Social Networking System which Provides Location Information of Related Users

• US 20110137997A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Stewart, Brett B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users.

Claims

1. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for operating a social network, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of a first member of the social network, wherein the first member is associated with a second member in the social network;

provide the location information of the first member of the social network to a client device of the second member for display by the client device.

2. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1, wherein the social network is an Internet-based social network website.

3. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first member is identified as a friend of the second member in the social network.

4. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1, wherein said providing the location information comprises providing one or more location labels indicating a location of the first member.

5. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 1, wherein said providing the location information is performed based on constraint information managed by the first member which specifies selective provision of the location information of the first member.

6. A method of operating a social network, the method comprising:

receiving location information of a first member of the social network, wherein the first member is associated with a second member in the social network;

providing the location information of the first member of the social network to a client device of the second member for display by the client device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the social network is an Internet-based social network website.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first member is identified as a friend of the second member in the social network.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said providing the location information comprises providing one or more location labels indicating a location of the first member.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said providing the location information is performed based on constraint information managed by the first member which specifies selective provision of the location information of the first member.

11. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for managing location information, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

determine location information of the user;

provide the location information of the user to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the user to at least one other user associated with the user via the service.

12. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the service is a social network service.

13. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the service is an Internet-based social network website.

14. A method for managing location information, the method comprising:

determining location information of the user;

providing the location information of the user to a service over a network, wherein the service is configured to provide the location information of the user to at least one other user associated with the user via the service.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the service is a social network service.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the service is an Internet-based social network website.

17. A computer accessible non-transitory memory medium comprising program instructions for operating a social network, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive location information of a plurality of first members of the social network, wherein the first plurality of first members are associated with a second member in the social network;

provide the location information of the plurality of first members of the social network to a client device of the second member for display by the client device.

18. The computer accessible non-transitory memory medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of first members are identified as friends of the second member in the social network.