Suggestions in a social network

• US 8,589,808 B1
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• 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): TRAN, TUYETLIEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/572,934
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-753, 715/863, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• 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 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed which include gathering future location information of one or more friends of a user, receiving from a computing device, an indication of a second future date, displaying the future locations that are associated with a first future date that matches the second future date, receiving, at the computing device from the user, a selection of one of the future locations displayed, displaying one or more friends of the user associated with the selected future location, determining that a digital connection does not exist between the first friend and the second friend in a social network, providing an indication on the computing device showing that the digital connection does not exist, receiving an indication from the user to initiate contact between the first friend and the second friend, and providing a first notification to the first friend and the second friend.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

gathering future location information of one or more friends of a user, the future location information including a respective first future date and a respective future location where a respective friend is going to be physically located on the respective first future date;

receiving from a user, an indication of a second future date;

determining that 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 one or more friend representations, each friend representation corresponding to respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the second future date;

receiving, at the computing device from the user, a selection of one of the one or more friend representations displayed on the geographic map;

displaying one or more friends of the user associated with the selected friend representation;

receiving a selection from the user of a first friend, from the one of the friends displayed;

receiving an indication from the user to initiate contact between the first friend and a second friend selected by the user from a user'"'"'s list of friends; and

providing a first notification to a computing device of the first friend and a computing device of the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first friend and the second friend meet at the selected future location corresponding to the selected friend representation on the second future date.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each future location is one of a city, an event, or a place.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the first notification from either of the first friend or the second friend;

providing a first profile screen associated with the first friend to the second friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the second friend; and

providing a second profile screen associated with the second friend to the first friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the first friend, wherein the first profile screen and the second profile screen enable addition of a user as a friend.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second notification to the first friend and the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first user and the second user establish a digital connection in a social network, wherein the digital connection is established when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invention is accepted.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reviewing one or more digital connections of at least one of the first friend and the second friend in the social network to identify whether a direct digital connection exists between the first friend and the second friend in a social network, wherein the digital connection exists when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invitation is accepted.

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

7. 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;

gathering future location information of one or more friends of a user, the future location information including a respective first future date and a respective future location where a respective friend is going to be physically located on the respective first future date;

receiving from a user, an indication of a second future date;

determining that 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 one or more friend representations, each friend representation corresponding to respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the second future date;

receiving, at the computing device from the user, a selection of one of the one or more friend representations displayed on the geographic map;

displaying one or more friends of the user associated with the selected friend representation;

receiving a selection from the user of a first friend, from the one of the friends displayed;

receiving an indication from the user to initiate contact between the first friend and a second friend selected by the user from a user'"'"'s list of friends; and

providing a first notification to a computing device of the first friend and a computing device of the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first friend and the second friend meet at the selected future location corresponding to the selected friend representation on the second future date.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each future location is one of a city, an event, or a place.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication of the first notification from either of the first friend or the second friend;

providing a first profile screen associated with the first friend to the second friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the second friend; and

providing a second profile screen associated with the second friend to the first friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the first friend, wherein the first profile screen and the second profile screen enable addition of a user as a friend.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a second notification to the first friend and the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first user and the second user establish a digital connection in a social network, wherein the digital connection is established when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invitation is accented.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

reviewing one or more digital connections of at least one of the first friend and the second friend in the social network to identify whether a direct digital connection exists between the first friend and the second friend in a social network, wherein the digital connection exists when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invitation is accepted.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first future date and the second future date can each be a future date range.

13. 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:

gathering future location information of one or more friends of a user, the future location information including a respective first future date and a respective future location where a respective friend is going to be physically located on the respective first future date;

receiving from a user, an indication of a second future date;

determining that 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 one or more friend representations, each friend representation corresponding to respective future locations where one or more friends are going to be physically present on the second future date;

receiving, at the computing device from the user, a selection of one of the one or more friend representations displayed on the geographic map;

displaying one or more friends of the user associated with the selected friend representation;

receiving a selection from the user of a first friend, from the one of the friends displayed;

receiving an indication from the user to initiate contact between the first friend and a second friend selected by the user from a user'"'"'s list of friends; and

providing a first notification to a computing device of the first friend and a computing device of the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first friend and the second friend meet at the selected future location corresponding to the selected fiend representation on the second future date.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein each future location is one of a city, an event, or a place.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an indication of the first notification from either of the first friend or the second friend;

providing a first profile screen associated with the first friend to the second friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the second friend; and

providing a second profile screen associated with the second friend to the first friend when an indication of receipt of the first notification is received from the first friend, wherein the first profile screen and the second profile screen enable addition of a user as a friend.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a second notification to the first friend and the second friend indicating that the user has suggested that the first user and the second user establish connection in a social network, wherein the digital connection is established when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invitation is accepted.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

reviewing one or more digital connections of at least one of the first friend and the second friend in the social network to identify whether a direct digital connection exists between the first friend and the second friend in a social network, wherein the digital connection exists when the first friend sends the second friend a digital invitation and the invitation is accepted.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first future date and the second future date can each be a future date range.