Systems for communicating current location information among mobile internet users and methods therefor

• US 8,005,911 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neeraj Jhanji
• Inventors: Jhanji, Neeraj
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/910,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20110040624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A computer-implemented method implemented via the Internet for coordinating a current or future event between a user of a mobile Internet device and other users communicating through the Internet. The method includes receiving the current or future activity information pertaining to the future event from the user via the mobile Internet device. The current activity pertains to an activity occurring at a current time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The future activity pertains to an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The method further includes transmitting the current or future activity information to a backend database coupled to the Internet, the backend database being remote from the mobile Internet device. The method further includes rendering the current or future activity information accessible to at least one recipient via the Internet. The recipient represents a subset of the users coupled to the Internet and having access privilege to information pertaining to the current or future event involving the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method implemented using an Internet-coupled server computer and a database subsystem that is coupled to the server computer, wherein the server computer is in communication with a plurality of Internet-capable mobile devices, for making personal information concerning mobile system users available over the Internet to, and controlling the sharing with, selected persons within a plurality of the system users, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, from an Internet-capable mobile device of a first of the system users, personal information manually entered, at a time chosen by the first user, on the first user'"'"'s mobile device through a data entry interface that requests the first user to enter the personal information, wherein the personal information comprises;

(i) activity information indicating a most recently updated activity of the first user, and

(ii) location information indicating a most recently updated location of the first user; and

(b) automatically making available the received activity information and the location information to persons identified as connected to the first user, and among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user;

(c) wherein the persons identified as connected to the first user are identified by the server computer based, at least in part, using relationship data stored in a database subsystem accessible by the server computer, said relationship data stored in the database subsystem identifying as persons connected to the first user at least one second user of the plurality of system users for whom there has been an agreed-upon connection between the first user and the second user; and

(d) wherein the personal information received by the server computer does not contain an indication of the system users to which the personal information should be made available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically causing posting, on an Internet webserver, data indicating the personal information of the first user, for access by the persons identified as connected to the first user, and among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically sending a notification message including data indicating the personal information of the first user to the persons identified as connected to the first user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising formatting for simultaneous display on the first user'"'"'s mobile device information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of a plurality of the persons identified as connected to the first user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein formatting for display on the first user'"'"'s mobile device comprises formatting for simultaneous display the location information of only those of the plurality of persons within a selected geographic region manually entered by the user through the data entry interface on the first user'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically making available through the Internet further data indicating a period of time for which the status of the first user is valid, which period of time is manually entered by the user through the data entry interface on, and received from, the first user'"'"'s mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein part (c) further comprises identifying as connected to the first user those of the second users, and, among the plurality of users, only those of the second users, who fit access parameters manually entered by the user through the data entry interface on, and received from, the first user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the access parameters indicate a subset of the persons connected to the first user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein formatting for display on the first user'"'"'s mobile device comprises formatting for simultaneous display the location information of only those of the plurality of persons within a selected geographic region manually entered by the user through the data entry interface on the first user'"'"'s mobile device.

9. A computer system for making personal information concerning mobile system users available over the Internet to, and controlling the sharing with, selected persons within a plurality of the system users, the computer system comprising:

(a) a database subsystem storing, for each of the plurality of system users, profile information comprising relationship data indicative of an agreed-upon connection with other system users; and

(b) a computer server having an Internet interface, coupled to the database subsystem, and structured and programmed to;

(i) receive, from an Internet-capable mobile device of each of the system users, personal information manually entered, at a time chosen by the user, on the user'"'"'s mobile device through a data entry interface that requests the user to enter personal information, wherein the personal information comprises;

(A) location information indicating a most recently updated location for the user, and

(B) activity information indicating a most recently updated activity for the user,

(ii) wherein the personal information received by the server computer does not contain an indication of the system users to which the location information and the activity information should be made available,

(iii) store in the database subsystem the personal information received from the mobile devices, and

(iv) control access to the personal information of each user to persons identified as connected to the user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the user.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the computer server is further structured and programmed to cause to be formatted for simultaneous display on the first user'"'"'s mobile device information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of a plurality of the persons identified as connected to a first of the system users.

11. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the computer server is further structured and programmed to:

(i) receive a query from an Internet-capable mobile device of a first user, which query contains one or more location parameters; and

(ii) in response thereto, automatically cause to be sent to the first user information indicating those of the plurality of persons identified as connected to the first user whose most recently updated location information fits the location parameters.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein the computer server is further structured and programmed to cause to be formatted for simultaneous display on the first user'"'"'s mobile device the location information of only those of the plurality of persons within a selected geographic region manually entered by the user on the first user'"'"'s mobile device through the data entry interface.

13. The computer system of claim 9 further comprising an Internet webserver subsystem coupled to the computer server and structured and programmed to automatically post data indicating the personal information of each of the system users on an Internet-accessible website, for access by, for each user, the persons identified as connected to the user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the user.

14. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the computer server is further structured and programmed to automatically cause a notification message including data indicating the personal information of a first user to be sent to the persons identified as connected to the first user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user.

15. A computer-implemented method, implemented using an Internet-capable mobile device, for making personal information concerning mobile system users available to, and controlling the sharing with, selected persons within a plurality of the system users, the method comprising:

(a) accepting personal information manually entered by a first of the system users, at a time chosen by the first user, by displaying on the first user'"'"'s Internet-capable mobile device a data entry interface that requests the first user to enter the personal information, wherein the personal information comprises;

(i) location information indicating a current physical location of the first user, and

(ii) activity information indicating an activity of the first user; and

(b) transmitting the personal information to a server computer that is structured and configured;

(i) to automatically store, in a database subsystem accessible by the server computer, the personal information, and

(ii) to automatically make available the location information and the activity information to persons identified as connected to the first user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user;

(c) wherein the persons identified as connected to the first user are identified by the server computer based, at least in part, using relationship data stored in the database subsystem accessible by the server computer, said relationship data stored in the database subsystem identifying as persons connected to the first user at least one second user of the plurality of system users for whom there has been an agreed-upon connection between the first user and the second user; and

(d) wherein the personal information transmitted to the server computer does not contain an indication of the system users to which the personal information should be made available.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the server computer is further structured and configured to automatically causing posting, on an Internet webserver, data indicating the activity information and the location information of the first user, for access by the persons identified as connected to the first user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the server computer is further structured and configured to automatically send a notification message including data indicating the activity information and the location information of the first user to the persons identified as connected to the first user, and, among the plurality of system users, to only the persons identified as connected to the first user.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving from the server computer, and simultaneously displaying on the first user'"'"'s mobile device, information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of a plurality of the persons identified as connected to the first user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising accepting with the first user'"'"'s mobile device a selected geographic region manually entered by the first user, and wherein displaying the location information comprises displaying the location information of only those of the plurality of persons within the geographic region.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising accepting with the first user'"'"'s mobile device information manually entered by the first user indicating a period of time for which the activity information of the first user is valid.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

(i) accepting with the first user'"'"'s mobile device, access parameters manually entered by the first user indicating a subset of the persons connected to the first user; and

(ii) wherein the persons identified as connected to the first user in part (c) are further identified by the server computer based on those of the second users who fit the access parameters, and, among the plurality of users, only those of the second users who fit the access parameters.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising accepting with the first user'"'"'s mobile device a selected geographic region manually entered by the first user, and receiving from the server computer, and simultaneously displaying on the first user'"'"'s mobile device, information indicating a most recently updated physical location received from each of a plurality of the persons who are identified as connected to the first user and within the geographic region and only those of the plurality of persons connected to the user who are within the geographic region.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising accepting with the first user'"'"'s mobile device an invitation from the first user to an event and transmitting the invitation to the server computer, wherein the server computer is further structured and configured to forward the invitation to at least one specified addressee, provided that the addressee is identified as connected to the first user.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the Internet-capable mobile device of the first user is a cellular phone.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the Internet-capable mobile device is a laptop computer.

26. The method of claim 15 wherein the location information is entered on the first user'"'"'s mobile device by the user tapping on a map displayed on the mobile device.

27. The method of claim 15 wherein the location information is entered on the first user'"'"'s mobile device by the user with the aid of automatic location-finding technology.

28. The method of claim 15 wherein the location information is entered on the first user'"'"'s mobile device by the user selecting from a menu displayed on the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the location information is entered on the first user'"'"'s mobile device by the user with the aid of automatic location-finding technology.

30. The method of claim 15 wherein the location information comprises less information than would be sufficient to determine either of a specific address and a set of GPS coordinates.

31. The method of claim 15 wherein the location information is entered manually on the first user'"'"'s mobile device by the user and is supplemented with location information generated by automatic location-finding technology.

32. The method of claim 15 wherein the activity information and the location information is transmitted to the server computer over the Internet.

33. The method of claim 15 wherein the activity information and the location information is transmitted to the server computer over an SMS network.

34. The method of claim 15 wherein the data entry interface is implemented in HTML code operative within an Internet browser on the Internet-capable mobile device of the first user.

35. The method of claim 15 wherein the data entry interface is implemented in Java on the Internet-capable mobile device of the first user.