SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATION BASED SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20120324018A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Metcalf, Michael, Natarajan, Pradhap Nirmal, Shusta, Alexander, Osborne, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US13/162,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A first request for a creation of a social networking space is received, over a network, from a first user. The first request comprises a geospatial location, a start time, and an end time. A social networking space is creating, using a computing device, based on the request. The social networking space comprises facilities for posting messages visible to users signed into the social networking space. A second request is received, over the network, from second user to sign into the social networking space. The second request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user. It is verified, using the computing device, that a first current time falls between the start time and the end time. It is further verified, using the computing device, that a first current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location. In response to verifying the first current time and the first current geospatial position, the second user is signed into the social networking space.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, over a network, from a first user, a first request for a creation of a social networking space, the first request comprising a geospatial location, a start time, and an end time;

creating, using a computing device, a social networking space based on the request, the social networking space comprising facilities for posting messages visible to users signed into the social networking space;

receiving, over the network, a second request from a second user to sign into the social networking space, such that the second request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

verifying, using the computing device, that a first current time falls between the start time and the end time;

verifying, using the computing device, that a first current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

in response to verifying the first current time and the first current geospatial position, signing, using the computing device, the second user into the social networking space.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving, via the network, a message from the second user, such that the message is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

verifying, using the computing device, that a second current time falls between the start time and the end time;

verifying, using the computing device, that a second current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

in response to verifying the second current time and the second current geospatial position, posting, using the computing device, the message to the social networking space such that the message is visible to other users signed into the social networking space.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising:

in response to determining the second current time does not fall between the start time and the end time, automatically, using the computing device, signing the second user off of the social networking space.

4. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising:

in response to determining the second current time does not fall between the start time and the end time, automatically, using the computing device, disabling the second user from posting messages to the social networking space.

5. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising:

in response to determining second current geospatial position does not fall within the geospatial location, automatically, using the computing device, signing the second user off of the social networking space.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the message comprises a text message.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the message comprises multimedia content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the geospatial location comprises a closed geometric figure centered on a geospatial point.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the closed geometric figure is a two-dimensional figure.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the closed geometric figure is a three-dimensional figure.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the message is posted with a signature designated by the second user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the signature designated by the second user comprises a user ID associated with a user profile for the second user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the designated by the second user comprises an anonymous signature.

14. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving, over the network, a third request from third user to search for social networking spaces, the third request comprising search criteria, such that the third request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the third user;

searching, using the computing device, for social networking spaces that satisfy the search criteria;

determining, using the computing device, that the social networking space meets the search criteria of the third request; and

in response to determining that the social networking space meets the search criteria of the third request, causing, using the computing device, a representation of the social networking space to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the search criteria comprises a geospatial location, such that in response to determining that the geospatial location of the social networking space falls within the geospatial area of the third request, a representation of the social networking space is caused to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the search criteria additionally comprises a keyword, such that in response to determining that the geospatial location of the social networking space falls within the geospatial area of the third request and the message comprises the keyword of the third request, a representation of the social networking space is caused to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the geospatial location comprises a closed geometric figure centered on a geospatial point, wherein the representation of the social networking space comprises a representation of the closed geometric figure displayed on a map such that the geospatial point is located on the map.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the first request for a creation of the social networking space additionally indicates the social networking space is private, wherein the social networking space is created as a private social networking space, the method additionally comprising:

determining, using the computing device, that the social networking space is a private social networking space; and

in response to determining that the that the social networking space is a private social networking space, a representation of the social networking space is not caused to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

19. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

determining, using the computing device, that a third current time is later than the end time; and

in response to determining that a third current time is later than the end time, creating, using the computing device, an archive of the social networking space, the archive comprising the geospatial location, the start time, and the end time and the message.

20. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

receiving, over the network, a third request from third user to search for archives of social networking spaces, the third request comprising search criteria, such that the third request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the third user;

searching, using the computing device, for archives of social networking spaces that satisfy the search criteria

determining, using the computing device, that the archive of the social networking space satisfies the search criteria; and

in response to determining that the archive of the social networking space satisfies the search criteria, causing, using the computing device, a representation of the archived social networking space to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the search criteria comprises a geospatial location, such that in response to determining that the geospatial location of the archive of the social networking space falls within the geospatial area of the third request, a representation of the archive of the social networking space is caused to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the search criteria additionally comprises a keyword, such that in response to determining that the geospatial location of the archive of the social networking space falls within the geospatial area of the third request and the message of the archive of the social networking space comprises the keyword of the third request, a representation of the social networking space is caused to be displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

23. The method of claim 20 additionally comprising:

determining, using the computing device, that the archive of the social networking space is an archive of a private social networking space;

determining, using the computing device, that the third user did not participate in the social networking space;

in response to determining that the third user did not participate in the social networking space a representation of the archived social networking space is not displayed on the mobile device associated with the third user.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the archive of the social networking space additionally comprises a profile for the second user comprising contact information for the second user, the method further comprising:

receiving, over the network, a third request from third user to send an electronic message to the second user, the third request comprising an identification of the archived social networking space, an identification of the second user, and electronic message content;

retrieving, using the computing device, the archive of the social networking space, using the identification of the archived social networking space;

determining, using the computing device, that the third user participated in the social networking space;

extracting, using the computing device, the contact information for the second user from the archive of the social networking space, using the identification of the second user;

in response to determining that the third user participated in the social networking space;

extracting, using the computing device, the contact information for the second user from the archive of the social networking space, using the identification of the second user;

sending an electronic message, using the computing device, to the second user, using the contact information for the second user, the electronic message comprising the electronic message content.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the electronic message is signed with profile information for the third user.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the electronic message is signed as anonymous.

27. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

logic executed by the processor for receiving, over a network, from a first user, a first request for a creation of a social networking space, the first request comprising a geospatial location, a start time, and an end time;

logic executed by the processor for creating a social networking space based on the request, the social networking space comprising facilities for posting messages visible to users signed into the social networking space;

logic executed by the processor for receiving, over the network, a second request from a second user to sign into the social networking space, such that the second request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

logic executed by the processor for verifying that a first current time falls between the start time and the end time;

logic executed by the processor for verifying that a first current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

logic executed by the processor for in response to verifying the first current time and the first current geospatial position, signing the second user into the social networking space.

28. The computing device of claim 27 additionally comprising:

logic executed by the processor for receiving, via the network, a message from the second user, such that the message is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

logic executed by the processor for verifying that a second current time falls between the start time and the end time;

logic executed by the processor for verifying that a second current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

logic executed by the processor for, in response to verifying the second current time and the second current geospatial position, posting the message to the social networking space such that the message is visible to other users.

29. Computer-readable storage media for tangibly storing thereon computer-readable instructions for a method comprising:

receiving, over a network, from a first user, a first request for a creation of a social networking space, the first request comprising a geospatial location, a start time, and an end time

creating a social networking space based on the request, the social networking space comprising facilities for posting messages visible to users signed into the social networking space;

receiving, over the network, a second request from a second user to sign into the social networking space, such that the second request is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

verifying that a first current time falls between the start time and the end time;

verifying that a first current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

in response to verifying the first current time and the first current geospatial position, signing the second user into the social networking space.

30. The computer-readable storage media of claim 29 wherein the method additionally comprises:

receiving, via the network, a message from the second user, such that the message is transmitted from a mobile device associated with the second user;

verifying that a second current time falls between the start time and the end time;

verifying that a second current geospatial position of the mobile device is within the geospatial location; and

in response to verifying the second current time and the second current geospatial position, posting the message to the social networking space such that the message is visible to other users signed into the social networking space.