GPS Based Participant Identification System and Method

• US 20140218193A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spatial Reality LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Huston
• Inventors: Huston, Charles D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,798,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/19 Sporting applications
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for identifying a person in a geographic area of interest, who shares the identity of friendly participants with a user if certain criteria are met. In one form, the identity of a participant in the area and meeting certain criteria is displayed to a user or other friendly participants. The identity is displayed to friendly participants on, for example, a GPS-equipped cell phone or head-mounted glasses. Other information can be shared among friendly participants, including social information, photographs, gender, status, and location.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a mobile participant to a mobile user, comprising:

recording said user'"'"'s location in a geographic area of interest on a server;

wirelessly communicating said user'"'"'s desired level of participation to said server, where said desired level of participation comprises social information, but does not include position, and includes i) a first criteria for publishing the user'"'"'s identity to other participants and ii) a second criteria for receiving the identity of participants;

wirelessly communicating said participant'"'"'s desired level of participation to said server, where said desired level of participation comprises social information, but does not include position, and includes i) a first criteria for publishing the participant'"'"'s identity to other participants and ii) a second criteria for receiving the identity of participants;

recording a location of said participant on said server;

identifying said participant if said location is within said geographic area of interest and said participant first criteria meets said user second criteria; and

communicating said identified participant from said server to a portable device accompanying said user, wherein the participant identity is displayed on said portable device.

2. The method of claim 1, including communicating participant location information to said user device if said participant first criteria meets said user second criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said location information comprises a destination.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said location information comprises a maximum range from said user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said display on said portable device is a plan view of said geographic area of interest and said other participant location is displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said display on said portable device is an augmented reality, perspective view of a portion of said geographic area of interest and said other participant location is displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said second criteria comprises social information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said social information includes one or more of destination, cash available, time available, meeting desires, introduction desires, partner status, gender, race, interest, group affinity, culture affinity, music affinity, or a physical attribute.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic area of interest comprises a certain range from a user location stored on said server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said server comprises a social network and said first criteria comprises a circle of friends of said user identified on said social network server.

11. The method of claim 1, including displaying on said user portable device at least some of said participant first criteria.

12. The method of claim 1, including wirelessly accessing social information associated with said participant and communicating said social information to said user portable device.

13. The method of claim 1, including wirelessly accessing a photograph associated with said participant, and communicating said participant photograph to said user portable device.

14. The method of claim 1, including accessing a photograph associated with said user from a social network on said server and communicating said user photograph to said participant.

15. A method for identifying a mobile participant in a networking situation to a mobile user, comprising:

wirelessly communicating a user location to a server;

wirelessly communicating a participant location to said server;

wirelessly communicating a user desired level of participation to said server, including a first criteria for publishing said user'"'"'s identity to other participants and a second criteria for receiving the identity of another participant;

wirelessly communicating a participant desired level of participation to said server, including a first criteria for publishing said participant'"'"'s identity to said user and a second criteria for receiving the identity of said user;

if said participant location is within a certain range of said user location and said participant first criteria meets said user second criteria, then wirelessly communicating a participant photograph to said user;

identifying said participant; and

wirelessly communicating said identified participant to said user.

16. The method of claim 15, identifying said participant if said participant consents.

17. The method of claim 15, including wirelessly communicating participant social information from a social network associated with said server to said user if said participant information is within said certain range of said user location.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said second criteria is social information.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said criteria comprises social information and includes one or more of destination, cash available, time available, meeting desires, introduction desires, partner status, gender, race, interest, group affinity, culture affinity, music affinity, or a physical attribute.

20. A system for identifying a mobile participant to a mobile user, comprising:

a social network server;

a portable device, accompanying said user, having a GPS module, operable to communicate with said social network server, and further operable to input a first criteria for publishing said user identity and a second criteria for receiving a participant identity;

a portable device, accompanying said participant, having a GPS module, operable to communicate with said social network server, and further operable to input a first criteria for publishing said participant identity and second criteria for receiving a user identity;

said server being operable to wirelessly communicate a user photograph to said participant and a participant photograph to said user if at least said user GPS location and said participant GPS location are within a geographic area of interest; and

being operable to communicate said participant identity if at least said participant second criteria meets said user first criteria.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said participant second criteria and user first criteria each include gender and sexual orientation.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said server is operable to communicate participant location information if at least said user and said participant are within a certain range and said first participant criteria meets said second user criteria.