US 8,428,635 B2Granted

System and method for managing group communications

AssigneeDisney Enterprises, Inc.

InventorsScott Watson, Armando Santana, Orrin J. Shively, Robert Swirsky, Jonathan Gilbert, Ben Brown

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Abstract

Provided is a system for managing group communications. The system comprises a communications server accessible by a group of users having a first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device; a local services network interactively connected to the communications server; a group management application resident on the communications server, the group management application configured to activate a group communication session corresponding to an identification code assigned to the group, to support communications among the first mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device, and the local services network during the group session, and to terminate the group session after a predetermined time interval; the system designed to manage and distribute communications across the members of the group during the group communication session.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for managing group communications for groups of users visiting a recreational venue, the system comprising:

a communications server accessible by a group of users having a plurality of mobile communication devices including a first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device;
a group management application resident on the communications server, the group management application configured to:
receive a group identification code sent from a first mobile communication device;
activate a group communication session corresponding to the group identification code;
assign the first mobile communication device to the group of users corresponding to the group identification code in response to receiving the group identification code sent from the first mobile communication device;
send a confirmation message to the first mobile communication device in response to receiving the group identification code sent from the first mobile communication device;
receive the group identification code sent from a second mobile communication device;
assign the second mobile communication device to the group of users corresponding to the group identification code in response to receiving the group identification code sent from the second mobile communication device;
send a confirmation message to the second mobile communication device in response to receiving the group identification code sent from the second mobile communication device;
receive a group message for distribution to the group of users;
disseminate the group message to the plurality of mobile communication devices including the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device;
and
terminate the group communication session after a predetermined time interval;
wherein sequential identification codes are not assigned to successive groups of the groups of users visiting the recreational venue, thereby preventing one to anticipate the group identification code assigned to the group of users.

11 more elements

A method for managing group communications for groups of users visiting a recreational venue, the method comprising:

receiving a group identification code sent from a first mobile communication device;
activating a group communication session corresponding to the group identification code;
assigning the first mobile communication device to a group of users corresponding to the group identification code in response to the receiving of the group identification code sent from the first mobile communication device;
sending a confirmation message to the first mobile communication device in response to the receiving of the group identification code sent from the first mobile communication device;
receiving the group identification code sent from a second mobile communication device;
assigning the second mobile communication device to the group of users corresponding to the group identification code in response to the receiving of the group identification code sent from the second mobile communication device;
sending a confirmation message to the second mobile communication device in response to the receiving of the group identification code sent from the second mobile communication device;
receiving a group message for distribution to the group of users;
disseminating the group message to the plurality of mobile communication devices including the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device;
and
terminating the group communication session after a predetermined time interval;
wherein sequential identification codes are not assigned to successive groups of the groups of users visiting the recreational venue, thereby preventing one to anticipate the group identification code assigned to the group of users.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/313,231Filed 17 Nov 2008 · us provisional application
Priority: 11 Mar 2008
Published: US 2009/0233639 A117 Sep 2009
Granted: 23 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04L 51/04
User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail: real-time or…
H04L 12/1822
For computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms: conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants,…
H04L 12/1831
For computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms: tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or…
H04L 51/58
User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail: message…