Mapping discovery system

• US 10,791,422 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2019
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Zheng, Lillian, Wayne, Ashley Michelle, Gorkin, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Genack, Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US16/654,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20200204943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455457, 455466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/909 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location spatiotemporally dependent retrieval from the web G06F16/9537
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• 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 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining that the first computing device is located within a predetermined geofence and that a user of the first computing device is opted into chance mode. Based on determining that the user of first computing device is opted into chance mode, systems and methods further provide for determining a subset of a plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence and that are associated with users opted into chance mode, generating location information and user information each of the users of the subset of the plurality of computing devices, and causing display on the first computing device of indicium for each user associated with each of the subset of the plurality of computing devices on a map, each indicium presented in a location on the map associated with each of the subset of the plurality of computing devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a server system, that a first computing device is located within a predetermined geofence within a specified time period set for the predetermined geofence;

determining a plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence within the specified time period;

accessing profile data to determine a user-identified graphical indicium by which to identify each user associated with at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

causing, by the server system, display on the first computing device of the user-identified graphical indicium for each user associated with a respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on a map, each graphical indicium presented in a location on the map associated with the respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

establishing a temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and a second computing device of the subset of plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on the map;

starting a timer once the two-way communication is established;

causing display in the two-way communication on the first computing device and the second computing device indicating a limited time period in which the two-way communication is enabled; and

deleting messages exchanged between the first computing device and the second computing device once the timer reaches the end of the limited time period, causing the messages to no longer display on the first computing device and the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first computing device, an action to block a third user associated with a third computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence; and

causing the first computing device to be hidden from the third computing device such that a user-identified graphical indicium corresponding to a first user associated with the first computing device is not displayed on a map on the third computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined geofence is associated with a location for meeting new users located within the geofence.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a first user associated with the first computing device is not opted into a mode for discovering and meeting other people; and

causing display on the first computing device of an option to opt into the mode for discovering and meeting other people.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving profile data for the first user, the profile data comprising information related to the mode for discovering and meeting other people.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating user information for the first user, the user information comprising a specified number of recent messages generated in a content sharing platform; and

adding the generated user information to profile data for the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the plurality of computing devices based on criteria contained in profile data for a first user associated with the first computing device to generate the subset of the plurality of computing devices by filtering out users listed in a blacklist or specified by the first user to be blocked to generate the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein before establishing the temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and the second computing device, the method comprises:

receiving, from the first computing device, an action to send a notification to the second computing device associated with a second user;

sending the notification to the second computing device associated with the second user; and

based on receiving, from the second computing device, a response to the notification, establishing the temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical indicium is a bitmoji.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first computing device, an action to send a notification to a third computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

sending the notification to the third computing device; and

based on not receiving a response to the notification from the third computing device, not establishing a temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and the third computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-identified graphical indicium is displayed with a second graphical indicium if a user is opted into a mode for discovering and meeting other users.

12. A server system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

one or more processors configured by the instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining that a first computing device is located within a predetermined geofence within a specified time period set for the predetermined geofence;

determining a plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence within the specified time period;

accessing profile data to determine a user-identified graphical indicium by which to identify each user associated with at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

causing display on the first computing device of the user-identified graphical indicium for each user associated with a respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on a map, each graphical indicium presented in a location on the map associated with the respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

establishing a temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and a second computing device of the subset of plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on the map;

starting a timer once the two-way communication is established;

causing display in the two-way communication on the first computing device and the second computing device indicating a limited time period in which the two-way communication is enabled; and

deleting messages exchanged between the first computing device and the second computing device once the timer reaches the end of the limited time period, causing the messages to no longer display on the first computing device and the second computing device.

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

receiving, from the first computing device, an action to block a third user associated with a third computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence; and

causing the first computing device to be hidden from the third computing device such that a user-identified graphical indicium corresponding to a first user associated with the first computing device is not displayed on a map on the third computing device.

14. The server system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined geofence is associated with a location for meeting new users located within the geofence.

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

determining that a first user associated with the first computing device is not opted into a mode for discovering and meeting other people; and

causing display on the first computing device of an option to opt into the mode for discovering and meeting other people.

16. The server system of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

receiving profile data for the first user, the profile data comprising information related to the mode for discovering and meeting other people.

17. The server system of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

generating user information for the first user, the user information comprising a specified number of recent messages generated in a content sharing platform; and

adding the generated user information to profile data for the first user.

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

filtering the plurality of computing devices based on criteria contained in profile data for a first user associated with the first computing device to generate the subset of the plurality of computing devices by filtering out users listed in a blacklist or specified by the first user to be blocked to generate the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence.

19. The server system of claim 12, wherein before establishing the temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and the second computing device, the operations comprise:

receiving, from the first computing device, an action to send a notification to the second computing device associated with a second user;

sending the notification to the second computing device associated with the second user; and

based on receiving, from the second computing device, a response to the notification, establishing the temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by at least one processor to cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining that a first computing device is located within a predetermined geofence within a specified time period set for the predetermined geofence;

determining a plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence within the specified time period;

accessing profile data to determine a user-identified graphical indicium by which to identify each user associated with at least a subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

causing display on the first computing device of the user-identified graphical indicium for each user associated with a respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on a map, each graphical indicium presented in a location on the map associated with the respective computing device in the subset of the plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence;

establishing a temporary two-way communication between the first computing device and a second computing device of the subset of plurality of computing devices that are located within the predetermined geofence on the map;

starting a timer once the two-way communication is established;

causing display in the two-way communication on the first computing device and the second computing device indicating a limited time period in which the two-way communication is enabled; and

deleting messages exchanged between the first computing device and the second computing device once the timer reaches the end of the limited time period, causing the messages to no longer display on the first computing device and the second computing device.