Method and system for enabling the creation and maintenance of proximity-related user groups
Techniques are described for providing location-based information and functionality to people and computing devices in various ways. In at least some situations, the techniques include enabling multiple people in a common geographic area to interact in various ways, such as via devices capable of communications (e.g., cellular telephones, computing devices with wired and/or wireless communications capabilities, etc.), while in other situations at least some users who are remote from a particular geographic area may be allowed to intercommunicate with one or more other users or other entities in or related to that geographic area. In addition, the techniques include enabling the creation and maintenance of location-based virtual groups of users (also referred to as “clouds”), such as for users of mobile and/or fixed-location devices. Such clouds may enable various types of interactions between group members, and may be temporary and/or mobile.
1. A computer-implemented method for providing functionality based on virtual groups of users of mobile devices, the computer-implemented method comprising:
generating one or more virtual groups of users of mobile communication-capable devices, the generation of the one or more virtual groups including:
determining one or more anchors, each anchor corresponding to a respective virtual group of the one or more virtual groups and having a geographical location; and
for each virtual group, determining one or more admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group;
causing display of a visual location of a first prospective user on a graphical interface of a mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user;
prior to the first prospective user being admitted to the virtual group, causing display of visual locations of the one or more anchors on the graphical interface in an instance wherein one or more user attributes associated with the first prospective user satisfies at least one of the one or more admission criteria such that the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user visually depicts a relative location of the first prospective user with respect to the one or more anchors; and
causing updating of the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user at a later time to provide a change in the relative location of the first prospective user with respect to the one or more anchors in response to one or more movements of the one or more anchors or the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user is a map application configured to display a selectable graphical representation of each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups, wherein by selecting the selectable graphical representation of each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups, further information on the corresponding virtual group is displayed to the first prospective user, and wherein the further information comprises any of the functionality of the virtual group or the admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the map application is configured to display a boundary corresponding to each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , the computer-implemented method further comprising:
comparing the location of the first prospective user with the location of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups; and
outputting to the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user, when the location of the first prospective user satisfies the boundary of the boundary corresponding to an anchor corresponding to a virtual group, further information on the virtual group, wherein the further information comprises any of the functionality of the virtual group, the admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group, or an admission invitation to the virtual group.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , the computer-implemented method further comprising:
adding the first prospective user to the virtual group by an existing user of the virtual group;
determining the boundary corresponding to the virtual group by the existing user of the virtual group; and
alerting the existing user of the virtual group in an instance wherein the location of the first prospective user does not satisfy the boundary of the virtual group.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , the computer-implemented method further comprising enabling communications between the existing user and the first prospective user in response to adding the first prospective user to the virtual group by the existing user of the virtual group.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the computer-implemented method further comprising:
sending a join request from the first prospective user to one or more existing users of the virtual group;
adding the first prospective user to the virtual group in response to determining the first prospective user satisfies the admission criteria of the virtual group; and
automatically enabling communications between the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user and mobile communication-capable devices of the one or more existing users of the virtual group.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , the computer-implemented method further comprising:
determining user interaction rules for the virtual group, wherein automatically enabling communications between the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user and the mobile communication-capable devices of the one or more existing users of the virtual group is in accordance with the user interaction rules of the virtual group.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing display of the visual locations of the one or more anchors on the graphical interface is based on a determination that the one or more anchors are within a threshold distance of the location of the first prospective user.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein causing updating of the graphical interface includes removing any visual locations of the one or more anchors outside the threshold distance of the location of the first prospective user.
11. An apparatus for providing functionality based on virtual groups of users of mobile devices, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
generate one or more virtual groups of users of mobile communication-capable devices, the generation of the one or more virtual groups including:
determining one or more anchors, each anchor corresponding to a respective virtual group of the one or more virtual groups and having a geographical location; and
for each virtual group, determining one or more admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group;
cause display of a visual location of a first prospective user on a graphical interface of a mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user;
prior to the first prospective user being admitted to the virtual group, cause display of visual locations of the one or more anchors on the graphical interface in an instance wherein one or more user attributes associated with the prospective user satisfies the one or more admission criteria such that the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user visually depicts a relative location of the first prospective user with respect to the one or more anchors; and
cause updating of the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user at a later time to provide a change in the relative location of the first prospective user with respect to the one or more anchors in response to one or more movements of the one or more anchors or the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the graphical interface of the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user is a map application configured to display a selectable graphical representation of each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups, wherein by selecting the selectable graphical representation of each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups, further information on the corresponding virtual group is displayed to the first prospective user, wherein the further information comprises any of the functionality of the virtual group or the admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the map application is configured to display a boundary corresponding to each of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
compare the location of the first prospective user with the location of the one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more virtual groups; and
output to the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user, when the location of the first prospective user satisfies the boundary of the boundary corresponding to an anchor corresponding to a virtual group, further information on the virtual group, wherein the further information comprises any of the functionality of the virtual group, the admission criteria for a prospective user to join the virtual group, or an admission invitation to the virtual group.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
add the first prospective user to the virtual group by an existing user of the virtual group;
determine the boundary corresponding to the virtual group by the existing user of the virtual group; and
alert the existing user of the virtual group in an instance wherein the location of the prospective user does not satisfy the boundary of the virtual group.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
enable communications between the existing user and the first prospective user in response to adding the first prospective user to the virtual group by the existing user of the virtual group.
17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
send a join request from the first prospective user to one or more existing users of the virtual group;
add the first prospective user to the virtual group in response to determining the first prospective user satisfies the admission criteria of the virtual group; and
automatically enable communications between the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user and mobile communication-capable devices of the one or more existing users of the virtual group.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine user interaction rules for the virtual group, wherein automatically enabling communications between the mobile communication-capable device of the first prospective user and mobile communication-capable devices of the one or more existing users of the virtual group is in accordance with the user interaction rules of the virtual group.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein causing display of the visual locations of the one or more anchors on the graphical interface is based on a determination that the one or more anchors are within a threshold distance of the location of the first prospective user.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein causing updating of the graphical interface includes removing any visual locations of the one or more anchors outside the threshold distance of the location of the first prospective user.