464 results about "Community service" patented technology

A method and apparatus for providing vicinity-based community services at a wireless access location by a public network service provider. The method includes the steps of receiving over a public network, at least one request for vicinity-based community services from at least one end-user accessing the wireless access point, grouping end-users accessing common wireless access points, and providing the vicinity-based community services in real time to end-users accessing the public network service provider from the wireless access point. The apparatus includes devices for carrying out the method described above.

Embodiments of the invention enable users with communication devices to access affiliate profiles and perform matches on profiles aggregated from multiple independent computer systems regardless of communications device type or operating system and regardless of affiliate match server computer type, operating system or language. Affiliate profiles may comprise user profiles, advertisement profiles or coupon profiles. In addition, embodiments of the invention allow users to broadcast their location with their permission and join groups based on location parameters and connect to or dial other users by alias without knowledge of a machine address or phone number. Embodiments of the invention utilize information from each user in the form of a profile containing metadata. Examples of the type of metadata that comprises a profile include various categories of information describing a user, group, advertisement or coupon. In addition, the profile may comprise the user's groups and the user's preferences including filters for calculating matches with other user, group, advertisement and coupon profiles. Profiles are typically stored on a community engine server, but may also reside in distributed components configured to interface with the community engine server. A user profile may comprise a flag and other fields for example that signify that a user is interested in receiving advertisements for cars and for the type of car that the user is interested in. When a car dealership accepts delivery of a particular model that the user is interested in, the community engine server finds that affiliate profiles comprising aggregated car dealership advertisements include the same car type that the user is interested in and forward the matching advertisement profile to the user. The user may be paid for the advertisement in cash or coupons for accepting the advertisement. A user profile may also comprise a coupon flag and for example when a store that is an affiliate member provides coupon profiles to the community server engine a user may obtain desired coupons that match the user's profile settings if the user's profile is set to accept coupons. A user may match advertisements and coupons based on a location parameter and may transfer or trade advertisements and coupons with other users. The communication device may be capable of displaying a bar code in it's graphical interface while at a store so as to eliminate the need to physically present coupons.

The present invention provides a Mobile Loyalty and Community Service (MLCS) for decreasing customer churn and increasing customer spend. In an embodiment, the MLCS provides an event driven platform based around sticky accounts. The MLCS issues tokens, currencies, loyalty points and other value assets to customers based on definable user activities (e.g., purchases, forwarding promotional messages to friends, etc.), and stores these assets into customer accounts. Each of these accounts is made sticky by associating it with the mobile carrier and the customer's phone number. The MLCS provides prize catalogs where customers can redeem points in their accounts for valuable prizes (e.g., free voice minutes, ringtones, etc.). The MLCS also provides downloadable games, e.g., pay-per-play games. To motive customers to play these games, and thus increase customer spend, the MLCS issues points to customer based on in-game events (e.g., game score, level reached within a game, etc.).

A system and method for using mobile network devices that are periodically connected to a network server are disclosed. The devices exchange data in an ad hoc manner when not connected to the server. In the preferred embodiment, independent mobile wireless network devices are connected to a network server through a client computing device acting as a gateway to the server. The presence of the mobile network device and the client computing device cause both devices to become users. The server pairs both the network device and the client computing device with a unique identity contained on the network device. Paired and independent identities that have presence on the server then interact with each other in such a manner that data on the connected mobile network devices is changed and stored in concordance with this community interaction. Unconnected mobile network devices search for other unconnected mobile network devices within range to form an ad hoc network. This allows the mobile network devices to exchange and store data related to their last community server interaction. This data is context specific in terms of the specific services used by the by the users that had presence on the community server. User interaction directly with mobile network devices can change this information locally even when not connected to a client computer. This information will also be exchanged and affect data stored on mobile devices that are part of an independent ad hoc network according to the context of the previous server data stored on the mobile devices.

A system is disclosed that provides functionality for mobile communications service bridging with distributed service gateway call managers that allow application clients running on users' communication devices to be served by any of the available service gateways, preferably in an active-active load balance configuration. Each service gateway instance may bridge the application client to a range of network services such as voice origination and termination services, IM services, messaging services, online community services, IP voice services, and premium services such as multiparty click-to-conference, directory services, and voice mail.

A wagering game community environment is described herein. In some embodiments, the environment includes a community server to provide services for a wagering game community. In some embodiments, the community server comprises a communications controller configured to receive communications from community terminals and to send the communications to wagering game machines. In some embodiments, the community server also includes a promotions controller configured to award promotional material to members of the virtual gaming community based on their use of the community terminals, the promotional material being for use in wagering games available on the wagering game machines.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention provides a digital fitness enhancement system having multiple components, including controlled playback of digital media for fitness training; a data module which acquires real-time training data, such as heart rate, speed, and distance, where the data can be recorded and also used as feedback to control media playback; and a web service (fitpod.com) which provides tools for storage and analysis of personal fitness data, community services for system users, e.g. events, chat, and a bulletin board, and the ability for users to create and share fitness workout and training programs (fitcasts).

This invention disclosed a system and method for resource based virtual communities. Any resources that can be shared or used by multiple people, including Internet resources, software or other resources can be the basis for the community, whose members are users of the resource. Web resources include web sites, web pages, news groups or discussion forums. Other types of resources include software products, bulletin boards, games or other products. The community composes of the current resource users such as web page readers, bulletin board posters, game players, software users. Whenever a person accesses or uses the resource, the user is automatically joined as part of the community. At the same time they are using the resource, they can access all services provide by the community, such as talking with other members, collaborating with others, publishing comments, or even adding new community services.

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing security for a communities framework in a collaborative computing environment. A community can be provided for maintaining user membership during collaboration. The community can contain various collaboration resources, community services and members having access to the resources and services. A first layer of security can be implemented via membership and functional capabilities. Members can be assigned to various membership capabilities and these membership capabilities can be mapped to functional capabilities in order to control access to the resources by the various members. A second layer of security can be implemented via entitlements and security policies applied to the content repository. Entitlements can be applied at a node level of a content repository. Each node can be evaluated when operations are requested for it.

The invention presents an architecture of a distributed communication system that combines strengths of Distributed Hash Table (DHT) algorithms and social networks. The system forms a cost efficient platform for providing innovative mobile Services. Possible implementations of the proposed system in the IP Multimedia Subsystem and as a standalone SIP based system are presented. The architecture may also be deployed in other systems. Further, a content sharing inside community service is provided.

The present invention provides a Mobile Loyalty and Community Service (MLCS) for decreasing customer churn and increasing customer spend. In an embodiment, the MLCS provides a suite of mobile games. When a customer plays one of the mobile games, the MLCS issues points to the customer based on the customer's performance on the game (e.g., game score). Customers can redeem these points for valuable prizes from a catalog. The MLCS also provides tokens that customers can purchase and use to play pay-per-play games (e.g., one token per play). The pay-per-play games provide revenue every time a customer plays a game by requiring one or more tokens for each game play. By issuing points to customers based on their performances on the games, the MLCS motivates customers to play these games more frequency, thereby increasing customer spend. Further, the accumulation of points in their accounts encourages customers to remain loyal, thereby decreasing chum.

The invention provides a community service terminal and a community service system. The community service terminal comprises a community service management module, a community service release module, a community service review module, a requirement submission module, an order generation module, a query module, an order processing module, a membership management module, an advertisement release module, an interactive communication module and the like. According to the community service terminal and the community service system, various virtual online services are provided for community customers through the collaborative operation of the modules, so that the problem in the prior art that intelligent community solutions do not exist currently is solved, the information construction of the fields of community management, public service delivery and the like is mainly strengthened, the digitization process of social resources is promoted uninterruptedly, a hand-reached all-benefited and properly-functioned novel social service system is established, agile, active and accurate services are provided for residents, a safe, convenient, comfortable, enjoyable and intelligent life style for the community residents is further optimized, and the public happiness is improved.

A community system is disclosed which allows community service offering apparatus to exchange information with a plurality of user terminals connected by a network. The community service offering apparatus includes: a virtual space information storing element for storing in advance information about a plurality of virtual spaces; a virtual space offering element for allowing a user to select any one of the virtual spaces and for offering the selected virtual space as a user-specific virtual space owned by the user regarded as a privileged user; and a charge controlling element for charging the privileged user who owns the user-specific virtual space a fee corresponding to a type of the user-specific virtual space, while not charging fees on those users other than the privileged user who simply gain access to the user-specific virtual space of the privileged user.

The invention discloses a community service management system, which includes a network infrastructure subsystem, an information resource subsystem, an application support subsystem, an application service subsystem and a service channel subsystem. The network infrastructure subsystem mainly provides basic network and network management services to support the operation of the system; the information resource subsystem mainly provides basic data resources and information resources; the application support subsystem provides the overall integrated management support service for the community informatization platform; application The service subsystem forms a complete community informatization business application through the construction of community government affairs basic work, community comprehensive service and community population database management application system; the service channel subsystem provides multiple service channels for different service groups. The invention can provide a unified management platform, integrate community information resources; improve the collaborative office capability of efficient operation of the platform; improve the work efficiency of basic organizations, improve the level of public service and social management, and promote the development of the community service system.

A method for creating a virtual community of users is disclosed The method includes the steps of providing a community server operable to create a virtual community based upon an action performed by a user, and rendering community services to the virtual community of users based on the action. In another aspect of the invention, a method of searching based on an action based virtual community includes the steps of providing a community server operable to create a virtual community based upon a search action performed by a user, and rendering community services to the virtual community of users based on the search action, the rendered community services including information related to returned search results and search result relevance based on other user's actions.

The invention provides an intelligent health monitoring system based on cloud services. The intelligent health monitoring system based on the cloud services comprises monitoring terminals, a community service center and a hospital information system, wherein an intelligent terminal and family medical devices are utilized for monitoring human body physiological data, and the collected data are stored in resident health files and corresponding community cloud storage devices in real time; the community service center gathers the monitored data to generate a real-time data report, the real-time data report is recorded to electronic health files of users, and abnormal physiological data are fed back to families or individuals in time; the hospital information system reads the electronic health files through a community sharing platform, individual electronic medical records are generated, remote registering appointment is received, and remote medical services are provided. The medical healthcare service system is built through the cloud calculation idea in the medical service field, it is ensured that health data of patients can be collected, analyzed, transmitted and stored anytime and anywhere in the non-fixed health monitoring environment except for families, communities and hospitals, and the remote medical services are achieved.

A system and method for effectively providing user information from a user device includes an event server that provides restricted access to various types of event content information and services related to a particular event or user community. A wireless portable user device may provide an access code to the event server at a particular event location through a wireless base station that is coupled to a local area network. A system user may thereby utilize the user device to access the event server for downloading appropriate event content information and related community services. The user device may provide one or more different types of profiles and other user feedback to the event server to thereby enable the event server to effectively associate the user device with appropriate event content or other types of related community services.

The invention discloses a Bluetooth cellphone-based intelligent community access control system and method. The system comprises a Bluetooth cellphone and a Bluetooth access control; the system further comprises a remote server and a community service manager; the Bluetooth cellphone is communicated with the remote server and a community server through the mobile internet; the Bluetooth cellphone is communicated with the Bluetooth access control through Bluetooth; the remote server is communicated with the community server through the internet. The Bluetooth cellphone-based intelligent community access control system and method has the advantages that the system is simple in structure and convenient to install and maintain, the remote server and the community service manager are constructed, the remote server is used for implementing technical support services, including application software updating, encryption algorithm updating, registered account management and the like, the community service manager is mainly used for controlling authorization permissions of users according to residents of a community, cooperation of the remote server and the community service manager allows more convenience for use, access control systems of multiple floors can be opened with the same Bluetooth cellphone, and keys of the system are of good effectiveness.

A community server categorizes and accumulates messages exchanged by users on a virtual community for respective topics. The community server includes a subscription type setting unit, which provides, to each user and predetermined administrator, a mechanism for selecting a subscription type indicating the way each user subscribes to messages posted to the virtual community. For this purpose, the subscription type setting unit manages the subscription types of respective users for each community using a subscription type table of community management information, and changes the subscription type in the subscription table in accordance with a request from each user and administrator.

A method of implementing common interest community services in a presence system comprising creating a common interest community in which an interest state of a presence message is aggregated into a group in the presence system, publishing a member presence information to the common interest community to be selectively made available to a subscribing member of the common interest community and subscribing to the common interest community for receiving the member presence information, wherein a publishing member may selectively grant an access level.

The invention discloses a digital intelligent housing system which comprises a community master server, wherein the community master server is connected with a plurality of household controllers through a community local area network; the household controllers are respectively connected with a visual talk back subsystem, an entrance guard subsystem, a safety-protection alarm subsystem, a household appliance control subsystem and a community service support subsystem; and the community local area network is further communicated with a public telephone switching network and internet. By utilizing the subsystem modularization design, the system is convenient to install, maintain and use; various advanced technologies such as a modern computer technology, a sensing technology, a transmission technology, a network technology and an automatic control technology are adopted for a traditional building structure, so that the efficiency is improved, the loss is reduced, and the cost is saved; a newly-developed internet of things technology, an Ethernet technology, a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) technology and a ZIGBEE wireless technology are perfectly integrated; and the system integrates functions of building visual talkback, safety precaution, intelligent housing control, environmental control, garden service and cloud computing.

The invention belongs to the technical field of smart home and discloses a home intelligent management system. The system comprises an old people home care indoor environment intelligent module, a community socialized service management intelligent module, an old people home care health management intelligent module, and a home care information service digital management platform. The system takesa computer cloud data center of community socialized service of old people home care as the core and old people's homes as service units; old people home care environment utilizes data collection anddata processing technology as system operation modules; the home care system design scheme integrates automatic control technology, security protection technology and audio / video technology, and canprovide better comprehensive services comprising service items of emergency assistance, information inquiry, telemedicine, community service, indoor homemaking service and the like for the old people;and the system has the advantages of wide application range, accuracy, operability and service comprehensiveness and the like, and can meet requirements of home-based care of the old people in an all-weather manner.

A method of providing support for, and monitoring of, an individual recovering from addictive behaviors, mental health issues, or other chronic health concerns comprises a multi-tiered support system for the recovering individual and monitoring the recovering individual's commitment to recovery. The basic set of activities that may be integrated into a program include: (1) periodic review sessions with a program monitor; (2) attendance at Twelve-Step meetings; (3) daily online activity reporting; (4) online educational assignments; (5) community service commitments; (6) a recreational activity undertaken by the individual; and, (7) drug and / or biological fluid testing where applicable. The daily online activity reporting feature allows for support to be provided for a person seeking support services. If the person fails to engage in the daily activity reporting, an alert notification can be triggered to allow doctors, treatment providers, friends, and / or family to provide needed support for, and increase the accountability of, the person receiving support services.

In the present invention, there is provided a computer system (10) for retrieving published content from a social network of users in which each user has connections to one or more other users, and in which the degree of separation between users within the social network is defined as the number of connections required to connect two given users. The system (10) comprises a database (14) for storing a plurality of content assets published by users, each content asset being indexed against one or more users in the network, a network user map (13) stored in memory which, for each user, identifies degrees of separation between that user and other users in the social network, an application interface (12) for receiving an online search request from a first user, a search engine (15) having a system index for identifying one or more stored content assets that match the search request; and a processor for filtering the matching content assets to identify content assets indexed against users within the first user's network user map and generate search results ranked in dependence on the degree of separation between the first user and the user or users associated with the one or more matching content assets.The present invention provides a content searching service allowing users to search for and retrieve stored content according to their personal relationships with other users who are part of their social network. Unlike conventional methods, the present invention does not provide the same content to every user regardless of context, but rather presents the content according to their relationship with the user(s) associated with (indexed against) that content.

Under a community environment, a system and a method for sharing network storage and computing resource are disclosed. In particular, the method employs some available-to-shared computer resources of a group member to share with others. The member may decide a specific storage space to be shared, or the unused computing resource of its processor for others. According to one of the embodiments, the method for storing includes a step of synchronizing the group information and a resource allocation table with records of storage nodes after logging on a community server. Next, a distributed storing process is performed to distribute an object across several nodes within a community group. The method for computing includes a step of generating a computing request from a user-end system. A distributed computation is accomplished since some computing nodes within a community group are allocated for the request according to a computing resource allocation table.

The invention discloses an integrated intelligent community system based on internet of things. The system comprises a real estate application layer, a data transmission layer and a service managementlayer; the data collection, the video monitoring, the automatic alarming and intelligent identification are integrated by taking the community as a unit and based on the internet of things technology; the networking control and processing are performed on the safety loophole information of the community, the resource utilization and the community service in a unified way; the referred fields comprise community security guard, electrical fire monitoring, fire-fighting equipment supervision, community energy management, service for life, service for the aged, the community entry-exit management, and intelligent parking; the coverage range is wide, the operation efficiency is high, a problem that the existing intelligent community system relies too heavily on the offline personnel, and the intelligent community management is really realized.

The invention discloses a human health unified management system for a community based on a body area network. The system comprises a data collecting terminal, a body area network home gateway, a body area network community server, a database server, a Web server, and a client server. The data collecting terminal and the home gateway are connected to upload data of a human sensor to the home gateway which can command a controller node to upload data; and the home gateway is connected with the community server to transfer a data exchange request. A body area network unified management platform is established based on server hardware to manage and control integral data through the servers and the network. The Web sever is connected with the database server to transmit the data request and response information. The client sever is wirelessly connected with the Web sever to transmit the request information of a client and the webpage response information of the Web server.

A method of connecting a call in an electronic device automatically sends a signal for connecting the call to a user of a selected contact object by only a gesture moving the electronic device to an ear so the user selects the contact object and an apparatus thereof. The method of connecting a call in the electronic device, includes: displaying a community service picture including at least one contact object; receiving an input where the contact object is selected in a state that the community service picture is displayed; receiving an input where a status of the electronic device is changed in a state that the contact object is selected; acquiring contact point information corresponding to the selected contact object when the contact object is selected and status change of the electronic device is detected; and automatically connecting a call using the acquired contact point information.

This invention disclosed a system and method for resource based virtual communities. Any resources that can be shared or used by multiple people, including Internet resources, software or other resources can be the basis for the community, whose members are users of the resource. Web resources include web sites, web pages news groups or discussion forums. Other types of resources include software products, bulletin boards, games or other products. The community composes of the current resource users such as web page readers, bulletin board posters, game players, software users. Whenever a person accesses or uses the resource, the user is automatically joined as part of the community. At the same time they are using the resource, they can access all services provided by the community, such as talking with other members, collaborating with others, publishing comments, or even adding new community services. A universal virtual community server is disclosed to support all virtual communities based on all resources in the world and all users in the Internet. There are 6 methods disclosed for individual users to connect to this resource based communities.

The invention provides a health management system and a method based on Internet. The method comprises the following steps: step one, collecting and storing the health information of users, and sending the health information to the server of a community service station; step two: sending the health information of the users to a health management general server; and step three, analyzing and processing the received health information of the users and storing the processed result, sending the processed result to a community service station server and community health management sub-servers, thereby solving the problem of the difficulty in seeing a doctor currently, and ensuring people to know own health conditions currently.