Methods and system for providing location-based communication services

• US 8,548,503 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oh, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US12/230,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20100056183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/403, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/440, 455517-519, 701/300, 701200-207
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing location-based communication services, such as location-based chat sessions and location based-data feeds. Access to a chat session or data feed may be provided to a user of a mobile device when the current location of the mobile device is determined to be within a predetermined geographic region. In one implementation, the chat session or data feed relates to content provided by members of a group or social network. In other implementations, the content related to chat session or data feed is provided by members of the general public.

Claims

1. A method for providing a location-based data feed, the method comprising:

providing, at a host server, group membership information for a defined by a first user;

receiving, at the host server, data uploaded from a first device belonging to the group, wherein the data uploaded from the first device is associated with the location;

determining, by the host server, whether a second device is within the predetermined geographic region associated with the location,

determining, by the host server, whether the second device belongs to the group based on the group membership information; and

transferring, automatically from the host server without selection of a notification of the data by a user of the second device, the data uploaded from the first device to the second device based on a determination that the second device is within the predetermined geographic region and that the second device belongs to the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data uploaded from the first device comprises location information, the predetermined geographic region, and multimedia content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location information comprises at least one of GPS data, latitude-longitude coordinates, and physical address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data uploaded from the first device includes a time stamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is one of a mobile device and a computer terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location comprises at least one of:

a landmark;

an event; and

a geographic location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined geographic region is defined based on a proximity to a point of interest.