System and method for providing information matching a user's stated preferences
A location-based and preference-based system and method for matching media content about persons, places and things with the expressed preferences of mobile users to notify users about and provide users with access to media content about persons, places and things that match the user's expressed preferences. The system thus provides information such as stories or articles that match the user's interests and relate to their location. The system may assign ranks to all of the media content that meets that user's preferences wherein, in one embodiment, it will automatically play them in the assigned order. Comparison of the user's preferences with the various profiles of the media content allows the user only to be informed of the media content for those persons, places or things that the user is likely to be interested in. The system and method thus provides for a mobile real-time point of interest exchange network.
1. An electronic processor-implemented method for matching a user of a mobile device with information, comprising:
facilitating input to the mobile device of a user preference, including a geographic area limitation;
determining a location of the mobile device;
obtaining, for a plurality of objects, respective sets of attributes and locations of the objects, the obtaining being performed at the mobile device;
determining, by the mobile device, a matching object, of the plurality of objects, that matches the user based on at least: (a) the set of attributes satisfying the user preference; and (b) a distance between the location of the mobile device and the object being within the geographic area limitation; and
displaying on a display of the mobile device, in response to a positive outcome of the determining, information about the matching object;
wherein the matching object is a person, place and/or thing.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the mobile device one or more updates to the plurality of objects, including respective sets of attributes and locations of the objects.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more updates include at least one item selected from the group consisting of: adding at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and locations, to the plurality of objects; removing at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and locations, from the plurality of objects; and changing at least one of the respective sets of attributes and locations.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising serially repeating the determining, wherein a new matching object is identified as the mobile device is moved relative to the plurality of objects.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises identifying a plurality of matching objects and the displaying further comprises displaying information about the plurality of matching objects.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending, from the wireless mobile device, a request for further information about the matching object; and
receiving, at the mobile device, further information about the matching object.
7. A mobile device comprising:
an input device configured to enable a user of the mobile device to input a user preference, including a geographic area limitation;
a location-determining device configured to determine a location of the mobile device;
a storage device configured to store sets of attributes of a plurality of objects and their respective locations;
a processor unit configured to determine a matching object, of the plurality of objects, that matches the user of the mobile device based on at least: (a) the set of attributes satisfying the user preference; and (b) a distance between the location of the mobile device and the object being within the geographic area limitation; and
a display configured to display, in response to determining a matching object, information about the matching object;
wherein the matching object is a person, place and/or thing.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor unit is further configured to determine a plurality of matching objects, and wherein is further configured to display information about the plurality of matching objects.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a wireless transmitter configured to send a request for further information about the matching object; and
a wireless receiver configured to receive further information about the matching object.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the location-determining device comprises a satellite-based location-determining device.
11. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a wireless receiver configured to receive one or more updates to the plurality of objects, including respective sets of attributes and locations of the objects.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more updates include at least one item selected from the group consisting of: adding at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and location, to the plurality of objects; removing at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and location, from the plurality of objects; and changing at least one of the respective sets of attributes and locations.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor unit is further configured to serially repeat determining of the matching object, wherein a new matching object is identified as the mobile device is moved relative to the plurality of objects.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer code configured for execution on electronic processing hardware for matching a user of a mobile device with information, comprising:
code for facilitating input to the mobile device of a user preference, including a geographic area limitation;
code for determining a location of the mobile device;
code for obtaining, for a plurality of objects, respective sets of attributes and locations of the objects, the obtaining being performed at the mobile device;
code for determining, by the mobile device, a matching object, of the plurality of objects, that matches the user based on at least: (a) the set of attributes satisfying the user preference; and (b) a distance between the location of the mobile device and the object being within the geographic area limitation; and
code for displaying on a display of the mobile device, in response to a positive outcome of the determining, information about the matching object;
wherein the matching object is a person, place and/or thing.
15. The medium of claim 14 , further comprising code for receiving at the mobile device one or more updates to the plurality of objects, including respective sets of attributes and locations of the objects.
16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more updates include at least one item selected from the group consisting of: adding at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and locations, to the plurality of objects; removing at least one object, including its associated set of attributes and locations, from the plurality of objects; and changing at least one of the respective sets of attributes and locations.
17. The medium of claim 14 , further comprising code for serially repeating the determining, wherein a new matching object is identified as the mobile device is moved relative to the plurality of objects.
18. The medium of claim 14 , wherein the code for determining comprises code for identifying a plurality of matching objects, and wherein the code for displaying comprises code for displaying information about the plurality of matching objects.
19. The medium of claim 14 , further comprising:
code for sending, from the wireless mobile device, a request for further information about the matching object; and
code for receiving, at the mobile device, further information about the matching object.