Map-centric service for social events

Abstract

A map-centric service for creating, finding, and organizing social events is described. Social events may include gatherings, goods or services for sale or other types of events about which a group of people may wish to share information. The service provides a graphical indication of the location of a plurality of social events superimposed on a map, providing a geographic context to social events. The geographic context may be augmented with text graphical indications or information in other forms, further identifying characteristics of the social event. Information about social events may be made accessible to multiple users through a web service. A user may search for social events by specifying desired characteristics of the social event. The service can also generate an optimal route for user selected events.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing, by a server computer, a social networking service to a plurality of users;   receiving, by the server computer, data for a social event uploaded by a user of the social networking service, wherein the data for the social event includes a description of the social event, a location of the social event, and a list of users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event;   issuing, by the server computer, invitations to the social event to the users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event; and   providing, by the server computer, information defining a map overlaid with a graphical indication of the location of the social event upon logging into the server computer by a user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invitations to the social event are issued by the server computer via at least one of email and text messaging. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server computer, user input indicating an intention to attend the social event from the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 adding, by the server computer, the social event to a calendar of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the description of the social event is presented within the map in response to user interaction with the graphical indication of the location of the social event. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 rendering, by the server computer within the map, a graphical indication of one or more routes between the location of the social event and a location of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing, by the server computer, the data for the social event in an event database that can be queried in response to search requests submitted to the server computer by users of the social networking service.   
     
     
         8 . A server computer comprising:
 a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and   memory storing computer-executable instructions for:
 providing a social networking service to a plurality of users; 
 receiving data for a social event uploaded by a user of the social networking service, wherein the data for the social event includes a description of the social event, a location of the social event, and a list of users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event; 
 issuing invitations to the social event to the users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event; and 
 providing information defining a map overlaid with a graphical indication of the location of the social event upon logging into the server computer by a user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event. 
   
     
     
         9 . The server computer of  claim 8 , wherein the invitations to the social event are issued via at least one of email and text messaging. 
     
     
         10 . The server computer of  claim 8 , wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:
 receiving user input indicating an intention to attend the social event from the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         11 . The server computer of  claim 10 , wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:
 adding the social event to a calendar of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         12 . The server computer of  claim 8 , wherein the description of the social event is presented within the map in response to user interaction with the graphical indication of the location of the social event. 
     
     
         13 . The server computer of  claim 8 , wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:
 rendering, within the map, a graphical indication of one or more routes between the location of the social event and a location of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         14 . The server computer of  claim 8 , wherein the memory further stores computer-executable instructions for:
 storing the data for the social event in an event database that can be queried in response to search requests submitted to the server computer by users of the social networking service.   
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a server computer, cause the server computer to perform a method comprising:
 providing a social networking service to a plurality of users;   receiving data for a social event uploaded by a user of the social networking service, wherein the data for the social event includes a description of the social event, a location of the social event, and a list of users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event;   issuing invitations to the social event to the users of the social networking service that are invited to the social event; and   providing information defining a map overlaid with a graphical indication of the location of the social event upon logging into the server computer by a user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving user input indicating an intention to attend the social event from the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
 adding the social event to a calendar of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the description of the social event is presented within the map in response to user interaction with the graphical indication of the location of the social event. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 rendering, within the map, a graphical indication of one or more routes between the location of the social event and a location of the user of the social networking service that is invited to the social event.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
 storing the data for the social event in an event database that can be queried in response to search requests submitted to the server computer by users of the social networking service.