Method, Device and System For Creating A Virtual Local Social Network

Abstract

There is provided a system and method for creating a local social network, based on a user's location and a user's virtual social profile (e.g. a facebook profile, a myspace profile) on a virtual social network (e.g. facebook, myspace). The method includes the steps of: (1) associating a communication device with a user's virtual profile, (2) detecting a communication device within an interactive region, (3) extracting unique parameters of the communication device, (4) retrieving data associated with the communication device and with the user's virtual profile, and (5) initiating data transfer based on the retrieved data.

1 . A method of generating a notification on an online social network in connection with a presence of one or more social network users in proximity of a physical location, said method comprising:
 associating at least one wirelessly readable unique identifiers of a specific mobile communication device with a specific online social network user account;   using a localized transceiver to detect and register a presence of mobile communication devices within an interactive region;   sending a list of the devices detected within the interactive region, along with their respective identifiers, to a server associated with a database of the online social network linking communication device identifiers with their respective online social network user accounts; and   responsive to identifying within the interactive region a presence of a communication device associated with a specific online social network user account, triggering an online social network related service to generate one or more detection related notifications to at least one other social network user account.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one other social network user account is an online social network account explicitly or inferentially linked to the specific social network user account or to the interactive region. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the specific online social network user account includes a virtual profile of specific person to which the account belongs. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the specific online social network user account includes a list of connected online social network user accounts. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein an online social network user account represents one or more real-world entities selected from: a person, a business, a venue, a group, a cause, a location and an event. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the generated notification indicates a presence of the specific online social network user account owner at or near the interactive region. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the notification facilitates a communication path through the online social network between online social network users. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the area of an interactive region is the area of detection covered by one or more detectors or transceivers. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein registration of a device within an interactive region also depends on timing or duration of device presence in the interactive region. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a specific interactive region and timing combination are associated with an event. 
     
     
         11 . A computerized system for generating a notification on an online social network in connection with a presence of one or more social network users in proximity of a physical location, said system comprising:
 a networked computational platform with data network interfaces, data processing circuits, operating random access memory and at least one data repository, wherein said platform includes:
 (a) a data repository including data associating at least one wirelessly readable unique identifiers of a specific mobile communication device with a specific online social network user account 
 (b) an interface to at least one location specific transceiver which detects and registers a presence of mobile communication devices within an interactive region, wherein registering the presence of a mobile communication device includes reading and recording the wirelessly readable unique identifier of the device; and 
 (c) a notification service configured to, responsive to identifying within the interactive region a presence of a communication device associated with a specific online social network user account, trigger an online social network related service which generates one or more detection related notifications to at least one other social network user account. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one other social network user account is an online social network account explicitly or inferentially linked to the specific social network user account or to the interactive region. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the specific online social network user account includes a virtual profile of specific person to which the account belongs. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the specific online social network user account includes a list of connected online social network user accounts. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein an online social network user account represents one or more real-world entities selected from: a person, a business, a venue, a group, a cause, a location and an event. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the generated notification indicates a presence of the specific online social network user account owner at or near the interactive region. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the notification_facilitates a communication path through the online social network between online social network users. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the area of an interactive region is the area of detection covered by one or more detectors or transceivers. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein registration of a device within an interactive region also depends on timing or duration of device presence in the interactive region. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein a specific interactive region and timing combination are associated with an event.