Location based content aggregation and distribution systems and methods

• US 9,781,216 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Kristopher T., Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US15/140,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 3409951, 701482, 701484, 701516, 709217, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a content posting from a device associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and an associated geographic location; determining that a second user is associated with the geographic location; and enabling communications associated with the content instance between a client device associated with the first user and a client device associated with the second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing system:

receiving a content posting from a device associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

determining that a second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, wherein the determination is based on a first client device associated with the second user being or having been within a predefined proximity of the geographic location associated with the content instance; and

enabling, based on the second user being associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, one or more communications between a client device associated with the first user and a second client device associated with the second user, wherein the communications are associated with the content instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user is granted access to the content instance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content instance is distributed to the client device associated with the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more communications comprise one or more comments about the content instance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user comprises granting the device of the second user access to a communication thread associated with the content instance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising granting access to the communication thread to a client device associated with a third user, wherein the third user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device associated with the second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the first user is distinct from the client device associated with the first user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is a location of the device associated with the first user when the content posting is received.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to the client device associated with the second user, the notification indicating an availability of the content instance.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

subsequent to sending the notification, distributing the content instance to a third client device associated with the second user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an annotation to the content instance from the first user or the second user;

associating the annotation with the content instance; and

selectively distributing the annotation in association with the content instance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the annotation comprises a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, or an edit to the content instance.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second users are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group is requisite to the enabling of the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

including the tag data in a notification to be sent to the device of the second user indicating an availability of the content instance.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client device associated with the second user is the second client device associated with the second user.

18. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a content posting from a device associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

determine that a second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, wherein the determination is based on a first client device associated with the second user being or having been within a predefined proximity of the geographic location associated with the content instance; and

enable, based on the second user being associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, one or more communications between a client device associated with the first user and a second client device associated with the second user, wherein the communications are associated with the content instance.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein enabling the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user comprises granting the device of the second user access to a communication thread associated with the content instance.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein the software is further operable when executed to grant access to the communication thread to a client device associated with a third user, wherein the third user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

21. The media of claim 18, wherein the second user is granted access to the content instance.

22. The media of claim 18, wherein the content instance is distributed to the client device associated with the second user.

23. The media of claim 18, wherein the one or more communications comprise one or more comments about the content instance.

24. The media of claim 18, wherein the client device associated with the second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

25. The media of claim 18, wherein the device associated with the first user is distinct from the client device associated with the first user.

26. The media of claim 18, wherein the geographic location is a location of the device associated with the first user when the content posting is received.

27. The media of claim 18, wherein the software is further operable when executed to send a notification to the client device associated with the second user, the notification indicating an availability of the content instance.

28. The media of claim 27, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

subsequent to sending the notification, distribute the content instance to a third client device associated with the second user.

29. The media of claim 18, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive an annotation to the content instance from the first user or the second user;

associate the annotation with the content instance; and

selectively distribute the annotation in association with the content instance.

30. The media of claim 29, wherein the annotation comprises a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, or an edit to the content instance.

31. The media of claim 18, wherein the first and second users are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group is requisite to the enabling of the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user.

32. The media of claim 18, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

associate the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

33. The media of claim 32, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

include the tag data in a notification to be sent to the device of the second user indicating an availability of the content instance.

34. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a content posting from a device associated with a first user, the content posting including data representative of a content instance and a geographic location associated with the content instance;

determine that a second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, wherein the determination is based on a first client device associated with the second user being or having been within a predefined proximity of the geographic location associated with the content instance; and

enable, based on the second user being associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance, one or more communications between a client device associated with the first user and a second client device associated with the second user, wherein the communications are associated with the content instance.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the second user is granted access to the content instance.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the content instance is distributed to the client device associated with the second user.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the one or more communications comprise one or more comments about the content instance.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein enabling the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user comprises granting the device of the second user access to a communication thread associated with the content instance.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to grant access to the communication thread to a client device associated with a third user, wherein the third user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

40. The system of claim 34, wherein the client device associated with the second user is associated with the geographic location associated with the content instance.

41. The system of claim 34, wherein the device associated with the first user is distinct from the client device associated with the first user.

42. The system of claim 34, wherein the geographic location is a location of the device associated with the first user when the content posting is received.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to send a notification to the client device associated with the second user, the notification indicating an availability of the content instance.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

subsequent to sending the notification, distribute the content instance to a third client device associated with the second user.

45. The system of claim 34, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive an annotation to the content instance from the first user or the second user;

associate the annotation with the content instance; and

selectively distribute the annotation in association with the content instance.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the annotation comprises a comment about the content instance, a rating of the content instance, or an edit to the content instance.

47. The system of claim 34, wherein the first and second users are members of a group, and wherein the first and second users being members of the group is requisite to the enabling of the one or more communications between the client device associated with the first user and the client device associated with the second user.

48. The system of claim 34, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

associate the content instance with tag data, wherein the tag data comprises at least one of a timestamp, a user identifier, a content description, and a content type identifier.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

include the tag data in a notification to be sent to the device of the second user indicating an availability of the content instance.