Location based service (LBS) system and method for creating a social network

• US 9,402,156 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Steenstra, Jack, Taylor, Kirk Steven, Chen, Liren, Gantman, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US14/230,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for providing a location based service to create a social network, comprising activating a feature from a wireless terminal, registering from the wireless terminal with a location based service associated with the feature, creating a profile of a user of the feature, and displaying candidates based on the profile and based on the geographic location of the candidates. A Global Positioning System (GPS) may be used to geographically locate active users of a feature. An activity map may be associated with a feature, the activity map displaying active users of the feature.

Claims

1. A method of operating a terminal, comprising:

registering an operator of the terminal to a matching service;

receiving location information that identifies a set of locations for a set of candidates registered to the matching service and associated with a corresponding set of candidate profiles that each match a desired profile of the operator of the terminal;

displaying a map that identifies at least one location of at least one candidate from the set of candidates based on the terminal and the at least one candidate being commonly registered to the matching service irrespective of whether the operator and the at least one candidate have a prior relationship;

obtaining, by the terminal, a selection of a given candidate from the at least one candidate in response to the displaying;

arranging, by the terminal via the matching service, a meeting between the operator of the terminal and the given candidate at a target location in response to the selection; and

purchasing, by the terminal via the matching service, transportation for the given candidate between a private address and the target location without the private address of the given candidate being shared by the matching service with the operator of the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one current location of the at least one candidate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one historical location of the at least one candidate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the map further identifies one or more points of interest and/or service outlets in a vicinity of the terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching service is an online dating service, a conference companion service or an interest group service.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the private address is a home location of the given candidate.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the map in response to a user-initiated change to a geographic area being displayed in the map and/or one or more candidate display parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein information separate from the at least one location of the at least one candidate is kept private from the operator of the terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information includes a home address of the at least one candidate.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the matching service requires its registered users to be either in an active state or an inactive state,

wherein location sharing between the registered users only occurs between the registered users in the active state, and

wherein the displaying is based upon the operator of the terminal and the at least one candidate being in the active state.

11. A terminal, comprising:

means for registering an operator of the terminal to a matching service;

means for receiving location information that identifies a set of locations for a set of candidates registered to the matching service and associated with a corresponding set of candidate profiles that each match a desired profile of the operator of the terminal;

means for displaying a map that identifies at least one location of at least one candidate from the set of candidates based on the terminal and the at least one candidate being commonly registered to the matching service irrespective of whether the operator and the at least one candidate have a prior relationship;

means for obtaining a selection of a given candidate from the at least one candidate in response to the displaying of the map;

means for arranging, via the matching service, a meeting between the operator of the terminal and the given candidate at a target location in response to the selection; and

means for purchasing, via the matching service, transportation for the given candidate between a private address and the target location without the private address of the given candidate being shared by the matching service with the operator of the terminal.

12. The terminal of claim 11,

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one current location of the at least one candidate, or

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one historical location of the at least one candidate.

13. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the map further identifies one or more points of interest and/or service outlets in a vicinity of the terminal.

14. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the matching service is an online dating service, a conference companion service or an interest group service.

15. The terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

means for modifying the map in response to a user-initiated change to a geographic area being displayed in the map and/or one or more candidate display parameters.

16. The terminal of claim 11, wherein information separate from the at least one location of the at least one candidate is kept private from the operator of the terminal.

17. A terminal, comprising:

a processor coupled to a transceiver and a display and configured to;

register an operator of the terminal to a matching service;

receive location information that identifies a set of locations for a set of candidates registered to the matching service and associated with a corresponding set of candidate profiles that each match a desired profile of the operator of the terminal;

display a map that identifies at least one location of at least one candidate from the set of candidates based on the terminal and the at least one candidate being commonly registered to the matching service irrespective of whether the operator and the at least one candidate have a prior relationship;

obtain a selection of a given candidate from the at least one candidate in response to the display of the map;

arrange, via the matching service, a meeting between the operator of the terminal and the given candidate at a target location in response to the selection; and

purchase, via the matching service, transportation for the given candidate between a private address and the target location without the private address of the given candidate being shared by the matching service with the operator of the terminal.

18. The terminal of claim 17,

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one current location of the at least one candidate, or

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one historical location of the at least one candidate.

19. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the map further identifies one or more points of interest and/or service outlets in a vicinity of the terminal.

20. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the matching service is an online dating service, a conference companion service or an interest group service.

21. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to modify the map in response to a user-initiated change to a geographic area being displayed in the map and/or one or more candidate display parameters.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a terminal, cause the terminal to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to register an operator of the terminal to a matching service;

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to receive location information that identifies a set of locations for a set of candidates registered to the matching service and associated with a corresponding set of candidate profiles that each match a desired profile of the operator of the terminal;

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to display a map that identifies at least one location of at least one candidate from the set of candidates based on the terminal and the at least one candidate being commonly registered to the matching service irrespective of whether the operator and the at least one candidate have a prior relationship;

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to obtain a selection of a given candidate from the at least one candidate in response to the display of the map;

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to arrange, via the matching service, a meeting between the operator of the terminal and the given candidate at a target location in response to the selection; and

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to purchase, via the matching service, transportation for the given candidate between a private address and the target location without the private address of the given candidate being shared by the matching service with the operator of the terminal.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22,

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one current location of the at least one candidate, or

wherein the at least one location corresponds to at least one historical location of the at least one candidate.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the map further identifies one or more points of interest and/or service outlets in a vicinity of the terminal.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the matching service is an online dating service, a conference companion service or an interest group service.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the terminal to modify the map in response to a user-initiated change to a geographic area being displayed in the map and/or one or more candidate display parameters.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein information separate from the at least one location of the at least one candidate is kept private from the operator of the terminal.