AUTOMATIC FRIEND FOLLOWING APPLICATION

• US 20140342753A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Friedlander, Steven, Young, David Andrew, Thiele, David, DeMerchant, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• 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: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Two friends can pair wireless communication devices which subsequently exchange positional information peer-to-peer or through a cloud server. Each device presents a map showing its location and the location of the paired device. Instructions can be provided to the device playing a follower role of how to reach the current location of the other device, which plays a leader role. In turn the leader device can present information as to the location of the follower device so that a user of the leader device can ascertain if the follower is off-track.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium that is not a carrier wave and that is accessible to a client processor in a client device and bearing instructions which when executed by the client processor configure the client processor to execute a method comprising;

establishing communication with a user processor in a user device different from the client device, the user device and client device being associated with respective first and second users;

receiving positional information at the client device indicating a position of the user device; and

presenting a map and/or directions on the client device to a location of the user device as indicated by the positional information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the act of establishing communication is executed by pairing the client device and user device using near field communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

receiving the positional information of the user device directly from the user device in peer-to-peer communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

receiving the positional information of the user device from a network server.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

providing a position of the client device to a server which also the receives positional information indicating the position of the user device;

receiving a selection from the second user of the client device to be a follower or a leader;

responsive to selection to be the follower, presenting the map on the client device in a first configuration; and

responsive to selection to be the leader, presenting the map on the client device in a second configuration different from the first configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

presenting a message on the client device indicating directions to the user device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

presenting a message on the client device indicating a location of the user device to enable the second user of the client device to ascertain if the first user of the user device is correctly following the client device.

8. Apparatus comprising:

at least one computer readable storage medium that is not a carrier wave and that is accessible to a client processor in a client device and bearing instructions which when executed by the client processor configure the client processor to execute a method comprising;

pairing the client device with a user device using a short range wireless communication pairing protocol;

presenting on the client device a user interface (UI) including a first selection element and a second selection element;

responsive to selection of the first selection element, presenting on the client device a UI showing a map which illustrates a position of the client device, a position of the user device, and a route therebetween, the map being updated periodically to reflect movement of the client device and user device;

responsive to selection of the first selection element, presenting on the client device a follower message advising of a next move to maintain a trail on the user device such that a user of the client device not know a destination to which he is being led, much less the address, but need only follow the user device using the UI;

responsive to selection of the second selection element, presenting on the client device a UI showing a map which illustrates a position of the client device, a position of the user device, and a route therebetween, the map being updated periodically to reflect movement of the client device and user device;

responsive to selection of the second selection element, presenting on the client device a leader message advising of a location of the user device based on positions of the client device and user device such that a user of the client device is advised of where the user device is without having to call the user device, thereby avoiding unnecessary calls to the user device and enabling a user of the client device to immediately ascertain if the user device has gone off an intended track.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

presenting a message on the client device inquiring if a user of the client device wants to establish communication with the user device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the method executed by the client processor when configured with the instructions includes:

responsive to a command to establish short range communication with the user device, “

pairing”

with the user device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the short range communication is Bluetooth.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first selection element is a “

follow”

selection element and the second selection element is a “

lead”

selection element.

13. Method comprising:

communicatively pairing a first wireless communication device (WCD) with a second WCD;

exchanging positional information with the second WCD; and

presenting a map on the first WCD showing a location of the first WCD and a location of the second WCD based on the positional information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the positional information is exchanged peer-to-peer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the positional information is exchanged through a cloud server.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising providing instructions on the first WCD of a route to take to reach a current location of the second WCD.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising providing instructions on the first WCD as to the location of the second WCD so that a user of the first WCD can ascertain if the second WCD is off-track.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a selection from a user of the first WCD to be a follower or a leader.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a command from a user of the WCD to pair with the second WCD.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically pairing with the second WCD without a command to do so from a user of the first WCD.