Global event-based avatar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10656797-B1
Application number	US-201916269294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program and a method for navigating an avatar based on time zones. A global event is identified that begins at a particular time on a given date; a sequential list of time zones associated with a plurality of geographical locations is retrieved; and a current time at a first time zone of the sequential list of time zones is determined to have reached the particular time on the given date. In response, an avatar is generated for display on a map at a first of the plurality of geographical locations associated with the first time zone and is navigated to a second geographical location when a current time at a second time zone, associated with the second geographical location, reaches the particular time on the given date.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, by one or more processors, a global event that begins at a particular time on a given date;
retrieving, by the one or more processors, a sequential list of time zones associated with a plurality of geographical locations;
determining, by the one or more processors, that a current time at a first time zone of the sequential list of time zones has reached the particular time on the given date;
in response to determining that the current time at the first time zone has reached the particular time on the given date, generating for display, by the one or more processors, an avatar representative of the global event on a map at a first geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations associated with the first time zone; and
navigating, by the one or more processors, the avatar on the map from the first geographical location to a second geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations when a current time at a second time zone of the sequential list of time zones, associated with the second geographical location, reaches the particular time on the given date.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the global event is New Years Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, a holiday celebrated worldwide, Easter, Good Friday, Hanukkah, a religious holiday, or a secular holiday.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the global event comprises receiving a user selection of the global event from a list of global events, and wherein the avatar is displayed on an interactive map interface for a social media platform, and wherein the particular time comprises midnight on the given date or a sunset time on a day that precedes the given date.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the sequential list of time zones comprises retrieving a plurality of time offsets relative to a Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
searching for a first time offset of the plurality of time offsets that is earlier than each of the plurality of time offsets, the first time offset corresponding to the first time zone; and
computing the current time at the first time zone by adding or subtracting the determined offset to or from the UTC.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining that the current time has reached the particular time on the given day comprises determining that the computed current time at the first time zone matches the particular time.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second time zone is sequentially adjacent to the first time zone, and wherein navigating the avatar comprises updating a current location of the avatar from a previous location that is displayed on the map at specified time intervals or in real time, wherein the updated location of the avatar is closer in proximity to the second geographical location than the previous location.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating a path that traverses each of the plurality of geographical locations, wherein the current location is updated to follow the path.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising dynamically adjusting the path based on one or more criteria.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
determining a distance between the first and second geographical locations; and
modifying a rate at which the current location of the avatar is updated based on the determined distance.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the rate is increased or decreased to cause the avatar to reach the second geographical location on the map when the current time at the second time zone matches the particular time on the given date.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the avatar comprises a blimp with an image or video that represents the global event, and wherein generating for display the avatar on the map comprises animating the avatar.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection of the avatar;
determining at least one of a current position of the avatar and previous positions of the avatar; and
in response to receiving the user selection of the avatar, generating for display a video from a set of videos received from users at the determined at least one of the current position and the previous positions of the avatar.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the current position corresponds to the second geographical location and the previous positions correspond to at least the first geographical location, wherein the set of videos correspond to videos received from friends of the user on a social media platform, further comprising sequentially playing back, in response to receiving the user selection, each video in the set of videos automatically, and wherein a collection of videos in the set of videos received from users at the second geographical location are temporarily stored such that the collection of videos becomes unavailable for access after a specified time period has elapsed since the global event began at the second geographical location.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the avatar includes a plurality of states, further comprising:
prior to any time zone in the sequential list of time zones reaching the particular time on the given date, generating for display the avatar in a first state of the plurality of states on the map in close proximity to the first geographical location; and
when the first time zone reaches the particular time on the given date:
repositioning the avatar from being positioned in close proximity to the first geographical location to being positioned within the first geographical location; and
changing a state of the avatar from the first state to a second of the plurality of states.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
determining that the current time at the first geographical location is earlier than the particular time on the given date by a first threshold amount;
while that the current time at the first geographical location is earlier than the particular time on the given date by the first threshold amount, generating for display the avatar in the first state in close proximity to the first geographical location;
determining that the current time at the first geographical location is earlier than the particular time on the given date by a second threshold amount that is less than the first threshold amount; and
in response to determining that the current time at the first geographical location is earlier than the particular time on the given date by the second threshold amount, modifying the state of the avatar from the first state to a third state of the plurality of states.

17. A system comprising:
a processor configured to perform operations comprising:
identifying a global event that begins at a particular time on a given date;
retrieving a sequential list of time zones associated with a plurality of geographical locations;
determining that a current time at a first time zone of the sequential list of time zones has reached the particular time on the given date;
in response to determining that the current time at the first time zone has reached the particular time on the given date, generating for display an avatar on a map at a first geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations associated with the first time zone; and
navigating the avatar on the map from the first geographical location to a second geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations when a current time at a second time zone of the sequential list of time zones, associated with the seco

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Alvi Sumbul
• Mark David
• Phifer Kimberly A
• Reid Graham
• Samaranayake Suraj Vindana
• Valdetaro Porto Alexandre

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F16/90335

  Query processing · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• H04L51/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L51/52

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title