Discovery Of Network Members By Personal Attributes

• US 20090181653A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Discovery LLC
• Original Assignee: Ximoxi
• Inventors: Alharayeri, Ramzi
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method and application for mobile phone users provides an ability to discover personal attributes including photo of other individuals in vicinity covered by a short range wireless network, such as Bluetooth or similar signals operating in a wireless free spectrum, such as WiFi. The users can elect to exchange, send or receive contact information with ones that are in the vicinity that includes photos.

Claims

1. A system for exchanging personal information between a first user and second user, the first and second users having respective first and second mobile communication devices connected to the internet via a cellular telephone network and capable of engaging in direct communication with each other using a short range communication protocol, comprising:

a server accessible through the internet, the server providing access to stored user profile information about the first and second users including personal attribute information and a mobile device address;

searching, using the first device, for the presence of other mobile devices within the vicinity of the first device using the short range communication protocol, whereupon discovery of the second device the first device receives a unique, identifying attribute of the second device;

the first mobile device sending from the first device to the server the received identifying attribute for the second device;

the server sending to the second device, via the server, an invitation to accept personal information from, or share personal information with the first user, wherein the invitation includes a graphics file associated with the first user'"'"'s personal attribute information; and

the second mobile device accepting or rejecting the invitation from the first device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second users are registered members of a service that operates the server, wherein the server is enabled to allow the first user to create a customized invitation or customized electronic card for sending to the second device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the customized electronic card include contain contact information, a social network profile, phone number and a photo.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the searching and discovery step identifies a unique attribute of the mobile device that is recognized by the server and linked to a user account profile.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the identifying attribute is a Bluetooth device address or a WiFi address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the address is sent to the server over a cellular data communication signal, whereupon receipt the server associates an account profile for the second user with the address.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein after the first mobile device has sent the received identifying attribute for the second device to the server, the server locates information about the second user including a name and image of the second user and transmits this information back to the first device.

8. The system of claim 7, further including the first user discovering a plurality of mobile devices comprising the second device, the first device uploads the plurality of addresses to the server, the server compares the addresses to other addresses stored in a database, and the server provides results to the first user in the form of a notification including a photo and name of each of the users associated with the each of the discovered devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server receives a plurality of addresses and sends photos and names of only a portion of the plurality depending on whether some of the addresses are not addresses of members registered with a service provided by the server.

10. The system of claim 1 further stores exchanged cards on mobile device phonebook as well back up on centralized computer system from the service provider.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a client application enabled to communicate with the server allows the first user to invite non-registered members of the service to the service by entering a non-member'"'"'s unique characteristics such as phone number.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein invitation to the service is performed by an SMS system managed by the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the initiation process conducted by the server is a viral invitation process conducted making contact with mobile devices and SMS for the purpose of exchanging contact information and/or joining a group associated with the server.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to maintain updated information in the data base and pushes updated information to the mobile address books of users to keep them updated.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user can elect to exchange information, reject an offer to exchange information, send only or receive only information.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second mobile devices are configured to communicate with the server through different mobile telecommunications provider networks.

17. A method for requesting an exchange of personal information using a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of:

searching for the presence of other mobile devices within a personal area network;

receiving a mobile device attribute from one or more nearby mobile devices; and

sending one or more of the received mobile device attributes to a server located on the internet, the server being responsive to receipt of the one or more mobile device attributes for transmitting personal information about a respective one or more persons associated with the mobile device attributes received by the server

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transmitting personal information step occurs without permission or only by permission from the one or more nearby mobile devices, wherein in the later case the one or more nearby devices receive a photograph and name from the mobile device user and is prompted to accept, exchange or ignore an invitation to receive personal contact information with the invitation.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the step of sending an SMS text message to any of the nearby mobile devices that are not currently members of the group, including a URL for accessing the server and/or download location for a client side application associated with the service.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the searching step includes searching for Bluetooth devices permitting discovery within the mobile device'"'"'s PAN and the receiving a mobile device attribute from one or more nearby mobile devices includes receiving a Bluetooth address ID, and wherein the server is configured for associating a user'"'"'s account profile with the discovered Bluetooth address ID.

21. A method of meeting people, comprising:

searching for people located on a portable or mobile device and discoverable over a first wireless network;

viewing an image of a person found over the network;

based on information received over a different network than the first wireless network;

selecting one or more found persons based on personal attributes; and

sending an invitation to those persons.