Optical signature generation, distribution and display at a client device

Abstract

A system generates, distributes, and displays an optical signature on devices with a display and wearable devices. The optical signature can be provided as part of an optical signature set to one or more users to allow them to communicate information to each other visually. The optical signature is displayed by a device associated with a first user for interpretation by a second user. The optical signature conveys information about the first user such as interaction type being sought with a second user and characteristics of the user being sought to interact with. The optical signature may be composed of any combination of shapes, colors, geometric patterns, pictures or video displayed statically or in motion or holographic images. A user with a displayed optical signature can find other users locally and remotely.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing an optical signature on a user device, comprising:
 generating, by a client application executing on a client device, an optical signature associated with a first user, the first user associated with the client device, the optical signature associated with an interpersonal interaction type the user is seeking; and   displaying the optical signature on the first device, the optical signature displayed at a scale such that the optical signature is viewable and is interpretable by a second user not associated with the first device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signature includes one or more optical signature components. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the optical signature components are generated by the client application, retrieved from device memory or storage, or received from a remote server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising generating an optical signature including one or more optical signature components, the optical signature to be displayed by the first device and generated based on input from the first user received by the first device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the optical signatures or optical signature components are embedded in the client application, distributable, or retrieved from a remote server with a static meaning that does not change over time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signatures are generated from optical signature components and are associated with an interaction type or a user characteristic, the optical signature components forming an optical signature meaning. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each optical signature component and corresponding optical signature component meaning are included in an optical signature meaning index. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of devices associated with a plurality of users, the plurality of users including the first user, receive identical or recognizably equivalent optical signature sets or optical signature components to ensure synchronized display of optical signatures across the plurality of devices, wherein a meaning for each optical signature is accessible to the plurality of users of the system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising distributing the optical signature to one or more additional client devices within a peer-to-peer network, the peer-to-peer network including the client device that distributes the optical signature. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising receiving the client application by the client device from a remote server, wherein one or more optical signatures or optical signature components are embedded within the received distributable client application. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an optical signature set by the client device, the optical signature set including a plurality of optical signatures, wherein the optical signature is generated from the optical signature set. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising selecting, based on input from the first user received by the first device, an optical signature to display by the first device from the optical signature set. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the client application generates the optical signature based on user characteristics and a desired interaction type of the first user or another user associated with a different client device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signature is associated with user characteristics. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising synchronizing one or more optical signatures at the client device with one or more optical signatures on a remote device, wherein each of the synchronized optical signatures include an expiration date or time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing optical signature data includes providing first user characteristics and geolocation coordinates to the remote server. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a request for users associated with requested user characteristics by the first device to a server; and   receiving a response from the server by the first device, the response including one or more matching users associated with geographical locations that satisfies the requested user characteristics.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising retrieving optical signature data from a remote server by each of a plurality of client devices, each of the plurality of client devices associated with a user, the optical signature data including user characteristics and geolocation coordinates associated with the plurality of users that are associated with the plurality of client devices. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an optical signature meaning index, the optical signature associated with a meaning specifying a visual output from a device, the meaning of the optical signature being specified by the optical signature meaning index, the optical signature meaning index specifying the interpersonal interaction type or characteristics of the first user or one or more second users being sought for interaction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an optical signature meaning index, the optical signature including an optical signature component that is associated with a meaning that specifies a visual output from a device, the meaning of the optical signature component being specified by the optical signature meaning index, the optical signature meaning index specifying an interpersonal interaction type or characteristics of the first user or one or more second users being sought for interaction. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the optical signature meaning index is embedded within a distributable application, or is retrieved from storage, memory, or a remote server. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signature is a non-textual representation associated with an interpersonal relationship type or characteristic of a second user being sought for interaction by the first user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signature is comprised of any combination of shapes, colors, geometric patterns, slow or rapid changes in illumination or use of flashing or pulsing lights or displays, images, graphic, animation, holographic image or video displayed statically or in motion. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type of interpersonal interaction is a business or social interaction, the optical signature is associated with the interaction type and user characteristics of the first or a second user being sought for interaction by the first user. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interpersonal interaction type is a social interaction, the optical signature associated with a user characteristic that includes interaction type preference and preference for a male or female or other gender identification. 
     
     
         26 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method providing an optical signature on a user device, the method comprising:
 generating, by a client application executing on a client device, an optical signature associated with a first user, the first user associated with the client device, the optical signature associated with an interpersonal interaction type the user is seeking; and   displaying the optical signature on the first device, the optical signature displayed at a scale such that the optical signature is viewable and is interpretable by a second user not associated with the first device.   
     
     
         27 . A system for providing an optical signature on a user device, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a memory; and   one or more modules stored in the memory and executed by the processor to generate, by a client application executing on a client device, an optical signature associated with a first user, the first user associated with the client device, the optical signature associated with an interpersonal interaction type the user is seeking, and display the optical signature on the first device, the optical signature displayed at a scale such that the optical signature is viewable and is interpretable by a second user not associated with the first device.