Communicating user location information among users of communication devices

• US 9,246,864 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jhanji, Neeraj
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/795,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/219, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A computer-implemented method implemented via the Internet for coordinating a current or future event between a user of a mobile Internet device and other users communicating through the Internet. The method includes receiving the current or future activity information pertaining to the future event from the user via the mobile Internet device. The current activity pertains to an activity occurring at a current time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The future activity pertains to an activity occurring at a future time relative to a time the future activity information is received. The method further includes transmitting the current or future activity information to a backend database coupled to the Internet, the backend database being remote from the mobile Internet device. The method further includes rendering the current or future activity information accessible to at least one recipient via the Internet. The recipient represents a subset of the users coupled to the Internet and having access privilege to information pertaining to the current or future event involving the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method-comprising:

receiving, at a server, a message from a mobile communication device associated with a sender, the message including location information indicating a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

determining a user profile associated with the sender;

identifying the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

determining from the user profile associated with the sender whether access to the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has a first access type or has a second access type;

responsive to determining the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has the first access type, determining one or more users authorized by the sender to access the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

sending a message to mobile communication devices associated with the determined one or more users, the message identifying the sender and information identifying the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender; and

responsive to determining the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has the second access type, sending the physical location of the mobile computing device to the server for access by additional users of the server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is manually provided by the sender via the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is determined by an automatic location finding technology included on the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device associated with the sender a mobile telephone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender at a time the mobile communication device associated with the sender sends the physical location to the server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender at a time subsequent to a time when the location information was sent to the server by the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message includes a status associated with the sender.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the status associated with the sender is received from the mobile communication device associated with the sender along with the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender in association with the user profile associated with the sender.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a message from a mobile communication device associated with a sender, the message including location information indicating a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

determine a user profile associated with the sender;

identify the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

determine from the user profile associated with the sender whether access to the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has a first access type or has a second access type;

responsive to determining the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has the first access type, determine one or more users authorized by the sender to access the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

send a message to mobile communication devices associated with the determined one or more users, message identifying the sender and information identifying the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender;

responsive to determining the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender has the second access type, send the physical location of the mobile computing device to the server for access by additional users of the server.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is manually provided by the sender via the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is determined by an automatic location finding technology included on the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the mobile communication device associated with the sender a mobile telephone.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender at a time the mobile communication device associated with the sender sends the physical location to the server.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender is a physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender at a time subsequent to a time when the location information was sent to the server by the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the message includes a status associated with the sender.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the status associated with the sender is received from the mobile communication device associated with the sender along with the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

store the physical location of the mobile communication device associated with the sender in association with the user profile associated with the sender.