization message to add the content to the group story.

14. The messaging server system of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

receiving a message access input from a second client device associated with a third user registered with the messaging server system;

determining that the third user is authorized to view the group story;

providing content included in the group story to the second client device, the content including the content received from the first client device for inclusion in the group story.

15. The messaging server system of claim 14, wherein determining that the third user is authorized to view the group story comprises:

determining, based on the entity graph, that the third user is within the threshold degree of connection with the second user; and

determining, based on location data gathered by the second client device, that the second client device was located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the predetermined event window.

16. The messaging server system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving a message creation input from a second client device, the second client device being associated with a third user registered with the messaging server system;

determining that the third user is included in a list of users authorized by the second user to add content to the group story;

determining, based on location data received from the second client device, that the second client device was located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the predetermined event window; and

causing the second client device to present a user interface element that enables the third user to submit content to the group story.

17. The messaging server system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from a second client device, group story parameters selected by the second user, the group story parameters including the threshold degree of connection with the second user, the geographic location of the specified event, the predetermined event window and dimensions of the geo-fence; and

retrieving the geographical location of the first client device based on the predetermined event window.

18. The messaging server system of claim 11, wherein the first client device was previously located within the geo-fence between the start time and the end time of the predetermined event window of the specified event, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving input from the second user that defines a period of time during which authorized users are permitted to contribute content to the group story, wherein a given one of the authorized users is permitted to contribute content to the group story during the period of time and is prevented from contributing content to the group story outside of the period of time.

19. The messaging server system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

determining that the group story has remained inactive for a threshold period of time; and

deleting the group story.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a messaging server system, cause the messaging server system to perform operations comprising:

receiving input from a second user, registered with a messaging server system, that initiates a group story in relation to a specified event, the input received from the second user designates a geo-fence surrounding a geographic location of the specified event and a predetermined event window comprising a start time and an end time;

determining, based on an entity graph representing connections between a plurality of users registered with the messaging server system, that a first user, associated with a first client device, is within a threshold degree of connection with the second user;

receiving location data from the first client device that indicates a geographic location of the first client device at a specified time;

obtaining the predetermined event window comprising the start time and the end time of the specified event;

after the group story has been initiated by the input received from the second user, determining, based on the received location data, that the first client device of the first user was previously located within the geo-fence surrounding the geographic location of the specified event during the obtained predetermined event window; and

causing the first client device to present a user interface element that enables the first user to submit content to the group story initiated by the second user.