Abstract:
Systems and methods for allowing communication between two or more proximate mobile computing devices. In one method a first device detects the presence of a second device. A signal is sent by a first device for requesting a comparison of the lists of media files. The signal can be sent to a second device (or to a server over a wireless network) and may include the list of media files associated with the first device. The second device sends a list of media files to the first device after receiving the signal. An alert is outputted if a list of media files associated with the first device is determined to be comparable to a list of media files associated with the second device based on one or more predefined parameters.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/752,538 filed Dec. 21, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to mobile communication systems and, more specifically, to proximity communication with mobile devices.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Many systems exist for enabling the interaction of people. These generally include formal settings that the participants have paid money to join. However, there does not exist any effective systems that facilitate communication outside of these formal settings.  
         [0004]     Therefore, there exists a need for facilitating personal connections in public forums.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides systems and methods for allowing communication between two or more proximate mobile computing devices. An example method detects the presence of a second mobile computing device at a first mobile computing device, receives at least one of a portion of a list of media files or user information from at least one of the second mobile computing device or a server over a wireless network, and determines if there exists a match between the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device based on the received at least one of the portion of the list of media files or the user information from the second mobile computing device and at least one of a portion of a list of media files or user preference information associated with the first mobile computing device. An alert is outputted, if a match is determined. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:  
         [0007]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are schematic diagrams of example systems formed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and  
         [0008]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are flowcharts of example methods performed by the systems shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a user device  200 , such as a mobile phone, having a processor  207 , random access memory  208 , persistent memory  209  (which could be rewriteable FLASH memory), a display  201 , a keypad  202 , one or more speakers  203 , and a cellular network radio data communication component  210 . The radio component  210  allows data communications with a public or private data network  218  such as the Internet via cellular wireless voice and data network basestations  214 , associated mobile phone carrier  215  and a gateway  216 . The radio component  210  sends and receives a variety of packet data  229  according to a predefined protocol (UDP, TCP, SMTP, HTTP, etc) through the data network  218 .  
         [0010]     Via network  217 , the device  200  may communicate to other mobile devices such as computers  221  and servers  231  via the network  218 . The radio  210  sends and receives both Short Message Service (SMS) messages  228  through the phone network  217  to other devices identified by their phone numbers and sends a variety of packet data  229  through the data network  218  via a predefined protocol (UDP, TCP, SMTP, HTTP, etc).  
         [0011]     In one embodiment, at least one of a variety of short-range wireless communication interfaces, including Bluetooth radio  211 , Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) radio  212 , and an infrared transceiver  213 . The Bluetooth radio  211  allows communication via a short-range microwave link  223  (10s of meters) with Bluetooth adaptors  222  connected to computers  221  and by extension through them via a router  220  to other devices on the public or private data network  218 . The Bluetooth radio  211  is able also communicate directly to other similarly enabled mobile phones  
         [0012]     WiFi radio  212  provides communication via short-range microwave links  224  (10s-100s of meters) WiFi basestations  219  connected via the router  220 , which may be incorporated into the WiFi basestations  219 , to the public or private data network  218 . The WiFi radio  212  allows communication directly to other similarly enabled mobile phones.  
         [0013]     The infrared transceiver  213  allows communication with infrared adaptors  232  connected to computers  221  and by extension through them via the router  220  to other devices on the public or private data network  218 . The infrared transceiver  213  also allows communication directly to other similarly enabled mobile phones.  
         [0014]     The server complex  231  enables: (a) storage and comparison of content files stored on user devices and user content preferences; (b) receiving of signals from user devices; (c) alerting user devices to presence of other user devices with similar content or content preferences; and (d) passing messages anonymously between user devices.  
         [0015]     Connected to the cell phone carrier  215  is a short message service center  230  (SMS-C) that enables transmission of messages between phones routed by their phone number and between the server complex  231  and phones.  
         [0016]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , devices  402  and  412  (e.g. mobile phones) are equipped with cellular network radios  403 ,  413  and are connected to SMS  404 ,  414  or packet data  405 ,  415  components. The radios  403 ,  413  communicate with their associated mobile phone carrier  427  and onward through a gateway  429  to a public or private data network  430  such as the Internet via a cellular wireless voice and data network basestations  425 ,  426 . The devices  402 ,  412  communicate to each other and to other mobile phones and other devices such as computer  434  and a server  431  via the data network  430 .  
         [0017]     The radios  403 ,  413  send and receive both Short Message Service (SMS) messages  404 ,  414  through the phone carriers  427  to other phones identified by their phone numbers and send a variety of packet data  405 ,  415  according to a protocol (such as UDP, TCP, SMTP, HTTP, etc) through the data network  430 .  
         [0018]     In one embodiment, the devices  402 ,  412  include at least one of a variety of short-range wireless communication interfaces, including Bluetooth radios  407 ,  417 , WiFi radios  408 ,  418 , and infrared transceivers  406 ,  416 . The Bluetooth radio  407  may communicate with Bluetooth adaptors  435  connected to computers  434  and by extension through them via a router  432  to other devices on the public or private data network  430 . The Bluetooth radio  407  is also able to communicate directly to other similarly enabled devices.  
         [0019]     WiFi radio  408  is able to communicate with WiFi basestations  433  connected via the router  432  (which may be incorporated into  433  to the public or private data network  430 . WiFi radio  408  may also communicate directly to other similarly enabled devices  412 .  
         [0020]     The infrared transceiver  406  may communicate with infrared adaptors (not shown) connected to computers and by extension through them via the router  432  to other devices on the public or private data network  430 . The infrared transceiver  406  may also communicate directly to other similarly enabled devices.  
         [0021]     Connected to the data network  430  is the server complex  431  that enables: (a) storage and comparison of content files stored on user devices  402 ,  412  and user content preferences; (b) receiving signals from user devices; (c) alerting user devices to presence of other user devices with similar content or content preferences; and (d) passing messages anonymously between user devices. Connected to the cell phone carrier  427  is a short message service center  428  (SMS-C) enabling transmission of messages between phones routed by their phone number.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a flowchart of an example process  300  performed by the system shown in FIGS.  1  or  2 . At block  301 , the first user device  402  detects presence of the second user device  412  via a short-range wireless communication means. At block  303 , the first user device  402  requests a list of media files stored on the second user device  412 . At block  304 , the first user device  402  receives the requested list of media files from the second user device  412  and compares the received list against its own list of content preferences. A comparison between the list of media files may also be performed.  
         [0023]     Example of content preferences include music genres, favorite artists (artists most often played, artists responsible for largest number of stored files, artists responsible for highest dollar value of content owned or streamed, etc.), favorite movie director, favorite film genre, list of media bookmarked for future purchase, data on media streamed to user device, or any other information that relates to stored or desired media.  
         [0024]     This could be performed by a key word or similar type of search. Various different aspects of the list of media files may be compared, such as artist or song, or metadata, such as musical genre. At block  305 , if criteria for matching threshold are satisfied, alert user of first device to presence of second device. This alert might come in the form of a similarities score or the alert may only be generated if the number of similar content matches exceeds a threshold amount. At block  306 , on signal from the first use  402 , a message is transmitted by an anonymous path to the second user device  412 .  
         [0025]     In another embodiment, when a device senses a proximate device (a device within a certain range as determined by signal strength or exchanged location information), the user device sends a request to the server to perform a comparison of the user&#39;s play list to a play list of the proximate device as determined by an identifier supplied to the user&#39;s device from the proximate device.  
         [0026]     The user device includes one or more parameters (user preferences) that define whether the user device will provide access to its list of media files. The parameters may be set or adjusted by the authorized user of the user device. Example parameters include, but are not limited to, date, time, threshold relating to the comparison between the resident list and the list associated with the proximate user device, or age or sex of the registered user of the proximate user device. In another embodiment, parameters are stored on the server.  
         [0027]     For example, during a busy day Adam attended several meetings, a business lunch, and a cultural event. At the end of the day, he receives a message on his user device from an anonymous person informing him of eight musical recommendations that includes a new Nora Jones track. He listens to the new Nora Jones track. He opts to purchase the track and at the same time sends an anonymous thank you to the anonymous person from whom he got the recommendation. With the thank you he includes a personal message. The next day, while listening to the track again he receives a message from Eve, the anonymous person, who was sitting in the row behind him at the cultural event the day before. The message may include information that the anonymous person desires to send.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a flowchart of another example process performed by the system shown in FIGS.  1  or  2 . First, a block  501 , the user device detects presence of a second user device via a short range wireless communication means. At block  503 , the first user device signals the server with identifiers of first and second user devices. Next, at block  504 , the server compares stored content and content preferences of the first and second user devices based on the received identifiers. At block  505 , if criteria for matching threshold are satisfied, alert user of first device to presence of second device. At block  506 , on signal from first user, a message is transmitted by anonymous path to the second user device.  
         [0029]     In another embodiment, a parameter for determining if a match occurs or does not occur may be one that denies a match if a condition is met. For example, if a parameter of the first user device indicates that they hate rap, then a match will be denied if the list of media files includes rap or a threshold amount of rap.  
         [0030]     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.