SHARING OF LOCATION-BASED CONTENT ITEM IN SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICE

• US 20150319590A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharon, Eyal M., Stremel, Jed, Adeagbo, Olumakinde A., Hewitt, Joseph, Cahill, Matthew, Chang, Wayne Sean
• Granted Patent: US 10,117,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method and/or system allows a user of a social networking service to publish a content item tagged with location information for sharing with other users of the social networking service. The user publishing the content item performs operations on the originating device to generate the content item. The originating communication device attaches the location information to the content item, and transmits the content item to a social networking system. The social networking system may provide various location-based services based on the content item tagged with the location information.

Claims

10. A method comprising:

receiving location information for a communication device associated with a respective user;

for each respective user, determining a list of distinct locations where the respective user is likely to be located based on the received location information;

for each respective user, sending the list of distinct locations to the communication device;

from each respective user, receiving a location selected by the respective user on the communication device among the list of distinct locations to indicate the location of the respective user;

retrieving information about public transport traveling from or through the selected location;

determining an updated location of the respective user based on the selected location and the information about the public transport;

determining whether to make the updated location available to a requesting user; and

making the updated location available to the requesting user.

1. A method comprising:

receiving location information of a first user of a social networking service;

determining a list of distinct locations where a first user is likely to be located based on the received location information;

sending the list of distinct locations to a communication device of the first user;

receiving, from the communication device, a location selected by the first user among the list of distinct locations to indicate the location of the first user;

retrieving information about public transport traveling from or through the selected location of the first user;

determining an updated location of the first user based on the selected location and the information about the public transport; and

making the updated location available to a second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of distinct locations is determined further based on a user profile of the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated location is made available to the second user by associating the updated location in a content item sent to the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the updated location is received simultaneously with the content item from the communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a signal from the communication device indicating that the first user is taking the public transport, the updated location determined responsive to receiving the signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the list of distinct locations based on an IP (Internet Protocol) address of the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated location is sent to the second user via at least one of an instant message, an email, a web document and a text message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein making the updated location available to the second user further comprises:

determining a level of resolution of the updated location to be provided to the second user; and

making the updated location available to the second user at the determined level of resolution.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the public transport comprises at least one of vehicles, vessels or airplanes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list of distinct locations is determined further based on a user profile of the respective user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the updated location is made available to the requesting user by associating the updated location in a content item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the updated location is received simultaneously with the content item from the communication device.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining the list of distinct locations based on an IP (Internet Protocol) address of the communication device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the updated location is sent to the second user via at least one of an instant message, an email, a web document and a text message.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein making the updated location available to the requesting user further comprises:

determining a level of resolution of the updated location to be provided to the requesting user; and

making the updated location available to the requesting user at the determined level of resolution.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the public transport comprises at least one of vehicles, vessels or airplanes.

13-1. The method of claim 10, further comprising further comprising receiving a signal from the communication device indicating that the respective user is taking the public transport, the updated location determined responsive to receiving the signal.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, the instructions when executed by a processor in a computing device, cause the processor to:

receiving location information of a first user of a social networking service;

determining a list of distinct locations where a first user is likely to be located based on the received location information;

sending the list of distinct locations to a communication device of the first user;

receiving, from the communication device, a location selected by the first user among the list of distinct locations to indicate the location of the first user;

retrieving information about public transport traveling from or through the selected location of the first user;

determining an updated location of the first user based on the selected location and the information about the public transport; and

making the updated location available to a second user.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the list of distinct locations is determined further based on a user profile of the first user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive a signal from the communication device indicating that the respective user is taking the public transport, the updated location determined responsive to receiving the signal.