Patent ID: 9158774
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for establishing an electronic connection between two individuals, comprising: (a) enabling a first user to specify a first spacetime event, wherein a spacetime event is the union of at least one subset of spacetime and wherein a subset of spacetime comprises a contiguous spatial portion and a corresponding time interval, and wherein the time when the first user specifies the first spacetime event is independent from the at least one time interval specified in the first spacetime event; (b) creating, by the computer server, a first data object that corresponds to the first spacetime event, wherein a data object comprises a specification of a corresponding spacetime event; (c) storing, by the computer server, the first data object in a spacetime database; (d) enabling a second user to specify a second spacetime event, wherein the time when the second user specifies the second spacetime event is independent from the at least one time interval specified in the second spacetime event; (e) receiving, by the computer server, the specification of the second spacetime event; (f) formulating, by the computer server, a query based on the second spacetime event; (g) querying, by the computer server, the spacetime database for matching data objects using the formulated query, wherein a matching data object has a corresponding spacetime event that satisfies a given spatial or temporal relationship with the second spacetime event; (h) determining, by the computer server, that the first data object matches the formulated query; and (i) retrieving information from the first data object, by the computer server, and electronically providing the retrieved information to the second user, wherein said enabling the first user to specify a spacetime event further comprises enabling the first user to designate the first spacetime event as private and wherein said creating the first data object further comprises including a corresponding designation that the data object is private and wherein the given spatial or temporal relationship is proximity of the two spacetime events, and wherein the first spacetime event is proximate to the second spacetime event if (i) the center of the spatial portion of the second spacetime event lies inside the spatial portion of the first spacetime event, (ii) the time interval of the first spacetime event intersects with the time interval of the second spacetime event, and (iii) there already exists in the spacetime database a data object that corresponds to a spacetime event specified by the second user for which the center of the spatial portion of its corresponding spacetime event lies inside the spatial portion of the first spacetime event.