Location based service (LBS) system and method for creating a social network

• US 20060047825A1
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Liren, Gantman, Alexander, Steenstra, Jack, Taylor, Kirk Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for providing a location based service to create a social network, comprising activating a feature from a wireless terminal, registering from the wireless terminal with a location based service associated with the feature, creating a profile of a user of the feature, and displaying candidates based on the profile and based on the geographic location of the candidates. A Global Positioning System (GPS) may be used to geographically locate active users of a feature. An activity map may be associated with a feature, the activity map displaying active users of the feature.

Claims

1. A method of providing a location based service to create a social network, comprising:

activating a feature from a wireless terminal;

registering from the wireless terminal with a location based service associated with the feature;

creating a profile of a user of the feature; and

displaying candidates based on the profile and based on the geographic location of the candidates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location of the candidates is based on a Global Positioning System (GPS).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating an activity map with the date feature, wherein displaying candidates based on the geographic location of candidates is based on the candidates being represented on the associated activity map.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein creating a profile of a user of the feature is creating the profile of the user initiating the feature.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein creating a profile of a user of the feature is creating a desired profile.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating a desired profile includes specifying desired characteristics of a candidate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein specifying desired characteristics of a candidate includes specifying user-defined characteristics of the candidate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting a candidate.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising notifying the candidate of the selection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the notifying implies a proposal to meet.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising accepting the proposal to meet.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying an advertisement responsive to the accepting.

13. A wireless terminal, comprising:

means for activating a feature from a wireless terminal;

means for registering from the wireless terminal with a location based service associated with the feature;

means for creating a profile of a user of the feature; and

means for displaying candidates based on the profile and based on the geographic location of the candidates.

14. Computer readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer program, said computer readable media comprising:

a computer readable program code means for activating a feature from a wireless terminal;

a computer readable program code means for registering from the wireless terminal with a location based service associated with the feature;

a computer readable program code means for creating a profile of a user of the feature; and

a computer readable program code means for a date based on the profile and based on the geographic location of the candidates.