# US 2014/0156746 A1 · Systems and methods for a social facilitator service

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0156746 A1
- Document ID: US20140156746A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/691,105
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: United Video Properties, Inc.
- Applicants: United Video Properties, Inc.
- Inventors: David Wheatley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156746A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/4524: {involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00)}
- G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- H04N 21/4788: communicating with other users, e.g. chatting {(arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)}
- H04N 21/4826: {using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for providing social event recommendations to a user are provided. In particular, a user may be presented with recommendations for social events based on the user's interests, geographic location, or any other suitable constraints. A social event recommendation engine may additionally suggest friends, from the user's social network, that the user may wish to invite along to a recommended social event. The user may also be presented advertisements with the social event recommendations.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for recommending a social event to a user, the method comprising:
storing in a memory:
a user profile including characteristics of the user's interests, and
a plurality of social events;
selecting, using a processor, a characteristic of the user's interests from the user profile;
cross-referencing a social event characteristic associated with respective ones of the plurality of events with the selected user characteristic;
selecting the social event associated with the social event characteristic that matches the selected user characteristic;
selecting, using the processor, a subset of friends of the user, wherein each of the friends in the subset of the friends has a user profile characteristic matching the social event characteristic; and
recommending the selected social event to the user and the selected subset of the friends.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the social event based on a geographic location of the user, wherein the social event is associated with a geographic location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the subset of the friends based on a geographic location of each of the friends and a geographic location of the user.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic location of each of the friends in the subset of the friends is less than a threshold distance from the geographic location of the user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic location of each of the friends in the subset of the friends and the geographic location of the user are less than a threshold distance from a geographic location of the social event.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a transportation service for the user and the subset of the friends to reach a geographic location of the event; and
recommending the determined transportation service to the user and the subset of the friends.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising determining the transportation service based on cost of the transportation service.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein recommending the selected social event further comprises sending at least one of an email, text message, phone call, social networking website notification, online notification, or smartphone notification.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the social event listing is automatically compiled from online data sources.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the social event listing is updated based on a change in the user's geographic location.

### Claim 11

A system for recommending a social event to a user, the system comprising:
a memory for storing:
a user profile including characteristics of the user's interests, and
a plurality of social events; and
a processor configured to:
select a characteristic of the user's interests from the user profile;
cross-reference a social event characteristic associated with respective ones of the plurality of events with the selected user characteristic;
select the social event associated with the social event characteristic that matches the selected user characteristic;
select a subset of the friends of the user, wherein each of the friends in the subset of the friends has a user profile characteristic matching the social event characteristic; and
recommend the selected social event to the user and the selected subset of the friends.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to select the social event based on a geographic location of the user, and wherein the social event is associated with a geographic location.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to select the subset of the friends based on a geographic location of each of the friends and a geographic location of the user.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the geographic location of each of the friends in the subset of the friends is less than a threshold distance from the geographic location of the user.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the geographic location of each of the friends in the subset of the friends and the geographic location of the user are less than a threshold distance from a geographic location of the social event.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a transportation service for the user and the subset of the friends to reach a geographic location of the event; and
recommend the determined transportation service to the user and the subset of the friends.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the transportation service based on cost of the transportation service.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein recommending the selected social event further comprises sending at least one of an email, text message, phone call, social networking website notification, online notification, or smartphone notification.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the social event listing is automatically compiled from online data sources.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the social event listing is updated based on a change in the user's geographic location.

### Claim at position 21

21-30. (canceled)