Communicating future locations in a social network

• US 8,554,875 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ribbon Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Alfaro, Anthony, Boyd, Austen, Palmer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/572,875
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed which include receiving, from a user operating a user interface on a computing device, an indication of a first future date; identifying one or more friends of the user, for each of the one or more friends, gathering future trip information from the social network, determining based on the gathered trip information, whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the first future date, displaying a geographic map on the user interface including displaying a friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the first future date, and dynamically updating the friend representations respectively on the geographic map based on a third future date received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a user operating a user interface on a computing device, an indication of a first future date;

identifying one or more friends of the user, wherein the user and the one or more friends are directly connected in a social network;

for each of the one or more friends, gathering future trip information from the social network, the future trip information including respective second future dates and corresponding future locations indicating respective physical locations of each of the one or more friends at the respective second future dates;

determining, with the computing device, based on the gathered future trip information, whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the first future date, comprising;

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface including a friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the first future date, on the geographic map, wherein the friend representation includes at least one of an indication of a number of local friends that live at the future location, or an indication of a number of visiting friends at the future location on the first future date; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations; and

receiving, from the user, a third future date;

dynamically updating the friend representations respectively on the geographic map based on the third future date received, including;

determining whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the third future date; and

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the one second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface the friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the third future date, on the geographic map; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the friend representation of each of the one or more friends is an image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, through the user interface on the computing device, a selection of the friend representation corresponding to one of the future locations;

displaying, upon selection of the friend representation, the one or more friends that are associated with the respective future location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the future locations that are associated with a second future date that matches the first future date.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving future event information of a future event, and wherein the friend representation corresponding to each of one or more future locations are selected for display based on the future event information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

enabling the user to share future event information with the one or more friends of the user so that at least one friend joins a trip of the user corresponding to the future event.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying future event information of the one or more friends of the user so that the user is enabled to join a trip.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more future locations where a highest number of friends of the user are associated with the first future date; and

selecting one or more of the friend representations corresponding to the respective future locations that are associated with the second future date that matches the first future date based on the determination.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to create a trip profile with the user interface based on a selected friend representation for the first future date; and

enabling the user to share the trip profile so that one or more friends of the user can join the trip.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying future location information, including the future location and the future date, of the one or more friends of the user so that the user is enabled to join a trip.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein for each of the friend representations, showing an indication of a number of local friends and an indication of a number of visiting friends at the future location on the first future date.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first future date, the second future date and the third future date can each be a date range.

13. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user operating a user interface on a computing device, an indication of a first future date;

identifying one or more friends of the user, wherein the user and the one or more friends are directly connected in a social network;

for each of the one or more friends, gathering future trip information from the social network, the future trip information including respective second future dates and corresponding future locations indicating respective physical locations of each of the one or more friends at the respective second future dates;

determining, with the computing device, based on the gathered future trip information, whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the first future date, comprising;

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface including a friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the first future date, on the geographic map, wherein the friend representation includes at least one of an indication of a number of local friends that live at the future location, or an indication of a number of visiting friends at the future location on the first future date; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations; and

receiving, from the user, a third future date;

dynamically updating the friend representations respectively on the geographic map based on the third future date received, including;

determining whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the third future date; and

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the one second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface the friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the third future date, on the geographic map; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the friend representation of each of the one or more friends is an image.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, through the user interface on the computing device, a selection of the friend representation corresponding to one of the future locations;

displaying, upon selection of the friend representation, the one or more friends that are associated with the respective future location.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting one or more of the future locations that are associated with a second future date that matches the first future date.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining one or more future locations where a highest number of friends of the user are associated with the first future date; and

selecting one or more of the friend representations corresponding to the respective future locations that are associated with the second future date that matches the first future date based on the determination.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving future event information of a future event, and wherein the friend representation corresponding to each of one or more future locations are selected for display based on the future event information.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the first future date, the second future date and the third future date can each be a date range.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting one or more of the future locations that are associated with a second future date that matches the first future date.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving future event information of a future event, and wherein the friend representation corresponding to each of one or more future locations are selected for display based on the future event information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling the user to share future event information with the one or more friends of the user so that at least one friend joins a trip of the user corresponding to the future event.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying future event information of the one or more friends of the user so that the user is enabled to join a trip.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling the user to create a trip profile with the user interface based on a selected friend representation for the first future date; and

enabling the user to share the trip profile so that one or more friends of the user can join the trip.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon said execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a user operating a user interface on a computing device, an indication of a first future date;

identifying one or more friends of the user, wherein the user and the one or more friends are directly connected in a social network;

for each of the one or more friends, gathering future trip information from the social network, the future trip information including respective second future dates and corresponding future locations indicating respective physical locations of each of the one or more friends at the respective second future dates;

determining, with the computing device, based on the gathered future trip information, whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the first future date, comprising;

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface including a friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the first future date, on the geographic map, wherein the friend representation includes at least one of an indication of a number of local friends that live at the future location, or an indication of a number of visiting friends at the future location on the first future date; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the first future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations;

receiving, from the user, a third future date;

dynamically updating the friend representations respectively on the geographic map based on the third future date received, including;

determining whether each of the one or more friends are going to be physically present at the future locations on one of the second future dates that matches the third future date; and

if one or more friends are going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the one second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying a geographic map on the user interface the friend representation corresponding to each of the respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the third future date, on the geographic map; and

if one or more friends are not going to be physically present at the one or more future locations on the second future date that matches the third future date;

displaying the geographic map without any friend representations.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the first future date, the second future date and the third future date can each be a date range.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting one or more of the future locations that are associated with a second future date that matches the first future date.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving future event information of a future event, and wherein the friend representation corresponding to each of one or more future locations are selected for display based on the future event information.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling the user to share future event information with the one or more friends of the user so that at least one friend joins a trip of the user corresponding to the future event.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling the user to create a trip profile with the user interface based on a selected friend representation for the first future date; and

enabling the user to share the trip profile so that one or more friends of the user can join the trip.