Event planning within social networks

• US 9,253,615 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ickman, Steve, Cheng, Lili, MacLaurin, Matthew Bret, Colando, Christian James, Anderson, Eric Steven, Raskino, David Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Gurkanwaljit
• Application Number:
  US12/956,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20120136689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,890 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Social networks often permit users to create events, and to invite one or more contacts of the user to as guests. However, conventional social networks may not sufficiently facilitate users in planning an event for which one or more event details are to be determined. According to the techniques presented herein, a social network may permit users to create an event plan, and may permit guests to submit event plan suggestions for various event plan details of the event plan. The social network may also assist the guests in selecting among the event plan suggestions, e.g., by accepting and tallying votes by the guests among alternative event plan suggestions, by providing event plan suggestions based on search engine results, and by presenting maps of event plan suggestions involving locations. The social network may also accept RSVPs, and may notify guests once a guest arrives at a location of the event.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that are executable by the one or more processors and that configure the computer system to generate a map user interface corresponding to an event plan, including instructions that configure the computer system to perform at least the following;

receive a request to invite a plurality of users within a social network to an event;

record each the plurality of users as invitees of the event;

receive, from at least one of the invitees of the event, an event plan suggestion for an event logistic comprising a suggested geographical location of the event;

associate the suggested geographical location with the event plan;

identify a geographical location of each of a plurality of computing devices based on geographical data received from each computing device, each of the plurality of computing devices corresponding to one of the plurality of users;

generate a map user interface, including (i) generating an event location indicator on the map user interface corresponding to the suggested geographical location, and (ii) generating a plurality of guest location indicators on the map user interface that each correspond to one of the plurality of geographical locations of the plurality of computing devices, including indicating that a first one or more of the guest location indicators that are within a predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location, and indicating that a second one or more of the guest location indicators are outside of the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location;

detect that a particular computing device of the plurality of computing devices that is associated with a particular second guest location indicator had moved to a new geographical location that is within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

based at least on the particular computing device having moved to the new geographical location;

update the map user interface, including (i) updating the particular second guest location indicator on the map user interface to reflect the new geographical location of the particular computing device, and (ii) indicating that the particular second guest location indicator is now within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

send a notification to at least one of the plurality of computing devices apart from the particular computing device, the notification indicating that a user associated with the particular computing device has arrived at the event.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to invite the plurality of users within the social network to the event comprises receiving the identity of at least one contact group.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the event plan suggestion comprising at least one search result generated by a search engine in response to a search query submitted by the at least one of the invitees.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the at least one search result is generated by the search engine based on both the search query and on at least one event plan suggestion associated with at least one event logistic of the event plan.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the event plan suggestion provides a further suggestion for an event logistic of the event selected from an event logistic set comprising:

an event title logistic for a title of the event;

an event venue logistic for the location of the event; and

an event activity logistic for at least one activity to be performed at the event.

6. The computer system of claim 1, also including instructions that configure the computer system to:

identify an event plan template for an event type corresponding to the event, the event plan template specifying at least one event logistic of event plans based on the event type; and

associate with the event plan the at least one event logistics associated with an event plan template for the recent type.

7. The computer system of claim 1, also including instructions that configure the computer system to receive at least two alternative event plan suggestions associated with an event logistic.

8. The computer system of claim 7, also including instructions that configure the computer system to:

among the at least two alternative event plan suggestions associated with the event logistic, select a selected event plan suggestion associated with the event logistic; and

present the selected event plan suggestion with the event logistic of the event plan.

9. The computer system of claim 8, also including instructions that configure the computer system to:

responsive to receiving from an invitee an alternative event plan suggestion vote for an alternative event plan suggestion for the event logistic, associate the event plan suggestion vote with the alternative event plan suggestion; and

wherein selecting the selected event plan suggestion of the event logistic is based on the alternative event plan suggestion votes associated with the respective alternative event plan suggestions.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein selecting the selected event plan suggestion further comprises:

identifying, among the alternative event plan suggestions associated with the event logistic, a recommended alternative event plan suggestion for the event logistic.

11. The computer system of claim 1, also including instructions that configure the computer system to:

responsive to receive from an invitee an event plan comment, associate the event plan comment with the event plan; and

responsive to receiving from an invitee a request to present the event plan, present one or more event plan comments associated with the event plan.

12. The computer system of claim 1, also including instructions that configure the computer system to:

responsive to receiving from an invitee an event attendance indicator, associate the event attendance indicator with the invitee; and

present one or more event attendance indicators of the invitees of the event plan.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the map user interface is generated responsive to receiving from an invitee a request to present a map of at least one event location associated with the event plan.

14. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes one or more processors, for generating a map user interface corresponding to an event plan, the method comprising:

receiving a request to invite a plurality of users within a social network to an event;

recording each the plurality of users as invitees of the event;

receiving, from at least one of the invitees of the event, an event plan suggestion for an event logistic comprising a suggested geographical location of the event;

associating the suggested geographical location with the event plan;

identifying a geographical location of each of a plurality of computing devices based on geographical data received from each computing device, each of the plurality of computing devices corresponding to one of the plurality of users;

generating a map user interface, including (i) generating an event location indicator on the map user interface corresponding to the suggested geographical location, and (ii) generating a plurality of guest location indicators on the map user interface that each correspond to one of the plurality of geographical locations of the plurality of computing devices, including indicating that a first one or more of the guest location indicators that are within a predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location, and indicating that a second one or more of the guest location indicators are outside of the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location;

detecting that a particular computing device of the plurality of computing devices that is associated with a particular second guest location indicator has moved to a new geographical location that is within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

based at least on the particular computing device having moved to the new geographical location;

updating the map user interface, including (i) updating the particular second guest location indicator on the map user interface to reflect the new geographical location of the particular computing device, and (ii) indicating that the particular second guest location indicator is now within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

sending a notification to at least one of the plurality of computing devices apart from the particular computing device, the notification indicating that a user associated with the particular computing device has arrived at the event.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the event plan suggestion further comprises at least one search result generated by a search engine in response to a search query submitted by the at least one of the invitees.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one search result is generated by the search engine based on both the search query and on at least one event plan suggestion associated with at least one event logistic of the event plan.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying an event plan template for an event type corresponding to the event, the event plan template specifying at least one event logistic of event plans based on the event type; and

associating with the event plan the at least one event logistics associated with an event plan template for the event type.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

responsive to receiving from an invitee an event attendance indicator, associating the event attendance indicator with the invitee; and

presenting one or more event attendance indicators of the invitees of the event plan.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the map user interface is generated responsive to receiving from an invitee a request to present a map of at least one event location associated with the event plan.

20. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable hardware storage devices having stored thereon instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computer system and that configure the computer system to generate a map user interface corresponding to an event plan, including instructions that configure the computer system to perform at least the following:

receive a request to invite a plurality of users within a social network to an event;

record each the plurality of users as invitees of the event;

receive, from at least one of the invitees of the event, an event plan suggestion for an event logistic comprising a suggested geographical location of the event;

associate the suggested geographical location with the event plan;

identify a geographical location of each of a plurality of computing devices based on geographical data received from each computing device, each of the plurality of computing devices corresponding to one of the plurality of users;

generate a map user interface, including (i) generating an event location indicator on the map user interface corresponding to the suggested geographical location, and (ii) generating a plurality of guest location indicators on the map user interface that each correspond to one of the plurality of geographical locations of the plurality of computing devices, including indicating that a first one or more of the guest location indicators that are within a predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location, and indicating that a second one or more of the guest location indicators are outside of the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location;

detect that a particular computing device of the plurality of computing devices that is associated with a particular second guest location indicator has moved to a new geographical location that is within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

based at least on the particular computing device having moved to the new geographical location;

update the map user interface, including (i) updating the particular second guest location indicator on the map user interface to reflect the new geographical location of the particular computing device, and (ii) indicating that the particular second guest location indicator is now within the predetermined distance from the suggested geographical location; and

send a notification to at least one of the plurality of computing devices apart from the particular computing device, the notification indicating that a user associated with the particular computing device has arrived at the event.