LOCATION BASED MOBILE DEVICE LINKING SYSTEM USING SHORT LINK CODES
A networking system utilizes a mobile device which communicates through a host server that identifies the location of a user's device and allows users to easily connect anonymously on their mobile devices over a data network through the host server with other people, businesses, websites and informational pages by simply inputting or saying out loud a short code into their mobile device when the user is within a certain radius of the code they see posted and/or advertised, or, by way of example, flashed at them by another user.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/833,037, filed Jun. 10, 2013, incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis disclosure relates generally to communication systems and more particularly to communication systems for mobile devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere are social networking applications designed for use on a mobile device; many of them are designed to utilize the location of the users or members, such as those in PCT/US2007/066820 (WO2007127643A2) or PCT/US2009/049956 (WO2010006062A1). These methods require the users or members to already be connected to each other through a social networking system (such as Facebook), or they attempt to match users with one another based on similar interests or mutual friends, and notify users when they are in close proximity to other users, friends or members. These methods may be useful as a match-making system or a notification system of nearby friends or members; however they do not provide a method for strangers to spontaneously meet one another after making visual contact.
Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:
As further illustrated in
Additionally, a user 50, 60 could use, for example, the same application or browser on their mobile device 20 to connect to a website, advertisement, or data page, and/or get information by simply inputting or dictating a short code into the application installed on their mobile device instead of having to input a long URL website address.
Examples of information sent to the user's mobile device 20 after the user inputs a short code that the user sees displayed or advertised include, but are not limited to:
[a] AMBER ALERTS. More detailed information about an AMBER Alert displayed on, for example, a digital highway bulletin board 100. A user can input the code 110 displayed and receive a picture of the make and model car to look for and/or a picture of the suspect and/or child could be displayed on the user's mobile device 20 or automobile dashboard computer 120. (One example of this embodiment of the invention is shown in
[b] REAL ESTATE LISTINGS. The details of a property 200 advertised so the user 50, 60 can see the asking price, pictures, size of the property, and agent information after entering the code 220 displayed on the “For Sale” sign 210 on the property. (One example of this embodiment of the invention is shown in
[c] MENUS. The menu of a restaurant advertised on a billboard.
[d] PARKING. Parking space availability and rates of nearby parking lots.
Preferred embodiments of the invention include both personal and commercial applications. The personal application is how certain embodiments of the invention allow people to spontaneously connect with, interact with, and exchange files with nearby people (such as a stranger) through the host server using their mobile devices without having to reveal their identity, mobile phone number or email address.
In one embodiment of the invention, a user sitting in the back of one cab would like to chat with someone they notice sitting in the back of an adjacent cab. The user taps the icon on the Application of their mobile device which generates a large code on his device's display. The user can hold up their mobile device for the other person to see. Once the other person sees the code, they can input that code into the application of their mobile device. The two are then paired through the host server and can begin chatting with each other without either party having revealed their phone number or email address.
In another embodiment of the invention, two strangers, a guy and a girl, are at a club and begin chatting with each other. The girl needs to leave the club but she would like to continue chatting with the guy again later that night, however she does not want to give her phone number to this guy who she just met. Instead, the host server generates a short code on her phone and she shows it to the guy. He then inputs the code into his phone and the two are paired through the host server. They are both now able to contact each other at a later date without having to exchange phone numbers or email addresses.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a guy and a girl who have never met each other are at a party. The girl takes a picture with her phone that the guy would like a copy of He asks the girl to please send him a copy of the picture. If the girl sends him a copy of the picture via traditional methods (i.e., email or SMS messaging), the guy will see her email address or mobile phone number when he receives the picture. In this embodiment of the invention, she is able to generate a code on her phone for the guy to input into his phone. Once paired through the server, she can send him a copy of the picture he wanted without revealing her phone number or email address and the guy was able to receive the picture without having to reveal his email address or phone number.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a woman is home alone and hears a knock at her door. She looks through the peephole and sees that it is a solicitor, a vacuum salesman. She is scared to open the door to a stranger, so she generates a code on her cell phone and tells the solicitor to enter the code on his mobile device. After the two are paired, the salesman speaks with her over the phone and sends her pictures and a link to the website of the vacuum he is selling.
In yet further aspects of the invention, people and businesses can advertise a short code instead of a website address which the user can input into their mobile device instead of having to input a long URL into their mobile device's internet browser, making it easier, faster and significantly more convenient for the user. Entering a long URL into the internet browser on a mobile device can be difficult and time consuming, especially on mobile phones that have small keyboards; or, for example, on a vehicle's dashboard computer, which may not even have a keyboard. If, for example, a person is driving and sees an advertisement displayed on a billboard, entering a website address into their vehicle's onboard computer would be difficult as well as dangerous while driving. The present invention would allow the user to quickly enter a short code into their vehicle's dashboard computer almost as quickly as changing the radio station, or the user will be able to verbally speak the code out loud without ever having to take their eyes off the road and then have information displayed on their vehicle's dashboard such as details about an AMBER Alert (i.e., a picture of the suspect or a picture of the make and model car to be on the lookout for).
The present invention makes great use of location-based technology which identifies the geographical location of the user's mobile device using technology such as, but not limited to: GPS, Cellular Triangulation, Forward Link Timing or Crowdsourced Wi-Fi data. By utilizing the user's mobile device location, the same short codes can be repeated and utilized in different areas at the same time to initiate paired links. Therefore a user in one area inputting a code will link to a different device, website or information page than another user who inputs that same code in a different area. For example, User “A” is standing in front of a house (House “A”) that has a stationary code of “H1234” posted on the “For Sale” sign. When User “A’ inputs that stationary code “H1234” into their mobile device, pictures and information about House “A” will show up on the display of User A's mobile device. At the same time, a different user (User “B”) standing in front of a different house two miles away (House “B”) sees the same stationary code of “H1234” posted on the “For Sale” sign of House “B”. When User “B” inputs the stationary code “H1234” on their mobile device, pictures and information about House B will be displayed on their device. Even though both users (User “A” and User “B”) inputted the same stationary code of “H1234” into their mobile devices, each user received different results since User “A” was in a different location than User “B”.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, and as further illustrated in
Preferably, the first time a user installs the application on their mobile device they will be prompted to create an account and set up a user profile (which will preferably include at the very least a unique username and password or other authentication credentials, and additional information if they so choose, such as a profile picture or avatar, relationship status, city of residence, etc.), all of which can be stored on the host server. The host server can also store, for example, some or all of the user's paired contacts associated with their account, chat history, and the like. Once a user has been paired with another user they can continue chatting or exchanging files with each other at any time. Since the paired link between the users is immediately stored, preferably on the host server or servers or in the cloud or other database(s) after the users have been paired, the users stay paired even after they travel away from each other outside of the set radius or after they power cycle their devices off/on. Users can install the application on multiple devices. From any of the user's devices or from any computer with an internet connection, the user will be able to log into their account, chat with and exchange files with their paired contacts, delete contacts (which typically breaks or otherwise inactivates the paired link so neither party can contact the other through the host server until a new paired link is created or reactivated again) or edit their profile and/or account settings. The contacts folder in the application containing some or all of the user's paired connections can be located in a separate contacts folder from their mobile device's native contacts folder or address book.
In one embodiment of the invention, the contacts folder of the application can include, but is not limited to:
(a) The contact's username and a photo or avatar of the contact;
(b) Information about the contact such as their city of residence, the current time in the time zone the contact listed as their city of residence, the current weather where the contact listed as their city of residence, and the like;
(c) Other information about the contact, including, but not limited to: relationship status, hobbies, posts, pictures or videos posted by the contact, user-defined tags, occupation, place of employment, likes/dislikes. For commercial contacts, information can include, but is not limited to: Address, phone numbers, website address or other links, coupons or discount offers, opt in/out checkbox for receiving emails, coupons and announcements, etc. from the contact/business, notes, and other information;
(d) A “Favorites” button to tag favorite contacts;
(e) A Notes section for each contact so the user can make individual notes about each contact in the contact's record;
(f) A history log showing past chats with each contact.
(g) A delete icon which deletes the contact and breaks the paired link for that contact (a symbol on the other user's devices(s) will denote that they are no longer paired and that a new link must be recreated); and
(e) Icons to enable call, text, video chat and/or exchange files or information with the contact.
Additional features of embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to:
(a) The user can have the ability to create a paired connection/link by inputting the unique username of the contact instead of a link code. This may be especially advantageous for users who want to pair when they are in areas (such as indoors) where the users' location(s) cannot be ascertained;
(b) The ability to pair users by touching (bumping) their mobile devices together using technologies such as Bump, S-Beam, NFC or similar technologies;
(c) The ability to enter link codes by scanning a barcode or any other electronic scanning/transmitting or beaming system or technology to, for example, pair users or go to a website;
(d) The ability to password protect some or all of the user's data.
While preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, certain embodiments of the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
Certain embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
Claims
1. A computerized method comprising:
- connecting a microprocessor-controlled apparatus over a data network to a host server;
- ascertaining a location of the microprocessor-controlled apparatus via the host server;
- conveying a code through the microprocessor-controlled apparatus;
- receiving information from the microprocessor-controlled apparatus from the data network.
2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein connecting the microprocessor-controlled apparatus comprises a mobile device.
3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein connecting the microprocessor-controlled apparatus includes at least one of a mobile phone, a digital music player, a tablet computer, a vehicle dashboard computer, and a computerized mobile eyewear device.
4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein conveying the code includes at least one of keyboard entry and vocal command.
5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein conveying the code includes conveying alphanumeric symbols.
6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein conveying the code includes conveying a sequence of alphanumeric symbols.
7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein conveying the code includes at least one of a microprocessor-apparatus provided code and an external provided code.
8. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving information includes communicating between at least two users connected with the data network.
9. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving information includes communicating between at least two users connected with the data network within a distance limit between the at least two users.
10. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein receiving information includes one or more of the following items of information: text, audio, files, web links, and video information.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 6, 2014
Publication Date: Dec 11, 2014
Inventor: Michael Aron Schiff (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Application Number: 14/298,729
International Classification: H04W 4/02 (20060101);