Mobile virtual communication invitations

• US 8,761,744 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lupine Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Celik, Feyzi, DeGrace, Christopher, Yanik, Andrea
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US12/106,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

In general, in an aspect, the invention provides a method including prompting a first user of a first mobile communication device to invite a second user of a second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, sending a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, sending a second notification from the gateway to the second mobile communication device indicating that the first user is inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community, and prompting the second user, upon receiving the second notification at the second mobile communication device, to become associated with the virtual community.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first mobile communication device, a completion of a communication event between the first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device;

automatically prompting, by the first mobile communication device, in response to the detection of the completion, a first user of the first mobile communication device to invite a second user of the second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, and of which the first user is an existing member;

sending a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community;

receiving, at the first mobile communication device, a second notification from the gateway, in response to an invitation from the second user; and

prompting the first user to become associated with a virtual community of the second user, where the second user is an existing member of the virtual community of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the prompting of the first user occurs automatically in response to the completion of at least one of an e-mail, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, and a telephone call.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the virtual community using at least one of the first and second communication devices.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein accessing the virtual community includes accessing the virtual community using a wireless application protocol (WAP) session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication event is a wireless communication event.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer readable instructions that are configured to cause a processor of a first mobile communication device to:

detect the completion of a communication event between the first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device;

prompt, in response to detection of the completion of the communication event, a first user of the first mobile communication device to invite a second user of the second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, and of which the first user is an existing member;

send a first notification from the first mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community;

receive, at the first mobile communication device, a second notification from the gateway, in response to an invitation from the second user; and

prompt the first user to become associated with a virtual community of the second user, where the second user is an existing member of the virtual community of the second user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the first notification is a short message service (SMS) message.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the computer readable instructions are configured such that the SMS message has a predetermined format that is recognizable by the gateway.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured to cause the processor to display a prompt to the first user in response to receiving the second notification.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the computer readable instructions are further configured such that the detection of the completion of the communication event includes detection of the completion of at least one of an e-mail, an instant message, a short message service (SMS) message, and a telephone call.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the communication event is a wireless communication event.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to perform operations including;

detecting the completion of a communication event between the mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device;

prompting, in response to detecting the completion of the communication event, a user of the mobile communication device to invite a second user of the second mobile communication device to become associated with a virtual community associated with the first user, and of which the first user is an existing member;

sending a first notification from the mobile communication device to a gateway in response to the first user inviting the second user to become associated with the virtual community;

receiving, at the first mobile communication device, a second notification from the gateway, in response to an invitation from the second user; and

prompting the first user to become associated with a virtual community of the second user, where the second user is an existing member of the virtual community of the second user.