EVENT PLANNING WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKS

• US 20120136689A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, MacLaurin, Matthew Bret, Colando, Christian James, Ickman, Steve, Anderson, Eric Steven, Raskino, David Arthur
• Granted Patent: US 9,253,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Social networks often permit users to create events, and to invite one or more contacts of the user to as guests. However, conventional social networks may not sufficiently facilitate users in planning an event for which one or more event details are to be determined. According to the techniques presented herein, a social network may permit users to create an event plan, and may permit guests to submit event plan suggestions for various event plan details of the event plan. The social network may also assist the guests in selecting among the event plan suggestions, e.g., by accepting and tallying votes by the guests among alternative event plan suggestions, by providing event plan suggestions based on search engine results, and by presenting maps of event plan suggestions involving locations. The social network may also accept RSVPs, and may notify guests once a guest arrives at a location of the event.

Claims

1. A method of presenting event plans to users of a social network using a device having a data store and a processor, the method comprising:

executing on the processor instructions configured to;

upon receiving from a user a request to create an event plan including at least one contact of the user within the social network, invite the at least one contact to join the event plan;

upon receiving from a guest an event plan suggestion for the event plan, associate the event plan suggestion with the event plan in the data store; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan;

retrieve from the data store the event plan suggestions associated with the event plan; and

present the event plan suggestions to the guest.

2. The method of claim 1, the request to create the event plan specifying at least one contact group including at least one contact.

3. The method of claim 1, the event plan suggestion comprising at least one search result generated by a search engine based on a search query submitted by the guest.

4. The method of claim 3:

the event plan associated with at least one event plan detail; and

the at least one search result generated by the search engine based on the search query and at least one event plan suggestion associated with at least one event plan detail of the event plan.

5. The method of claim 1:

the event plan associated with at least one event plan detail; and

respective event plan suggestions associated with a least one event plan detail of the event plan.

6. The method of claim 5, the event plan details selected from an event plan detail set comprising:

an event title detail;

an event type detail;

an event guest detail;

an event date detail;

an event duration detail;

an event location detail;

an event venue detail; and

an event activity detail.

7. The method of claim 5:

the data store configured to store at least one event plan template for an event type, the event plan template specifying at least one event plan detail of event plans based on the event type; and

the instructions configured to, upon receiving from a user a request to create an event plan of an event type, associate with the event plan the at least one event plan detail associated with an event plan template for the event type.

8. The method of claim 5, the event plan suggestions associated with an event plan comprising at least two alternative event plan suggestions associated with an event plan detail.

9. The method of claim 8, the instructions configured to:

among at least two alternative event plan suggestions associated with an event plan detail, select a selected event plan suggestion associated with the event plan detail; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan, present the selected event plan suggestion with the event plan detail of the event plan.

10. The method of claim 9:

the instructions configured to, upon receiving from a guest an alternative event plan suggestion vote for an alternative event plan suggestion, store in the data store the event plan suggestion vote; and

selecting a selected event plan suggestion comprising;

selecting the selected event plan suggestion based on the alternative event plan suggestion votes stored in the data store.

11. The method of claim 9, selecting a selected event plan suggestion comprising:

identifying a recommended alternative event plan suggestion among the alternative event plan suggestions associated with the event plan detail.

12. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to:

upon receiving from a guest an event plan comment, store the event plan comment in the data store associated with the event plan; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan, present the event plan comments associated with the event plan.

13. The method of claim 1, the instructions configured to:

upon receiving from a guest an event attendance indicator, store the event attendance indicator of the guest in the data store associated with the event plan; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan, present the event attendance indicators of the guests of the event plan.

14. The method of claim 1, the event plan associated with at least one event location.

15. The method of claim 14, the instructions configured to, upon receiving from a guest a request to present a map of at least one event location associated with the event plan, present a map of the at least one event location.

16. The method of claim 15:

respective guests associated with a guest location; and

the map comprising a route including the event location and the guest location.

17. The method of claim 14:

respective guests associated with a guest location; and

the instructions configured to;

upon receiving from a guest a guest location that is proximate to the event location, store in the data store a guest attendance of the guest associated with the event plan; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan, present the guest attendances of the guests associated with the event plan.

18. The method of claim 17,

the instructions configured to, upon receiving from a first guest a guest location that is proximate to the event location, notify at least one second guest of a first guest attendance of the first guest.

19. A system configured to present event plans to users of a social network, comprising:

a data store configured to store the event plan;

an event plan creating component configured to, upon receiving from a user a request to create an event plan including at least one contact of the user within the social network;

store the event plan in the data store, and

invite the at least one contact to join the event plan;

an event plan suggestion receiving component configured to, upon receiving from a guest an event plan suggestion for the event plan, associate the event plan suggestion with the event plan in the data store; and

an event plan presenting component configured to, upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan;

retrieve from the data store the event plan suggestions associated with the event plan; and

present the event plan suggestions to the guest.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed on processor of a device having a data store, present event plans to users of a social network by:

storing in the data store at least one event plan template for an event type, the event plan template specifying at least one event plan detail of event plans based on the event type, the event plan details selected from an event plan detail set comprising;

an event title detail;

an event type detail;

an event guest detail;

an event date detail;

an event duration detail;

an event location detail;

an event venue detail; and

an event activity detail;

upon receiving from a user a request to create an event plan of an event type, the event plan associated with at least one event location and including at least one contact of the user within the social network;

associating in the data store with the event plan the at least one event plan detail associated with an event plan template for the event type, and

inviting the at least one contact to join the event plan;

upon receiving from a guest an event plan suggestion associated with at least one event plan detail of the event plan, the event plan suggestion comprising at least one search result generated by a search engine based on a search query submitted by the guest, associating the event plan suggestion with the event plan in the data store;

upon receiving from a guest an alternative event plan suggestion vote for an alternative event plan suggestion, store in the data store the event plan suggestion vote;

among at least two alternative event plan suggestions associated with an event plan detail, selecting a selected event plan suggestion associated with the event plan detail based on the alternative event plan suggestion votes stored in the data store;

identifying a recommended alternative event plan suggestion among the alternative event plan suggestions associated with the event plan detail;

upon receiving from a guest an event plan comment, store the event plan comment in the data store associated with the event plan;

upon receiving from a guest an event attendance indicator, store the event attendance indicator of the guest in the data store associated with the event plan;

upon receiving from a guest associated with a guest location a request to present a map of at least one event location associated with the event plan, presenting a map including a route including the at least one event location and the guest location;

upon receiving from a first guest a guest location that is proximate to the event location;

store in the data store a guest attendance of the first guest associated with the event plan, and

notify at least one second guest of a first guest attendance of the first guest; and

upon receiving from a guest a request to present the event plan;

retrieving from the data store the event plan suggestions associated with the event plan, the event plan comments, and the event attendance indicators associated with the event plan; and

presenting to the guest the event plan suggestions, the event plan comments, and the event attendance indicators associated with the event plan.