Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100197318 | ANONYMOUS CROWD TRACKING - A system and method for tracking crowds of users are provided. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices. Based on the current locations of the users, the central system forms crowds of users. As a result of movement of the users and corresponding location updates, the crowds move and change over time. In order to track at least some of the crowds, crowd snapshots for those crowds are created over time and stored. The crowd snapshots preferably maintain anonymity of the users in the crowd at the time the crowd snapshots are created. Thereafter, the crowd snapshots may be used to generate crowd tracking data for select crowds. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198814 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING AND CREATING POINTS-OF-INTEREST - Systems and methods are provided for filtering and/or creating Points-of-Interest (POIs). In one embodiment, a list of POIs is obtained and then filtered based on crowd data related to the list of POIs to provide a filtered list of POIs. In another embodiment, one or more crowd-sourced POIs are created based on one or more crowds relevant to a corresponding bounding region for POI creation. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198826 | MAINTAINING A HISTORICAL RECORD OF ANONYMIZED USER PROFILE DATA BY LOCATION FOR USERS IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT - A system and method are provided for maintaining a historical record of anonymized user profile data for mobile device users. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations and user profiles for users of mobile devices. The central system processes the current locations and the user profiles of the users over time to maintain a historical record of anonymized user profile data by location. By anonymizing the user data, privacy of the users of the mobile devices is maintained. The central system may then use the historical record of anonymized user profile data to respond to historical requests. The historical requests may be made by users of the mobile devices, subscribers, and/or third-party services. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198828 | FORMING CROWDS AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO CROWD DATA IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT - A system and method are provided for forming crowds of users and providing access to corresponding crowd data. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices. The central system forms a crowd including a number of users based on the current locations of the number of users. The central system then generates crowd data for the crowd and provides access to the crowd data for the crowd. In one embodiment, the crowd data for the crowd includes an aggregate profile for the crowd. In another embodiment, the crowd data includes data characterizing the crowd. The central system provides access to the crowd data by serving crowd data requests. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198862 | HANDLING CROWD REQUESTS FOR LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS - A system and method are provided for processing a request for crowd data for a large geographic area. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices and form crowds of three or more users based on the current locations of the users. In order to provide access to crowd data for crowds for a large geographic area, the central system receives a request for crowd data from a requesting device, establishes a bounding region for the request, and identifies one or more starting points within the bounding region for the request. Crowds are identified, crowd data for the crowds is generated, and the crowd data is returned to the requesting device in an iterative manner for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting points. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198870 | SERVING A REQUEST FOR DATA FROM A HISTORICAL RECORD OF ANONYMIZED USER PROFILE DATA IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT - A system and method are provided for maintaining a historical record of anonymized user profile data for mobile device users and serving historical requests. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations and user profiles for users of mobile devices. The central system processes the current locations and the user profiles of the users over time to maintain a historical record of anonymized user profile data by location. By anonymizing the user data, privacy of the users of the mobile devices is maintained. The central system may then use the historical record of anonymized user profile data to respond to historical requests. The historical requests may be made by users of the mobile devices, subscribers, and/or third-party services. | 08-05-2010 |
20100198917 | CROWD FORMATION FOR MOBILE DEVICE USERS - A system and method are provided for forming crowds of users and providing access to corresponding crowd data. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices. The central system receives a crowd request from a requesting device. In response, the central system establishes a bounding region for the request and identifies one or more crowds, each including number of users, that are relevant to the bounding region for the request. The central system then generates crowd data for the one or more crowds and returns the crowd data for the one or more crowds to the requesting device. | 08-05-2010 |
20120041982 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ASSOCIATING CO-PRESENCE INFORMATION WITH A MEDIA ITEM - Computer-implemented methods and systems for associating co-presence information with a media item comprise creating a media identification (ID) for the media item in response to a media device acquiring a media item. The media ID is broadcast to at least one peer device co-present with the media device. A transmission is received from a registered user of the peer device reporting receipt of the media record ID, and an arbitrary ID for the registered user is created. The arbitrary ID of the registered user of the peer device that reported receipt of the media record ID is then associated with the media item. | 02-16-2012 |
20120041983 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INFORMATION GATEKEEPER BASED ON AGGREGATE PROFILE DATA - Systems and methods are provided for controlling access to sharable items. In general, a computing device of a user stores a sharable item. A sharing rule is configured for the sharable item, where the sharing rule is based on an element of aggregate profile data for a current location of the user, a crowd characteristic of one or more crowds that are currently relevant to the current location of the user, or both. Depending on the embodiment, the element of the aggregate profile data, the crowd characteristic of the one or more crowds, or both are obtained and the sharing rule for the sharable item is resolved. Sharing of the sharable item is then provided according to a result of the resolution of the sharing rule for the sharable item. | 02-16-2012 |
20120046017 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTION OF INDIRECT USER TRACKING THROUGH AGGREGATE PROFILE DATA - Systems and methods are provided for preventing indirect user tracking in a mobile aggregate profiling system. In general, access to aggregate profile data for groups of users is controlled in a mobile aggregate profiling system based on rate of change values for one or more characteristics, such as population, of the groups of users. | 02-23-2012 |
20120063427 | CROWD FORMATION BASED ON WIRELESS CONTEXT INFORMATION - Systems and methods are disclosed for forming crowds of users based on wireless contexts of corresponding mobile devices of the users. In general, wireless contexts of mobile devices of a number of users are obtained. For each mobile device, the wireless context of the mobile device includes a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) context of the mobile device, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) context of the mobile device, or both. The wireless contexts of the mobile devices of the users are then utilized to form crowds of users. More specifically, in one embodiment, users of mobile devices having sufficiently similar wireless contexts are determined to be in the same crowd of users. | 03-15-2012 |
20120066212 | MONITORING HASHTAGS IN MICRO-BLOG POSTS TO PROVIDE ONE OR MORE CROWD-BASED FEATURES - Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring hashtags in micro-blog posts, or status updates, from users to provide one or more crowd-based features. In one embodiment, a micro-blog post of a user in a crowd of users is obtained. The crowd of users is a group of users within a predefined spatial proximity to one another. A hashtag in the micro-blog post is then obtained, and a crowd-based feature is provided based on the hashtag. | 03-15-2012 |
20120066646 | RELATIVE ITEM OF INTEREST EXPLORER INTERFACE - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for representing a reference item and a number of items of interest. In one embodiment, each item of interest is assigned to one of a number of concentric regions in a two-dimensional space based on one or more attributes of the item of interest. The concentric regions in the two-dimensional space are centered at a location in the two-dimensional space that corresponds to the reference item. A GUI is then generated such that the GUI includes concentric display regions that correspond to the concentric regions in the two-dimensional space, where a select concentric display region provides an expanded view of the items of interest located within the corresponding region in the two-dimensional space and the remaining concentric display region(s) provide collapsed view(s) of the items of interest in the corresponding region(s) of the two-dimensional space. | 03-15-2012 |
20120072495 | CONTIGUOUS LOCATION-BASED USER NETWORKS - A system and method are provided for creating location-based user networks. In general, a proximity group including a number of users is identified. Each user in the proximity group is within a proximate area of at least one other user in the proximity group and has an area of interest. The areas of interest of the users in the proximity group are aggregated to provide an aggregate area of interest for the proximity group. Other users within the aggregate area of interest are identified as neighbors of each of the users in the proximity group. Once the neighbors are identified, each of the users in the proximity group may use the neighbors as members, or potential members, for a user network. | 03-22-2012 |
20120117585 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR APPLYING CONTENT RESTRICTIONS TO RENDERERS IN IDENTIFIED NETWORK VIEWING AREAS - A media broker includes a communication interface communicatively coupling the media broker to one or more media storage devices and one or more renderers and a controller associated with the communication interface adapted to transmit a request for location information to one or more renderers, receive location information from each of the one or more renderers and determine, based upon the received location information, one or more viewing areas each comprising at least one of the one or more renderers. And then applying the media restrictions assigned to the renderers in those viewing areas, while still allowing media storage devices detected in any viewing area to record media of any rating. | 05-10-2012 |
20120135744 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING AND MANAGING COMMUNICATION RULES ASSOCIATED WITH GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS - Disclosed herein are methods and systems for generating and managing communication rules associated with geographic locations. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include storing a communication rule associated with a geographic location and a user. The method also includes receiving a communication identifying the geographic location. Further, the method includes applying the communication rule for routing the communication to the user. | 05-31-2012 |
20120210399 | LOCATION-ENABLED ACCESS CONTROL LISTS FOR REAL-WORLD DEVICES - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an accessor with access to an accessed device through a network. In one embodiment, location-based access control rights of the accessor to the accessed device are obtained. The location-based access control rights define at least one location criterion such that access rights are to be granted to the accessor for the accessed device when a location of the accessor complies with one or more of the at least one location criterion. Upon determining that the location of the accessor device complies with the at least one location criterion, the accessor device of the accessor is granted access to the accessed device through the network. In this manner, an administrator of the accessed device can regulate from where the accessor can access the accessor device. | 08-16-2012 |
20130017843 | HANDLING CROWD REQUESTS FOR LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS - A system and method are provided for processing a request for crowd data for a large geographic area. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations for users of mobile devices and form crowds of three or more users based on the current locations of the users. In order to provide access to crowd data for crowds for a large geographic area, the central system receives a request for crowd data from a requesting device, establishes a bounding region for the request, and identifies one or more starting points within the bounding region for the request. Crowds are identified, crowd data for the crowds is generated, and the crowd data is returned to the requesting device in an iterative manner for a series of two or more outwardly radiating, concentric geographic regions centered at the one or more starting points. | 01-17-2013 |
20130282723 | Maintaining A Historical Record Of Anonymized User Profile Data By Location For Users In A Mobile Environment - A system and method are provided for maintaining a historical record of anonymized user profile data for mobile device users. In one embodiment, a central system, which includes one or more servers, operates to obtain current locations and user profiles for users of mobile devices. The central system processes the current locations and the user profiles of the users over time to maintain a historical record of anonymized user profile data by location. By anonymizing the user data, privacy of the users of the mobile devices is maintained. The central system may then use the historical record of anonymized user profile data to respond to historical requests. The historical requests may be made by users of the mobile devices, subscribers, and/or third party services. | 10-24-2013 |
20140019615 | Monitoring Hashtags In Micro-Blog Posts To Provide One Or More Crowd-Based Features - Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring hashtags in micro-blog posts, or status updates, from users to provide one or more crowd-based features. In one embodiment, a micro-blog post of a user in a crowd of users is obtained. The crowd of users is a group of users within a predefined spatial proximity to one another. A hashtag in the micro-blog post is then obtained, and a crowd-based feature is provided based on the hashtag. | 01-16-2014 |
20140235277 | Crowd Formation Based On Wireless Context Information - Systems and methods are disclosed for forming crowds of users based on wireless contexts of corresponding mobile devices of the users. In general, wireless contexts of mobile devices of a number of users are obtained. For each mobile device, the wireless context of the mobile device includes a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) context of the mobile device, a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) context of the mobile device, or both. The wireless contexts of the mobile devices of the users are then utilized to form crowds of users. More specifically, in one embodiment, users of mobile devices having sufficiently similar wireless contexts are determined to be in the same crowd of users. | 08-21-2014 |
20140289679 | Relative Item Of Interest Explorer Interface - Devices are disclosed for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for representing a reference item and a number of items of interest. In one embodiment, each item of interest is assigned to one of a number of concentric regions in a two-dimensional geographic space based on the location and one or more attributes of the item of interest. The concentric regions in the two-dimensional geographic space are centered at a location in the two-dimensional space that corresponds to the reference item. A GUI is generated includes concentric display regions that correspond to the concentric regions in the two-dimensional geographic space, where a select concentric display region provides an expanded view of the items of interest located within the corresponding region in the two-dimensional geographic space and the remaining concentric display region(s) provide collapsed view(s) of the items of interest in the corresponding region(s) of the two-dimensional geographic space. | 09-25-2014 |