INTEREST MAPPING SYSTEM

• US 20090176509A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Jaffe, Christopher S., Davis, Marc E., O'Sullivan, Joseph, Martinez, Ron, Athsani, Athellina, Higgins, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• 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

Apparatus, interfaces, and computer instructions are provided for establishing an association between a user and a declared interest, such as a brand or some other subject, and for generating a map to display the interests of one or more users. An association is established between an interest identifier, a user, and target object selected based upon an action of the user. The target object may include a location that may be specified by coordinates. The action may include selection of the at least one location by the user. Selection may include selecting a user interface feature that causes the at least one location to be selected based upon a geographical position of the user. The position may be determined by a Global Positioning System device carried by the user. Techniques are also disclosed for identifying people who are potentially interested in a given interest, or in a second interest related to a first interest, based on previously established interest-location-user associations.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for establishing an association between a user and at least one declared interest, the instructions for:

receiving at least one declared interest associated with the user;

receiving a target object selected based upon an action of the user; and

establishing an association between the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a brand, product, service, or combination thereof.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one declared interest refers to a subject of interest to the user, and the at least one declared interest comprises a name, a numeric identifier, or a combination thereof.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises at least one location.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the at least one location is specified by absolute coordinates, relative coordinates, name, or a combination thereof.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the action comprises selection of the at least one location by the user.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein selection comprises selecting a user interface feature that causes the at least one location to be selected based upon a geographical position of the user.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the geographical position is determined by a Global Positioning System device carried by the user.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein selection comprises receiving the at least one location in a user interface of a device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein selection comprises receiving selection of the at least one location, and the at least one location is selected from a map displayed on the device.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein selection comprises presence of the user within a threshold distance of the at least one location, wherein presence of the user within a threshold distance is determined based upon geographical coordinates provided by a GPS device associated with the user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises a physical object, an event, or a combination thereof.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the target object is identified by an electronic tracking device associated with the target object.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the electronic tracking device comprises an RFID tag.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises a name, an identifier, or a combination thereof, that identifies a real-world object.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one declared interest is selected by the user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one declared interest comprises retrieving the at least one declared interest from a profile associated with the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for receiving an affinity of the user for at least one declared interest, wherein the affinity indicates whether the user likes the at least one declared interest.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for:

receiving a time specifier selected based upon an action of the user; and

associating the time specifier with the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the time specifier comprises an absolute time, a relative time, a range of time, or a combination thereof.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein establishing an association between the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user comprises storing the association in an interest profile associated with the user, the object, or the interest.

23. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for generating a map to display the interests of a user, the instructions for:

receiving an association between the user, at least one declared interest, and a target object;

causing display of a map of a geographical area that includes the target object; and

causing display of an image superimposed on the map, wherein the image is located at a displayed position on the map, the displayed position is based upon the object, and the visual appearance of the brand-specific image is based upon the at least one declared interest.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein causing display of the image is in response to the declared interest satisfying a filter, wherein the filter specifies at least one displayable interest, at least one displayable attention level, at least on displayable tag, or a combination thereof.

25. An interface for establishing an association between a user and at least one declared interest, the interface comprising:

a component for receiving at least one declared interest;

a component for receiving a target object selected based upon an action of the user; and

a component for causing an association to be established between the at least one declared interest, the target object, and a user.

26. The interface of claim 25, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

27. The interface of claim 25, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a brand.

28. The interface of claim 25, wherein the target object comprises at least one location.

29. The interface of claim 28, wherein the action comprises selection of the location by the user.

30. The interface of claim 29, wherein selection comprises selecting a user interface feature that causes the location to be selected based upon a geographical position of the user, and the geographical position is determined by a Global Positioning System device carried by the user.

31. The interface of claim 25, further comprising:

a component for receiving a time specifier selected based upon an action of the user; and

a component for causing association of the time specifier with the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

32. An interface for generating a map to display the interests of a user, the interface comprising:

a component for receiving an association between the user, at least one declared interest, and a target object;

a component for causing display of a map of a geographical area that includes the target object; and

a component for causing display of an image superimposed on the map, wherein the image is located at a displayed position on the map, the displayed position is based upon the object, and the visual appearance of the image is based upon the at least one declared interest.

33. The interface of claim 32, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

34. The interface of claim 32, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a brand.

35. The interface of claim 32, wherein the target object comprises a geographical location, and the displayed position is based upon geographical coordinates of the geographical location.

36. The interface of claim 32, wherein causing display of the image is in response to the declared interest satisfying a filter, wherein the filter specifies at least one displayable interest, at least one displayable attention level, at least on displayable tag, or a combination thereof.

37. An apparatus for establishing an association between a user and at least one interest, the apparatus comprising:

logic for receiving at least one declared interest;

logic for receiving a target object selected based upon an action of a user; and

logic for establishing an association between the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a brand.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the target object comprises at least one location.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the action comprises selection of the at least one location by the user.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein selection comprises selecting a user interface feature that causes the location to be selected based upon a geographical position of the user.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising:

logic for receiving a time specifier selected based upon an action of the user; and

logic for associating the time specifier with the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

44. An apparatus for generating a map to display the interests of a user, the apparatus comprising:

logic for receiving an association between the user, at least one interest, and a target object;

logic for causing display of a map of a geographical area that includes the target object; and

logic for causing display of an image superimposed on the map, wherein the image is located at a displayed position on the map, the displayed position is based upon the object, and the visual appearance of the image is based upon the at least one interest.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one interest comprises a brand.

47. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the target object comprises a location, and the displayed position is based upon geographical coordinates of the location.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the logic for causing display of the image is operable to cause display of the image in response to the declared interest satisfying a filter, wherein the filter specifies at least one displayable interest, at least one displayable attention level, at least on displayable tag, or a combination thereof.

49. A computer-enabled method of establishing an association between a user and at least one declared interest, the method comprising:

receiving at least one declared interest;

receiving a target object selected based upon an action of a user; and

establishing an association between the at least one declared interest, the target object, and the user.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the at least one declared interest comprises a brand.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the target object comprises at least one location.

53. A computer-enabled method of generating a map to display the interests of a user, the method comprising:

receiving an association between the user, at least one interest, and a target object;

causing display of a map of a geographical area that includes the target object; and

causing display of an image superimposed on the map, wherein the image is located at a displayed position on the map, the displayed position is based upon the object, and the visual appearance of the image is based upon the at least one interest.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one interest comprises a person, a place, a thing, or a combination thereof.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one interest comprises a brand.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein the target object comprises a location, and the displayed position is based upon geographical coordinates of the location.