Kiosk-based automatic update of online social networking sites

• US 8,275,767 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 6, LLC
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shepherd, Michael D., Perotti, Jennifer C., Gaucas, Dale Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US12/638,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 707/728, 707/792, 707/918, 707/919, 707/920
• US Class Current: 707/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods identify a current location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device including kiosk, beacon, or location-aware camera when the user interacts with the electronic device. The systems and methods automatically create a user status data file based on the known location. The user status data file contains data identifying that the user is currently at the known location and other data captured about the event or venue at that location. The systems and methods automatically upload the user status data file to a personal storage account which can then be used to post to a social networking web site associated with the user as an activity post associated with the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a current user location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device when said user interacts with said electronic device, using a computerized processor that is operatively connected to said electronic device;

automatically creating a user status data file using said computerized processor based on said known location, said user status data file comprising data identifying that said user is currently at said known location; and

automatically uploading said user status data file to a social networking web site associated with said user as an activity post associated with said user, using said computerized processor.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising capturing, using said electronic device, at least one of video, still pictures, and audio simultaneously while identifying said current user location.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising maintaining, within a computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to said computerized processor, at least one textual data file comprising predetermined textual descriptions of said known location.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, said creating of said user status data file comprising automatically adding said at least one of video, still pictures and audio to said user status data file.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, further comprising automatically merging said predetermined textual descriptions of said known location with an identification of said user using said computerized processor to produce a unique string of text describing said user at said known location, said creating of said user status data file automatically adding said unique string of text to said user status data file.

2. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising:

identifying a current user location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device when said user interacts with said electronic device, using a computerized processor that is operatively connected to said electronic device;

automatically creating a user status data file using said computerized processor based on said known location, said user status data file comprising data identifying that said user is currently at said known location; and

automatically uploading said user status data file to a social networking web site associated with said user as an activity post associated with said user, using said computerized processor.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, further comprising capturing, using said electronic device, at least one of video, still pictures, and audio simultaneously while identifying said current user location.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, said method further comprising maintaining, within a computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to said computerized processor, at least one textual data file comprising predetermined textual descriptions of said known location.

13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, said creating of said user status data file comprising automatically adding said at least one of video, still pictures and audio to said user status data file.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, said method further comprising automatically merging said predetermined textual descriptions of said known location with an identification of said user using said computerized processor to produce a unique string of text describing said user at said known location, said creating of said user status data file automatically adding said unique string of text to said user status data file.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a current user location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device when said user interacts with said electronic device, using a computerized processor that is operatively connected to said electronic device;

maintaining, within a computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to said computerized processor, at least one textual data file comprising predetermined textual descriptions of said known location;

automatically creating a user status data file using said computerized processor based on said known location, said user status data file comprising data identifying that said user is currently at said known location;

automatically merging said predetermined textual descriptions of said known location with an identification of said user using said computerized processor to produce a unique string of text describing said user at said known location, said creating of said user status data file automatically adding said unique string of text to said user status data file; and

automatically uploading said user status data file to a social networking web site associated with said user as an activity post associated with said user, using said computerized processor.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising capturing, using said electronic device, at least one of video, still pictures, and audio simultaneously while identifying said current user location.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, said creating of said user status data file comprising automatically adding said at least one of video, still pictures and audio to said user status data file.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a current user location of a user based on a known location of an electronic device when said user interacts with said electronic device, using a computerized processor that is operatively connected to said electronic device;

maintaining, within a computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to said computerized processor, at least one textual data file comprising predetermined textual descriptions of said known location;

automatically creating a user status data file using said computerized processor based on said known location, said user status data file comprising data identifying that said user is currently at said known location;

automatically merging said predetermined textual descriptions of said known location with an identification of said user using said computerized processor to produce a unique string of text describing said user at said known location, said creating of said user status data file automatically adding said unique string of text to said user status data file; and

automatically uploading said user status data file to a cloud storage site associated with said user, using said computerized processor.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 4, further comprising capturing, using said electronic device, at least one of video, still pictures, and audio simultaneously while identifying said current user location.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, said creating of said user status data file comprising automatically adding said at least one of video, still pictures and audio to said user status data file.