Facilitating User Interactions Based On Proximity
AssigneeGroupon, Inc.
InventorsDarren E. Vengroff, Jeffrey Alan Holden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.). In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.
Claims22
1-66. (canceled)
A computer-implemented method for providing functionality to location-based virtual groups of mobile devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- creating, by one or more programmed computing systems, a virtual group of mobile devices by:
- receiving information, input from a mobile device, defining the virtual group, the received information including (i) an indication of a first mobile device, (ii) a geographic location of the first mobile device, around which a geographic area of the virtual group is centered, and (ii) interaction rules configured to specify types of actions enabled by creation of the virtual group;
- automatically providing, by one of the one or more programmed computing systems, functionality in accordance with the user interaction rules of the virtual group;
- and
- periodically receiving, from each of one or more member mobile devices of the virtual group, updated location information;
- and
- providing an alert to the first mobile device upon a determination that a current geographic location of at least one of the one or more member mobile devices fails to meet geographic requirements of the geographic area of the virtual group.
An apparatus for providing functionality to location-based virtual groups of mobile devices, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
- create, by one or more programmed computing systems, a virtual group of mobile devices by:
- receiving information, input from a mobile device, defining the virtual group, the received information including (i) an indication of a first mobile device, (ii) a geographic location of the first mobile device, around which a geographic area of the virtual group is centered, and (ii) interaction rules configured to specify types of actions enabled by creation of the virtual group;
- automatically providing, by one of the one or more programmed computing systems, functionality in accordance with the user interaction rules of the virtual group;
- and
- periodically receive, from each of one or more member mobile devices of the virtual group, updated location information;
- and
- provide an alert to the first mobile device upon a determination that a current geographic location of at least one of the one or more member mobile devices fails to meet geographic requirements of the geographic area of the virtual group.
A computer program product for providing functionality to location-based virtual groups of mobile devices, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:
- creating, by one or more programmed computing systems, a virtual group of mobile devices by:
- receiving information, input from a mobile device, defining the virtual group, the received information including (i) an indication of a first mobile device, (ii) a geographic location of the first mobile device, around which a geographic area of the virtual group is centered, and (ii) interaction rules configured to specify types of actions enabled by creation of the virtual group;
- automatically providing, by one of the one or more programmed computing systems, functionality in accordance with the user interaction rules of the virtual group;
- and
- periodically receiving, from each of one or more member mobile devices of the virtual group, updated location information;
- and
- providing an alert to the first mobile device upon a determination that a current geographic location of at least one of the one or more member mobile devices fails to meet geographic requirements of the geographic area of the virtual group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.