Presenting messages to a user when a client device determines the user is within a field of view of an image capture device of the client device

Abstract

Various client devices include displays and one or more image capture devices configured to capture video data. Different users of an online system are associated with client devices that exchange information captured by their respective image capture devices. A user of a client device may provide a message to an additional user of an additional client device for asynchronous presentation to the additional user. The message includes information identifying the additional user and one or more privacy settings. When the additional client device identifies the user via captured video data, the online system determines whether the message has previously been presented to the additional user. Subject to the privacy settings included in the message, the additional client device presents the message to the additional user after detecting the additional user and determining the message has not previously been presented to the additional user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a client device including an image capture device, a message including content for presentation to a set of target users of an online system associated with the client device, the message including one or more privacy settings regulating presentation of the content included in the message based on a threshold number of target users being within a field of view of an image capture device of the client device, the set of target users comprising a plurality of target users;   capturing video data of the local area within the field of view of the image capture device included in the client device;   determining one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users; and   in response to determining the captured video data includes a number of users determined to be target users that equals or exceeds the threshold number of target users identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message, presenting the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to determining the captured video data includes the number of users determined to be target users that does not equal or exceed the threshold number of target users identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message, withholding presentation of the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users comprises:
 transmitting the captured video data to the online system; and   receiving information identifying a target user within the captured video data from the online system.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the privacy settings included in the message further identify one or more authorized users other than the users of the set of target users. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein presenting the message to the target user via the client device responsive to determining the message was not previously presented to the target user comprises:
 withholding presentation of the message to the target user via the client device in response to determining the captured video data includes at least one user who is not a target user or an authorized user identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein presenting the message to the users included in the captured video data comprises:
 displaying the message in a ranking of messages where messages have a position in the ranking based on a number of target users included in one or more privacy settings of a corresponding message who are determined to be included in the captured video data and who have not previously been presented with the messages.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein messages including larger numbers of target users included in one or more privacy settings included in the messages who are determined to be included in the captured video data and who have not been presented with the messages have higher positions in the ranking. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing an indication the message was presented to each target user included in the captured video data in association with a target user included in the captured video data and with the message the message responsive to presenting the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 transmitting the indications associated with each target user included in the captured video data and with the message to the online system for storage in association with the message and with each target user included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users comprises:
 determining a measure of similarity of information from the captured video data corresponding to a user to information identifying a target user; and   determining the user of the online system included in the captured video data is the target user in response to the measure of similarity equaling or exceeding a threshold value.   
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive, at a client device including an image capture device, a message including content for presentation to a set of target users of an online system associated with the client device, the message including one or more privacy settings regulating presentation of the content included in the message based on a threshold number of target users being within a field of view of an image capture device of the client device, the set of target users comprising a plurality of target users;   capture video data of the local area within the field of view of the image capture device included in the client device;   determine one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users; and   in response to determining the captured video data includes a number of users determined to be target users that equals or exceeds the threshold number of target users identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message, present the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 in response to determining the captured video data includes the number of users determined to be target users that does not equal or exceed the threshold number of target users identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message, withhold presentation of the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein determine one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users comprises:
 transmit the captured video data to the online system; and   receive information identifying a target user within the captured video data from the online system.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the privacy settings included in the message further identify one or more authorized users other than the users of the set of target users. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein present the message to the target user via the client device responsive to determining the message was not previously presented to the target user comprises:
 withhold presentation of the message to the target user via the client device in response to determining the captured video data includes at least one user who is not a target user or an authorized user identified by the one or more privacy settings included in the message.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein present the message to the users included in the captured video data comprises:
 display the message in a ranking of messages where messages have a position in the ranking based on a number of target users included in one or more privacy settings of a corresponding message who are determined to be included in the captured video data and who have not previously been presented with the messages.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein messages including larger numbers of target users included in one or more privacy settings included in the messages who are determined to be included in the captured video data and who have not been presented with the messages have higher positions in the ranking. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 store an indication the message was presented to each target user included in the captured video data in association with a target user included in the captured video data and with the message the message responsive to presenting the message to the users included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 transmit the indications associated with each target user included in the captured video data and with the message to the online system for storage in association with the message and with each target user included in the captured video data.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein determine one or more users of the online system included in the captured video data are one or more target users comprises:
 determining a measure of similarity of information from the captured video data corresponding to a user to information identifying a target user; and   determining the user of the online system included in the captured video data is the target user in response to the measure of similarity equaling or exceeding a threshold value.