Method and apparatus for providing a social event opportunity notification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10439834-B2
Application number	US-201715645878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2011
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for arranging event opportunities are disclosed. For example, the method detects the event opportunity that matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, verifies a safety parameter for one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users, and if the safety parameter is satisfied, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for arranging an event opportunity, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor deployed in a communication network, from a third-party, the event opportunity, wherein the event opportunity is defined by the third-party;
detecting, by the processor, that the event opportunity received from the third-party matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the third-party is different from the at least two users and from a provider of the communication network;
verifying, by the processor, that a safety parameter for one of the at least two users is matched, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to match in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter comprises a requirement that the second of the at least two users has a particular skill level;
when the safety parameter is matched, sending, by the processor, an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and
providing, by the processor, contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined with respect to all event opportunities.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verifying the safety parameter further comprises:
attempting to determine whether the second of the at least two users matches the safety parameter; and
when there is insufficient information to determine whether the second of the at least two users matches the safety parameter, prompting the second of the at least two users to provide additional information.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring location information with respect to each of the at least two users.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring calendar information with respect to each of the at least two users.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor deployed in a communication network, cause the processor to perform operations for arranging an event opportunity, the operations comprising:
receiving, from a third-party, the event opportunity, wherein the event opportunity is defined by the third-party;
detecting that the event opportunity received from the third-party matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the third-party is different from the at least two users and from a provider of the communication network;
verifying that a safety parameter for one of the at least two users is matched, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to match in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter comprises a requirement that the second of the at least two users has a particular skill level;
when the safety parameter is matched, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and
providing contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter is defined with respect to all event opportunities.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the verifying the safety parameter further comprises:
attempting to determine whether the second of the at least two users matches the safety parameter; and
when there is insufficient information to determine whether the second of the at least two users matches the safety parameter, prompting the second of the at least two users to provide additional information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
monitoring location information with respect to each of the at least two users.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
monitoring calendar information with respect to each of the at least two users.

15. A device comprising:
a processor deployed in a communication network; and
a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for arranging an event opportunity, the operations comprising:
receiving, from a third-party, the event opportunity, wherein the event opportunity is defined by the third-party;
detecting that the event opportunity received from the third-party matches user profiles of at least two users who are unassociated with one another, wherein the third-party is different from the at least two users and from a provider of the communication network;
verifying that a safety parameter for one of the at least two users is matched, wherein the safety parameter is defined by the one of the at least two users and comprises a criterion which the one of the at least two users desires a second of the at least two users to match in order for the one of the at least two users to be willing to engage in the event opportunity with the second of the at least two users, wherein the safety parameter comprises a requirement that the second of the at least two users has a particular skill level;
when the safety parameter is matched, sending an invitation to the event opportunity to each of the at least two users; and
providing contact information for the at least two users to contact each other, when each of the at least two users accepts the invitation.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the contact information for the at least two users to contact each other maintains an anonymity of each of the at least two users.

17. The device of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
registering a user profile of the user profiles for each of the at least two users, wherein the user profile includes a preferred event opportunity type.

18. The device of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:
registering the safety parameter in the user profile of the one of the at l

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Wohlert Randolph
• Pratt James H

Classifications

• G06Q10/40 Primary

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L67/14

  Session management (for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066) · CPC title

• G06F21/6254

  by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• H04L12/1818

  Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties · CPC title