Mobile ad hoc networking

• US 9,787,628 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wiseman, Joshua, Garcia, David Harry, Toksvig, Michael John McKenzie
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US14/681,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprising by one or more computing devices, transmitting, from a first mobile device, a first message that includes a first user identifier corresponding to a first user of the first mobile device, wherein the first user identifier corresponds to a user account of the first user in a social-networking system, receiving, at the first mobile device, one or more second messages that includes a second user identifier corresponding to a second mobile device within a direct radio connectivity of the first mobile device, wherein the second user identifier corresponds to a respective user account of a second user in the social-networking system, and storing, at the first mobile device, information received in the second message for access by one or more applications hosted on the first mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a social networking system, a first message from a mobile device application on a first-user mobile device associated with a first user, the message comprising a first-user identifier corresponding to a first-user account maintained for the first user by the social networking system;

determining, by the social networking system, a location of the first-user mobile device;

storing, by the social networking system, privacy data comprising a plurality of user settings for a plurality of users in a privacy policy database, each of the plurality of user settings being associated with a type of user datum associated with a particular user;

determining, by the social networking system, that a plurality of mobile devices are within a vicinity of the location of the first-user mobile device and within a local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, and that a particular user setting associated with each of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices allows for one or more types of user data associated with a location to be shared with the first user, each of the plurality of mobile devices being associated with a user identifier corresponding to a user account maintained by the social networking system;

transmitting, by the social networking system, a second message to the first-user mobile device, the second message enabling the first user to create a group within the social-networking system;

receiving, by the social-networking system, a request to create the group including the first user and each of a plurality of users being associated with the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device; and

creating and storing a record of the group in social graph information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a third message to a selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, the third message comprises the first-user identifier associated with the first user of the first-user mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the first user friending within the social-networking site a second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first user-mobile device, establishing an association between the first user and the second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the social-networking site.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting, to the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices associated with the second user, notification that the second user was friended by the first user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein establishing the association comprises storing an association between the first-user identifier and a second-user identifier associated with the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message includes an option for generating at least one of a friend request, a message, and a group creation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first-user mobile device, a fourth message indicating that the group was generated, the fourth message comprising the first-user identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is transmitted in response to determining that at least one user identifier being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device is discoverable within the social networking system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is transmitted in response to determining that at least one user identifier being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device is discoverable within the social networking system.

10. A system for connecting users of a social networking system comprising:

one or more processors associated with the social networking system; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive a first message from a mobile device application on a first-user mobile device associated with a first user, the message comprising a first-user identifier corresponding to a first-user account maintained for the first user by the social networking system;

determine a location of the first-user mobile device;

store privacy data comprising a plurality of user settings for a plurality of users in a privacy policy database, each of the plurality of user settings being associated with a type of user datum;

determine that a plurality of mobile devices are within a vicinity of the location of the first-user mobile device and within a local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, and that a particular user setting associated with each of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices allows for one or more types of user data associated with a location to be shared with the first user, each of the plurality of mobile devices being associated with a user identifier corresponding to a user account maintained by the social networking system;

transmit a second message to the first-user mobile device, the second message enabling the first user to create a group within the social-networking system;

receive a request to create the group including the first user and each of a plurality of users being associated with the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device; and

create and store a record of the group in social graph information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a third message to a selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, the third message comprises the first-user identifier associated with the first user of the first-user mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

in response to the first user friending within the social-networking site a second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first user-mobile device, the one or more processors are further operable to establish an association between the first user and the second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the social-networking site.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to transmit, to the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices associated with the second user, notification that the second user was friended by the first user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein establishing the association comprises storing an association between the first-user identifier and a second-user identifier associated with the second user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the second message includes an option for generating at least one of a friend request, a message, and a group creation.

16. The system of claim 10,

wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:

receive, from the first-user mobile device, a fourth message indicating that the group was generated, the fourth message comprising the first-user identifier.

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

receive a first message from a mobile device application on a first-user mobile device associated with a first user, the message comprising a first-user identifier corresponding to a first-user account maintained for the first user by the social networking system;

determine a location of the first-user mobile device;

store privacy data comprising a plurality of user settings for a plurality of users in a privacy policy database, each of the plurality of user settings being associated with a type of user datum associated with a particular user;

determine that a plurality of mobile devices are within a vicinity of the location of the first-user mobile device and within a local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, and that a particular user setting associated with each of the plurality of users of the plurality of mobile devices allows for one or more types of user data associated with a location to be shared with the first user, each of the plurality of mobile devices being associated with a user identifier corresponding to a user account maintained by the social networking system;

transmit a second message to the first-user mobile device, the second message enabling the first user to create a group within the social-networking system;

receive a request to create the group including the first user and each of a plurality of users being associated with the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device; and

create and store a record of the group in social graph information.

18. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 17, wherein the second message includes an option for generating at least one of a friend request.

19. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 17, wherein the software is further operable to be executed to:

in response to the first user friending within the social-networking site a second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the local RF range for direct connectivity with the first-user mobile device, establish an association between the first user and the second user associated with the selected one of the plurality of mobile devices within the social-networking site.

20. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 19, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive, from the first-user mobile device, a fourth message indicating that the group was generated, the fourth message comprising the first-user identifier.