WO2009138502A1 - Method and system for social networking - Google Patents

Method and system for social networking Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009138502A1
WO2009138502A1 PCT/EP2009/055948 EP2009055948W WO2009138502A1 WO 2009138502 A1 WO2009138502 A1 WO 2009138502A1 EP 2009055948 W EP2009055948 W EP 2009055948W WO 2009138502 A1 WO2009138502 A1 WO 2009138502A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
personal avatar
display unit
visual display
avatar
personal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2009/055948
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French (fr)
Inventor
Ben Philippe Arent
Original Assignee
Ben Philippe Arent
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ben Philippe Arent filed Critical Ben Philippe Arent
Publication of WO2009138502A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009138502A1/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/10—Office automation; Time management

Definitions

  • the invention relates to methods and systems for social networking, and in particular, those that are accessible to persons who are not particularly technologically adept.
  • Social networking is a commonly used tool for keeping in touch with "friends" and contacts on a personal and commercial basis.
  • Home PCs, laptops and a variety of personal communication devices allow users to update their profiles, invite contacts and friends, join groups and obtain local information all through the medium of the internet.
  • US2007/0156805 discloses real time instant messaging or presence-based communications. Users can, if allowed, gain access to the viewing habits of individuals in their contact list and exchange information with one another to provide a rich, robust sharing environment. In a presence based network, users can identify so-called contacts- the same or similar to those that appear in the user's email address list. Whenever a contact is online, the presence-based network notifies the user so that the user can leverage the services provided by the network.
  • US2008/0098313 discloses a system and method for facilitating the configuration and management of events within a social networking system. It uses a personal workspace accessible through a variety of devices to enable network members to view personal information. The workspace also facilitates registration. It is targeted at two or more people who have geographic similarities and a desire to participate in like activities who may otherwise have little opportunity to meet.
  • the terminal is accessible by a number of users using a user ID and password to access the network.
  • RFID or other biometric scanners may also be used as login aids.
  • US2007/0130101 discloses a method and system for granting access to personal information in an increasingly mobile culture, where constant change causes loss of contact among individuals, organizations and business. It provides a web-based service, which ensures third parties always have access to a user's current contact information. Users choose a unique personal identifier, which can be shared with others by email, in an advertisement, at meetings or other social interactions and can be used by these third parties to obtain up-to-date user information.
  • Websites such as FriendFeed.com also provide a service that allows the aggregation of a person's online IDs in a centralised location allowing users to be kept up to date with a customized feed made up of the content that friends share, from photos to interesting links and video messages.
  • US 2007/0124721 provides a system and method for facilitating the discovery of items, individuals, locations and business services that are relevant to the context of the individual and executing post delivery actions.
  • Agents receive information relating to goals and looks for compatible matches. These agents can be configured and managed via a website.
  • Proximity services can be used to alert users to the nearby location of other members of their social network.
  • RFID tags may be used in the device discovery process by which one agent device executing the agent software application discovers that another agent device is nearby.
  • WO 2008/141256 A2 relates to a Social Networking Management System that screens out inappropriate content and unauthorized adults in a secure age-specific group social network for children (ages 9-18).
  • US 2005/0131894 discloses a system and method for identifying an entity.
  • a distinct code is assigned for each person's information and this information may be incorporated into one or more web pages associated with the person to facilitate searching by others using an Internet search engine or grid computing application or file sharing network.
  • a personal avatar for use in a social networking system comprising: means for representing a individual; means for storing a unique identification code associated with the individual; and means for transmitting said identification code to a visual display unit.
  • An individual may be a person, an organisation, a business or other party.
  • This avatar provides a technology friendly solution for those of advanced years who may not be particularly comfortable with existing technology and appreciate a more visual representation of their contacts allowing them to participate in the services provided by many social networks without the additional technological confusion.
  • the means for transmitting said identification code to the visual display unit may comprise an RFID antenna and chipset and may also comprise one or more magnets arranged to activate sensors in the visual display unit.
  • RFID antenna and chipset may also comprise one or more magnets arranged to activate sensors in the visual display unit.
  • the personal avatar may further comprise means for attaching said personal avatar to the visual display unit.
  • This means may comprise a magnet, however it will be appreciated that it is not limited as such.
  • the personal avatar may further comprise a housing, wherein the means for storing and the means for communication are provided within the housing.
  • the means for representing the individual may comprise a visual representation of the individual provided on an outer surface of the housing.
  • This housing may be a laminated card or a fob.
  • the visual representation may be a photograph or alternative representation of the individual. Alternatively, it may be a 3- dimensional representation. Using these cards or other visual representations removes the need for the user to know the user id or screen name of their contacts and allows a user to be selective about who has access to their information.
  • the housing may be formed from a ferromagnetic material adapted for attachment to one or more magnets provided in the visual display unit.
  • the personal avatar may also comprise a power supply for providing power to the means for transmitting.
  • the personal avatar uses passive RFID technology and therefore it will be appreciated that an internal power supply may not be necessary to power the means for transmitting.
  • a visual display unit comprising: means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar to the visual display unit; means for receiving information from said personal avatar in response to detection of the avatar; means for processing the received information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and means for displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar.
  • this visual display unit provides a simple but effective way for those at a technological disadvantage who may not be computer literate full access to the benefits which social networking provides.
  • the means for displaying information may comprise a personal avatar-driven tangible user interface. It may comprise an LCD screen however it will be appreciated than a LED screen or OLED display or other suitable display may also be used.
  • the visual display unit may further comprise means for communicating with an external network to retrieve information relating to the individual identified by the personal avatar.
  • This may be a 3 G modem, or other modem such as a dial-up, V90, V92, ISDN, DSL, cable modems etc.
  • the visual display unit may further comprise means for detecting the orientation of the visual display unit.
  • the means for detecting the orientation of the VDU is an accelerometer.
  • a gyroscope or alternative orientation detecting means may also be used.
  • the VDU may also comprise means for scrolling through information displayed by the display means.
  • This means may be a spring loaded slide switch, a touch pad, a joystick or the like.
  • the means for scrolling may also comprise means for selecting information displayed on the display means.
  • the means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar may comprise means for detecting the position of the personal avatar (relative to the VDU and/or the display means).
  • the visual display unit may further comprise means for displaying a selected type of information or activating a predefined function associated with the detected position.
  • the means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar may comprise one or more magnetically activated sensors.
  • the means for receiving information from said personal avatar is further configured to power an RFID antenna and chipset in the personal avatar.
  • the information received from the personal avatar comprises a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the avatar.
  • the visual display unit may further comprise a keyboard to enable user interaction with the visual display unit.
  • a method of social networking comprising the steps of: a. providing at least one personal avatar representing an individual with whom a user wishes to network; b. positioning the personal avatar adjacent to a visual display unit (VDU); c. detecting the proximity of the personal avatar to visual display unit; d. transmitting information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from the personal avatar to the visual display unit in response to said detecting; e. processing the information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and f. displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar on the VDU.
  • VDU visual display unit
  • This simple method requires minimal user interaction with the visual display unit allowing individuals, for example, those of advanced years who may not be particularly comfortable with the interfaces provided by currently available social networking services, to avail of the services of social networking allowing them to stay up to date with a small, select social network, for example, family members, using the user- friendly method described herein.
  • the information transmitted from the personal avatar to the VDU is a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar.
  • This unique identification code will allow access to aggregate information provided by a variety of back end services. No passwords, or other information are required from the user, making the system simple and easy to use.
  • the step of positioning the personal avatar adjacent to the VDU may comprise positioning the personal avatar in one of a plurality of predefined positions, wherein each position is associated with a predefined networking function, the method further comprising the step of: detecting the position of the personal avatar; and performing the function associated with the detected position.
  • the method may further comprise registering the personal avatar with the visual display unit.
  • the step of registering may comprise linking the information transmitted by the personal avatar with an external server.
  • Performing one or more of the predefined functions may comprise obtaining aggregate information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from an external database. It may also comprise enabling messages to be sent to or received from the individual represented by the personal avatar.
  • a computer program product comprising code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement the method described above.
  • a social networking system comprising: a visual display unit as described herein and at least one personal avatar as described herein.
  • the social networking system described herein describes using physical objects to retrieve data about a specific user via a tangible user interface.
  • This product as a device will make it easier to interact and stay up to date with family members.
  • the device itself interacts with a back end internet service, Jive.
  • the device draws information from Jive using an RFID embedded avatar.
  • Jive When an avatar is purchased, a unique ID is given from Jive. This unique ID links the avatar to the Jive profile.
  • the Jive profile is an aggregator that collects any existing information about the user under t he open social framework.
  • the avatars When a user wants to retrieve more detailed information about a person they can use the avatars as part of the tangible user interface.
  • the avatar is embedded with magnets that can trigger one of the three magnet sensors embedded into the display.
  • This three part user interface can be used with the full size keyboard to reply and talk to the users beyond just simply receiving "ambient" updates.
  • the product was designed like this to make social networking more accessible for a greater group of users.
  • the avatar When the avatar is placed onto the magnet sensor, the avatar will trigger the magnetic sensor which will make the RFID reader capture all the RFID 's it can find. 1.
  • Each avatar has a unique ID which is linked to an online database, the processor sends out a request to the web service to link the physical information with the digital.
  • the RFID reader has over 100,000 unique RFIDs, while the online database can store near unlimited information about users.
  • the web service will be founded upon the semantic web, therefore the web service and database only have to store meta information about connections.
  • the present invention uses an RFID embedded physical object to retrieve data when applied to a visual display unit.
  • the RFID sensor may be triggered by a magnet embedded with the avatar (a physical representation of a person).
  • Figure l(a) is a front perspective view of a personal avatar according to an aspect of the present invention.
  • Figure 1 (b) is an exploded view of the personal avatar of Figure l(a);
  • FIGs 2 (a), (b) and (c) are side cross-sectional views of a visual display unit (VDU) according to an aspect of the present invention, showing an RFID antenna located in different positions;
  • Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the VDU screen of with personal avatars mounted on the screen on the left, right and centre thereof;
  • Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the screen of the visual display unit in landscape orientation
  • Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the visual display unit in landscape orientation with a stand and a keyboard mounted on the rear;
  • Figure 6a is a front perspective view of the VDU with a physical control at the lower limit
  • Figure 6b is a front perspective view of the VDU with the physical control at the upper limit
  • Figure 7 is a rear elevation view of the VDU in landscape orientation
  • Figure 8 is a rear elevation view of the VDU in portrait orientation
  • Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the VDU in landscape orientation
  • Figure 10 is a flow diagram outlining a process of writing a message according to the present invention.
  • Figure 11 is a flow diagram outlining a process of using a tangible user interface according to the present invention
  • Figure 12 is a workflow of the avatar and digital information
  • Figure 13 is a diagram of how the data service will collate information and display it on the device
  • Figure 14 is an illustration of the avatar based on the visual display unit to retrieve information about that device; and Figure 15 is an illustration of an avatar displaying the digital media, with information received from the backend service.
  • Fig. 1 shows a personal avatar 8 according to the present invention.
  • the avatar 8 comprises an outer casing 10 and a front cover 13.
  • the personal avatar is in the form of a card, which displays a picture of the user on the front cover 13.
  • the avatar may be in the form of a key fob, a plain card or an alternative character representation. Where a picture is used, it may be mounted behind a screen, or may be laminated or the like, to form a front cover for the personal avatar. Behind the front cover, an RFID antenna 12 and RFID chip 11 (passive) are mounted.
  • the personal avatar is a physical representation of a user's digital life.
  • magnets 9, 14 are embedded in the rear of the personal avatar casing 10. One or both of these magnets 9, 14 may be used to activate reed sensors in a visual display unit.
  • the casing 10 is metal, so that it may adhere to magnets provided in the visual display unit as will be described below.
  • a user When a user registers with a service provider, he may be issued with a number of avatars, which can be distributed to friends and family with whom the user wishes to keep in touch. Alternatively, friends and family may purchase avatars from the service provider.
  • FIG. 2 shows a visual display unit (VDU) 15 according to the present invention.
  • the display unit comprises a casing 4, which encloses a screen 2 and a CPU 3.
  • the screen may use LCD, LED or OLED technology, but it will be appreciated that other displays may also be suitable.
  • a modem 16, such as a 3G modem, is integrated into the casing 4.
  • Three magnetically-activated sensors 1 and an RFID antenna 5 are provided directly behind the screen 2. Magnets 7 are also provided behind the screen 2.
  • the display unit also includes an accelerometer 6.
  • the user's main interaction with the VDU is through a magnetic tangible user interface.
  • the avatar-driven tangible user interface is used to display the latest information about family and friends.
  • a personal avatar is obtained by a user, a unique ID is assigned to that avatar from a back end internet service.
  • the unique ID links the personal avatar to a user profile stored by the back end internet service.
  • This profile may be an aggregator which collects any existing information about the user under an open social framework.
  • Suitable services for providing an aggregate of personal information include that provided by web-based services such as http ://fricndfccd .com.
  • Open API's and OpenSocial also allow for the aggregation of data into one location. OpenSocial, for example, defines a common API for social applications across multiple websites.
  • the present invention may be configured to leverage these services, resulting in minimal user configuration.
  • the VDU may also provide its own service/server to link RFID ID's and associated "feed" ID's.
  • the embedded RFID in the avatar links the avatar, which is a physical representation of the user, with existing online information about the user. For example, a relationship between the RFID and the aggregated data may be established when a personal avatar is purchased or otherwise obtained by the user.
  • the display unit may also be used to display information targeted at the specific user demographic and may support recommendation-based advertising. In one configuration RFID paper could be used to link physical advertisements to an on-screen digital counterpart.
  • the VDU screen may then be used to display the data.
  • the magnetic sensors 1 behind the screen 2 may be reed sensors, hall sensors or the like.
  • the magnets 9, 14 in the avatar trigger the sensors 1, so that they detect the unique ID assigned to the user represented by the personal avatar.
  • the stored profile information for that user is then displayed on the screen 2.
  • the personal avatar 8 uses passive RFID technology and accordingly does not require a separate power source.
  • the RFID antenna 5 provides power to provoke signal transmission from the personal avatar to the VDU 15.
  • active RFID may be used in the personal avatar in conjunction with a battery or alternative power source.
  • the avatar 8 may be held a further distance from the screen 2 while still triggering communication between the avatar and the VDU 15.
  • the personal avatar 8 may be held in place on the screen 2 by means of magnets 7, which can attract and hold the magnets 9, 14 or the metal casing 10 of the personal avatar 8.
  • the magnets may be electromagnet, triggered by an RFID reader within the visual display unit.
  • the accelerometer 6 detects the orientation of the display unit and re-orientates an image displayed on the screen depending on its orientation. It will be appreciated that the screen may be rotated though 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees depending on user requirements and preferences.
  • the RFID antenna 5 may be mounted behind the screen 7 in an electrostatic free area.
  • this antenna 5 may be located at the front of the screen.
  • a third configuration allows for a clear thin antenna overlay to be placed over the screen, positioning it directly at the front of the screen as shown in Fig 2(c).
  • a plurality of magnets 7 may be provided at different locations behind the screen 2.
  • the location of the magnets 7 allows the personal avatar 8 to be placed in various positions on the screen 2.
  • Different services such as read, write, or update, may be activated depending on the area of the screen on which the avatar is placed.
  • the personal avatar 8 may be positioned at one of three positions 21, 22, or 23.
  • the device also comprises three magnetically-activated sensors 1, each sensor corresponding to the location of the magnets 7. In other embodiments, any number of magnetic sensors may be included.
  • a personal avatar 8 may be placed at position 22 on the centre of the screen 2.
  • the magnet 7 behind the screen adheres to the casing 10 of the personal avatar 8 or a magnet 9, 14 in the casing 10 and holds the personal avatar in position on the screen.
  • the magnets 9, 14 activate the sensor 1 at that position, and a call is made to a central server using the CPU 3 and the modem 16.
  • the profile of the user represented by the personal avatar 8 is linked to the device and their information is displayed on the screen 2.
  • Placing the personal avatar on the centre of the screen allows a feed of information from the user represented by the avatar, or photographs or the like of the person represented by the avatar to be displayed on the screen.
  • the positioning of the avatar on the centre of the screen is configured to provide a feed of information.
  • it may be configured to allow other functions, such as read or write to be performed.
  • the display unit 15 may also be configured to allow emails to be sent and received and services such as MMS and SMS to be accessed.
  • Fig. 4 shows the display unit 15 with the screen 2 free of avatars.
  • a physical control 18 located on the external casing 4 is used to control positioning of information displayed on the screen.
  • the physical control 18 is centrally located but it may be relocated to an upper 18:2 or lower limit 18:1 along the side of the casing as shown in Fig 6.
  • the control 18 may be placed on the left or the right of the screen.
  • the physical control is a linear potentiometer with a button located on its upper surface.
  • the button may be a push button or touch pad or similar interactive device to enable the physical control to interact with the screen.
  • the physical control may be replaced with a mouse device such as a mouse, a finger pad, a touch screen, a joystick or the like.
  • the physical control 18 is spring loaded, such that when it is moved to its upper or lower limit it will return to its centre position as shown in Figure 4. It will be appreciated if the screen is rotated through 180 degrees, the accelerometer 6 can be used in conjunction with the CPU 3 to detect orientation and adapt the physical control 18 accordingly such that the user is not affected by the orientation of the screen.
  • the physical control 18 may be used to scroll through the information displayed on the screen 2.
  • the button on the physical control may be used to allow the specific information to be focussed on. By depressing the button on the physical control, the information centred on the screen will be selected for enhanced viewing. It will be appreciated that using a combination of the button on the physical control and the slide feature of the physical control may be used for features such as highlighting or zooming and the like.
  • a keyboard 17 may be mounted on the rear of the VDU 15 as shown in Fig 5. When removed from the back of the device, the keyboard 17 allows the user to compose a message in the message area of the screen, which in this embodiment is located on the left of the screen. The message may be scrolled using the physical controller 18. Once the message is written the user may engage a button on the centre of the physical control 18 to send the message. It will also be appreciated that the keyboard may also be used to send the message.
  • messages from the user represented by the personal avatar 8 may be displayed on the screen 2.
  • messages will be displayed on the left hand side of the screen.
  • the physical control 18 may be used to scroll the messages and if selected using the button on the physical control the message will be selected and pulled into the screen.
  • the physical control may be used to scroll through the message.
  • the screen when the display unit is not in use with the personal avatars, the screen may be used to display information pertinent to the display user, such as news services, weather updates, short updates from friends who are registered.
  • the display unit may also comprise a storage area in which the personal avatars may be conveniently stored.
  • a separate antenna may also be provided in the VDU to scan any friend passes in this location and display information about these people. Users represented by these personal avatars stored in this location may be considered as "close friends" where as personal avatars of users who are not frequently contacted may be stored in an alternative location.
  • the VDU 15 is held upright using a stand 20.
  • the bottom of the stand 20 can pivot about an upper hinge 19 to hold the device upright in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • the hinge and stand configuration is shown in more detail in Fig. 7. It will be appreciated that the hinge and stand may have a ball and socket connection so that the stand can rotate through 360 degrees.
  • the accelerometer 6 detects the orientation of the screen and allows the controls to re-orientate accordingly.
  • the stand 20 and hinge 19 arrangement can be rotated to support the stand in portrait configuration.
  • the physical control 18 is located on the bottom of the casing when in portrait configuration.
  • An internal accelerometer can be used to detect the orientation of the screen and the controller may reconfigure the reactions of the display to the physical control accordingly. It will be appreciated that a gyroscope or other orientation sensor, may also be used to detect the orientation of the display unit.
  • Fig.10 outlines the process of composing a message on the screen.
  • a personal avatar 8 is placed onto the screen 2 on the left hand side 21.
  • the sensor will be triggered and will cause the RFID reader to capture all the information which is available to it.
  • Each personal avatar has a unique ID, which may be linked to an online database.
  • a request may then be sent to a central server to link the physical representation of the user with the digital information stored in the online database.
  • Alternative sensors such as BLUETOOTH sensors, Infrared unique ID's, RFID cards e.g. Oyster cards and wireless sensors such as Zigbee sensors may also be used to trigger the up and downloading of user specific information.
  • the web service may be found on the semantic web. This results in the display requiring a database which stores only meta information and therefore does not have large memory requirements.
  • the internal controller will confirm if the avatar (friend pass) is registered with the unit 15. If yes, a write message screen will be displayed on the screen 2. If the personal avatar 8 has not been registered with the unit 15, a request will be sent by the controller 3 to the server to link the personal avatar with the unit 15. Once the personal avatar has been registered with the device, the internal controller will confirm the registration and proceed to load the write message screen on the screen 2.
  • a one-plug router may be used to bridge the digital divide.
  • routers include the Apple Airport Router, a D-Link filter or a Netgear Router.
  • the router is pre-configured, such that all the settings are embedded and it no setup is required at the user site.
  • a switch such as a toggle switch or push button switch may be located on the external case of the router, such as on the top, allowing the router to be easily set and reset or turned off.
  • a preferred router would be the same as a standard 85mm x 85mm outlet, with a single switch used to turn the router off and on.
  • the router may have any configuration of sockets and are not confined to RJ-Il and RJ-45 sockets.
  • the router may also have one or more lights such as led lights to indicate the status of the router, such as whether the router is switched on, or if data is being transferred. These lights may also be configured to indicate a physical change in the router. In one embodiment, these status lights may flash in a specific manner as data is being transferred. For example, if the lights are constantly on, the router is switched on and there is no data transfer. Lights fading on and off may be indicative of the router reconnecting to the network.
  • the router Fading off for four seconds after five minutes may indicate that the router is switched on and connected to the internet.
  • a display such as an LCD display may be used to indicate the status information.
  • the router may be configured at the point of sale and providing a truly plug and play solution.
  • the router may also be externally managed allowing settings to be changed remotely, for example by the Internet Service provider.
  • the personal avatar (friend pass) 8 is placed on the screen 2, for example, at the centre position 22.
  • a magnet 9, 14 in the personal avatar 8 adheres to the screen 2 of the display unit 15 which may also be magnetic.
  • the magnet in the personal avatar or friend pass 8 triggers the sensor 1 at the central position 1 of the screen 2, and the RDIF reader or antenna 5 takes a reading of the information stored on the avatar 8.
  • the RFID reader or antenna passes information from the friend pass 8 to the controller 3. This information may include the unique ID.
  • the controller or CPU receives the data, it passes it out to a remote server using integrated connectivity, such as that which can be obtained using a 3 G modem, or other modem such as a dial- up, V90, V92, ISDN, DSL, cable modems etc.
  • integrated connectivity such as that which can be obtained using a 3 G modem, or other modem such as a dial- up, V90, V92, ISDN, DSL, cable modems etc.
  • the controller will link the ID of the personal avatar to the ID on the server.
  • the ID registered on the server may be taken from various online sources. Once the device is registered, the controller will verify the registration and activate the various resources.
  • Fig 12. shows how the system works, and outlines some of the foundations upon which the unique aggregating software is built.
  • the magnet sensor 2 will trigger the magnet sensor 3, which causes the RFID reader 4 to capture all the RFIDs that it can find.
  • Each avatar 1 has a unique ID which is linked to an online database 7, 8 and the processor 6 sends out a request to the web service to link the physical information with the digital.
  • there are 3 magnetic sensors 3 on the visual display unit 5 which trigger various information to be displayed 8a. The time between placing the avatar 1 and getting information displayed 8a is simultaneous.
  • the RFID reader 4 may have over 100,000 unique RFID's, while the online database 8 can store near unlimited information about users.
  • the web service 7 will be founded upon the semantic web, therefore the web service and database only have to store meta information about connections.
  • Fig. 13 it is illustrated how the data service takes existing online data and embeds it in the data service.
  • the system illustrated and for convenience herein referred to as Jive builds on existing online content.
  • Open API's and the launch of OpenSocial will mean that all of the existing online data can be aggregated in one place. Services such as FriendFeed already do this with an open API output for their service.
  • OpenSocial defines a common API for social applications across multiple websites, Jive leverages current content so users can have very little to setup. Jive can receive and display SMS and e-mails that you send to your account.
  • Each avatar/friend pass as shown in Fig. 13 has a RDIF embedded into it. It links the physical representation with all existing online information. In the system shown when the friend pass is placed onto the monitor, a magnetic sensor is triggered and this will trigger a RFID reader which will read the information and display the users information.

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Abstract

A method of social networking comprising providing at least one personal avatar representing an individual with whom a user wishes to network; positioning the personal avatar adjacent to a visual display unit (VDU); detecting the proximity of the personal avatar to visual display unit; transmitting information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from the personal avatar to the visual display unitin response to said detecting; processing the information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar on the VDU.

Description

Title
Method and system for social networking
Field of the Invention The invention relates to methods and systems for social networking, and in particular, those that are accessible to persons who are not particularly technologically adept.
Background to the Invention
Social networking, particularly internet-based social networking, is a commonly used tool for keeping in touch with "friends" and contacts on a personal and commercial basis. Home PCs, laptops and a variety of personal communication devices allow users to update their profiles, invite contacts and friends, join groups and obtain local information all through the medium of the internet.
US2007/0156805 discloses real time instant messaging or presence-based communications. Users can, if allowed, gain access to the viewing habits of individuals in their contact list and exchange information with one another to provide a rich, robust sharing environment. In a presence based network, users can identify so-called contacts- the same or similar to those that appear in the user's email address list. Whenever a contact is online, the presence-based network notifies the user so that the user can leverage the services provided by the network.
US2008/0098313 discloses a system and method for facilitating the configuration and management of events within a social networking system. It uses a personal workspace accessible through a variety of devices to enable network members to view personal information. The workspace also facilitates registration. It is targeted at two or more people who have geographic similarities and a desire to participate in like activities who may otherwise have little opportunity to meet. The terminal is accessible by a number of users using a user ID and password to access the network. RFID or other biometric scanners may also be used as login aids.
US2007/0130101 discloses a method and system for granting access to personal information in an increasingly mobile culture, where constant change causes loss of contact among individuals, organizations and business. It provides a web-based service, which ensures third parties always have access to a user's current contact information. Users choose a unique personal identifier, which can be shared with others by email, in an advertisement, at meetings or other social interactions and can be used by these third parties to obtain up-to-date user information. Websites such as FriendFeed.com also provide a service that allows the aggregation of a person's online IDs in a centralised location allowing users to be kept up to date with a customized feed made up of the content that friends share, from photos to interesting links and video messages.
US 2007/0124721 provides a system and method for facilitating the discovery of items, individuals, locations and business services that are relevant to the context of the individual and executing post delivery actions. Agents receive information relating to goals and looks for compatible matches. These agents can be configured and managed via a website. Proximity services can be used to alert users to the nearby location of other members of their social network. RFID tags may be used in the device discovery process by which one agent device executing the agent software application discovers that another agent device is nearby.
WO 2008/141256 A2 relates to a Social Networking Management System that screens out inappropriate content and unauthorized adults in a secure age-specific group social network for children (ages 9-18).
US 2005/0131894 discloses a system and method for identifying an entity. A distinct code is assigned for each person's information and this information may be incorporated into one or more web pages associated with the person to facilitate searching by others using an Internet search engine or grid computing application or file sharing network.
These internet-based systems are technology intensive and prohibitive to users who may be socially and technologically isolated. For example, those of advanced years may not be particularly comfortable with the interfaces provided by currently available social networking services and in any case, may be uninterested in many of the services provided by these social networks. However, social networking could be of tremendous benefit in allowing older people to stay up to date with a small, select social network, for example, family members. There is a need for a user-friendly system and method which makes it easier to interact with a social network, thereby expanding the potential user base for social networking products and services.
Summary of the Invention
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a personal avatar for use in a social networking system, comprising: means for representing a individual; means for storing a unique identification code associated with the individual; and means for transmitting said identification code to a visual display unit.
An individual may be a person, an organisation, a business or other party. This avatar provides a technology friendly solution for those of advanced years who may not be particularly comfortable with existing technology and appreciate a more visual representation of their contacts allowing them to participate in the services provided by many social networks without the additional technological confusion.
The means for transmitting said identification code to the visual display unit may comprise an RFID antenna and chipset and may also comprise one or more magnets arranged to activate sensors in the visual display unit. With the wide availability of low cost RFID antenna and chip sets on the market, a low-cost personal avatar may be provided, so that costs are not prohibitive to the end user.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the personal avatar may further comprise means for attaching said personal avatar to the visual display unit. This means may comprise a magnet, however it will be appreciated that it is not limited as such.
In an alternative configuration the personal avatar may further comprise a housing, wherein the means for storing and the means for communication are provided within the housing. The means for representing the individual may comprise a visual representation of the individual provided on an outer surface of the housing. This housing may be a laminated card or a fob. The visual representation may be a photograph or alternative representation of the individual. Alternatively, it may be a 3- dimensional representation. Using these cards or other visual representations removes the need for the user to know the user id or screen name of their contacts and allows a user to be selective about who has access to their information.
The housing may be formed from a ferromagnetic material adapted for attachment to one or more magnets provided in the visual display unit. The personal avatar may also comprise a power supply for providing power to the means for transmitting. In an alternative configuration, the personal avatar uses passive RFID technology and therefore it will be appreciated that an internal power supply may not be necessary to power the means for transmitting.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a visual display unit (VDU), comprising: means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar to the visual display unit; means for receiving information from said personal avatar in response to detection of the avatar; means for processing the received information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and means for displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar.
In conjunction with the personal avatar, this visual display unit provides a simple but effective way for those at a technological disadvantage who may not be computer literate full access to the benefits which social networking provides.
The means for displaying information may comprise a personal avatar-driven tangible user interface. It may comprise an LCD screen however it will be appreciated than a LED screen or OLED display or other suitable display may also be used.
In one configuration the visual display unit may further comprise means for communicating with an external network to retrieve information relating to the individual identified by the personal avatar. This may be a 3 G modem, or other modem such as a dial-up, V90, V92, ISDN, DSL, cable modems etc.
The visual display unit may further comprise means for detecting the orientation of the visual display unit. In one embodiment, the means for detecting the orientation of the VDU is an accelerometer. However, it will be appreciated that a gyroscope or alternative orientation detecting means may also be used.
The VDU may also comprise means for scrolling through information displayed by the display means. This means may be a spring loaded slide switch, a touch pad, a joystick or the like. The means for scrolling may also comprise means for selecting information displayed on the display means.
The means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar may comprise means for detecting the position of the personal avatar (relative to the VDU and/or the display means). The visual display unit may further comprise means for displaying a selected type of information or activating a predefined function associated with the detected position. The means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar may comprise one or more magnetically activated sensors.
In one construction, the means for receiving information from said personal avatar is further configured to power an RFID antenna and chipset in the personal avatar.
In a preferred embodiment, the information received from the personal avatar comprises a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the avatar.
The visual display unit may further comprise a keyboard to enable user interaction with the visual display unit.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of social networking comprising the steps of: a. providing at least one personal avatar representing an individual with whom a user wishes to network; b. positioning the personal avatar adjacent to a visual display unit (VDU); c. detecting the proximity of the personal avatar to visual display unit; d. transmitting information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from the personal avatar to the visual display unit in response to said detecting; e. processing the information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and f. displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar on the VDU.
This simple method requires minimal user interaction with the visual display unit allowing individuals, for example, those of advanced years who may not be particularly comfortable with the interfaces provided by currently available social networking services, to avail of the services of social networking allowing them to stay up to date with a small, select social network, for example, family members, using the user- friendly method described herein.
In a preferred embodiment, the information transmitted from the personal avatar to the VDU is a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar. This unique identification code will allow access to aggregate information provided by a variety of back end services. No passwords, or other information are required from the user, making the system simple and easy to use.
The step of positioning the personal avatar adjacent to the VDU may comprise positioning the personal avatar in one of a plurality of predefined positions, wherein each position is associated with a predefined networking function, the method further comprising the step of: detecting the position of the personal avatar; and performing the function associated with the detected position.
The method may further comprise registering the personal avatar with the visual display unit. The step of registering may comprise linking the information transmitted by the personal avatar with an external server. Performing one or more of the predefined functions may comprise obtaining aggregate information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from an external database. It may also comprise enabling messages to be sent to or received from the individual represented by the personal avatar.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement the method described above.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a social networking system, comprising: a visual display unit as described herein and at least one personal avatar as described herein.
The social networking system described herein describes using physical objects to retrieve data about a specific user via a tangible user interface. This product as a device will make it easier to interact and stay up to date with family members. The device itself interacts with a back end internet service, Jive. The device draws information from Jive using an RFID embedded avatar. When an avatar is purchased, a unique ID is given from Jive. This unique ID links the avatar to the Jive profile. The Jive profile is an aggregator that collects any existing information about the user under t he open social framework.
When a user wants to retrieve more detailed information about a person they can use the avatars as part of the tangible user interface. The avatar is embedded with magnets that can trigger one of the three magnet sensors embedded into the display. This three part user interface can be used with the full size keyboard to reply and talk to the users beyond just simply receiving "ambient" updates. The product was designed like this to make social networking more accessible for a greater group of users.
When the avatar is placed onto the magnet sensor, the avatar will trigger the magnetic sensor which will make the RFID reader capture all the RFID 's it can find. 1. Each avatar has a unique ID which is linked to an online database, the processor sends out a request to the web service to link the physical information with the digital.
2. There are three magnetic sensors on the visual display unit which trigger various information to be displayed,
3. The time between placing the avatar and getting information displayed is simultaneous. (This may be over a wireless internet connection which will be bridged by the Jive one plug router.)
4. The RFID reader has over 100,000 unique RFIDs, while the online database can store near unlimited information about users.
5. The web service will be founded upon the semantic web, therefore the web service and database only have to store meta information about connections.
The present invention uses an RFID embedded physical object to retrieve data when applied to a visual display unit. The RFID sensor may be triggered by a magnet embedded with the avatar (a physical representation of a person).
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure l(a) is a front perspective view of a personal avatar according to an aspect of the present invention;
Figure 1 (b) is an exploded view of the personal avatar of Figure l(a);
Figures 2 (a), (b) and (c) are side cross-sectional views of a visual display unit (VDU) according to an aspect of the present invention, showing an RFID antenna located in different positions; Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the VDU screen of with personal avatars mounted on the screen on the left, right and centre thereof;
Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the screen of the visual display unit in landscape orientation;
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the visual display unit in landscape orientation with a stand and a keyboard mounted on the rear;
Figure 6a is a front perspective view of the VDU with a physical control at the lower limit; Figure 6b is a front perspective view of the VDU with the physical control at the upper limit;
Figure 7 is a rear elevation view of the VDU in landscape orientation;
Figure 8 is a rear elevation view of the VDU in portrait orientation; Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the VDU in landscape orientation;
Figure 10 is a flow diagram outlining a process of writing a message according to the present invention;
Figure 11 is a flow diagram outlining a process of using a tangible user interface according to the present invention; Figure 12 is a workflow of the avatar and digital information;
Figure 13 is a diagram of how the data service will collate information and display it on the device;
Figure 14 is an illustration of the avatar based on the visual display unit to retrieve information about that device; and Figure 15 is an illustration of an avatar displaying the digital media, with information received from the backend service.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 shows a personal avatar 8 according to the present invention. The avatar 8 comprises an outer casing 10 and a front cover 13. As shown in Figure 1, the personal avatar is in the form of a card, which displays a picture of the user on the front cover 13. In alternative embodiments, the avatar may be in the form of a key fob, a plain card or an alternative character representation. Where a picture is used, it may be mounted behind a screen, or may be laminated or the like, to form a front cover for the personal avatar. Behind the front cover, an RFID antenna 12 and RFID chip 11 (passive) are mounted. The personal avatar is a physical representation of a user's digital life. As shown in Fig l(b), magnets 9, 14 are embedded in the rear of the personal avatar casing 10. One or both of these magnets 9, 14 may be used to activate reed sensors in a visual display unit. The casing 10 is metal, so that it may adhere to magnets provided in the visual display unit as will be described below.
When a user registers with a service provider, he may be issued with a number of avatars, which can be distributed to friends and family with whom the user wishes to keep in touch. Alternatively, friends and family may purchase avatars from the service provider.
Figure 2 shows a visual display unit (VDU) 15 according to the present invention. The display unit comprises a casing 4, which encloses a screen 2 and a CPU 3. The screen may use LCD, LED or OLED technology, but it will be appreciated that other displays may also be suitable. A modem 16, such as a 3G modem, is integrated into the casing 4.
Three magnetically-activated sensors 1 and an RFID antenna 5 are provided directly behind the screen 2. Magnets 7 are also provided behind the screen 2. The display unit also includes an accelerometer 6.
The user's main interaction with the VDU is through a magnetic tangible user interface. The avatar-driven tangible user interface is used to display the latest information about family and friends. When a personal avatar is obtained by a user, a unique ID is assigned to that avatar from a back end internet service. The unique ID links the personal avatar to a user profile stored by the back end internet service. This profile may be an aggregator which collects any existing information about the user under an open social framework. Suitable services for providing an aggregate of personal information include that provided by web-based services such as http ://fricndfccd .com. Open API's and OpenSocial also allow for the aggregation of data into one location. OpenSocial, for example, defines a common API for social applications across multiple websites. It will be appreciated that the present invention may be configured to leverage these services, resulting in minimal user configuration. It will be appreciated that the VDU may also provide its own service/server to link RFID ID's and associated "feed" ID's. Thus, the embedded RFID in the avatar links the avatar, which is a physical representation of the user, with existing online information about the user. For example, a relationship between the RFID and the aggregated data may be established when a personal avatar is purchased or otherwise obtained by the user. The display unit may also be used to display information targeted at the specific user demographic and may support recommendation-based advertising. In one configuration RFID paper could be used to link physical advertisements to an on-screen digital counterpart. The VDU screen may then be used to display the data. The magnetic sensors 1 behind the screen 2 may be reed sensors, hall sensors or the like. When an avatar is brought into close proximity or contact with the screen 2 of the VDU, the magnets 9, 14 in the avatar trigger the sensors 1, so that they detect the unique ID assigned to the user represented by the personal avatar. The stored profile information for that user is then displayed on the screen 2. The personal avatar 8 uses passive RFID technology and accordingly does not require a separate power source. The RFID antenna 5 provides power to provoke signal transmission from the personal avatar to the VDU 15. In alternative embodiments, active RFID may be used in the personal avatar in conjunction with a battery or alternative power source. In this embodiment, the avatar 8 may be held a further distance from the screen 2 while still triggering communication between the avatar and the VDU 15.
The personal avatar 8 may be held in place on the screen 2 by means of magnets 7, which can attract and hold the magnets 9, 14 or the metal casing 10 of the personal avatar 8. Alternatively the magnets may be electromagnet, triggered by an RFID reader within the visual display unit. The accelerometer 6 detects the orientation of the display unit and re-orientates an image displayed on the screen depending on its orientation. It will be appreciated that the screen may be rotated though 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees depending on user requirements and preferences. As shown in Fig. 2(a), the RFID antenna 5 may be mounted behind the screen 7 in an electrostatic free area. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 2(b), this antenna 5 may be located at the front of the screen. A third configuration allows for a clear thin antenna overlay to be placed over the screen, positioning it directly at the front of the screen as shown in Fig 2(c).
A plurality of magnets 7 may be provided at different locations behind the screen 2. The location of the magnets 7 allows the personal avatar 8 to be placed in various positions on the screen 2. Different services, such as read, write, or update, may be activated depending on the area of the screen on which the avatar is placed. As shown in Fig. 3, the personal avatar 8 may be positioned at one of three positions 21, 22, or 23. . In the embodiment shown, the device also comprises three magnetically-activated sensors 1, each sensor corresponding to the location of the magnets 7. In other embodiments, any number of magnetic sensors may be included. In use, as shown in Fig. 3, a personal avatar 8 may be placed at position 22 on the centre of the screen 2. The magnet 7 behind the screen adheres to the casing 10 of the personal avatar 8 or a magnet 9, 14 in the casing 10 and holds the personal avatar in position on the screen. The magnets 9, 14 activate the sensor 1 at that position, and a call is made to a central server using the CPU 3 and the modem 16. The profile of the user represented by the personal avatar 8 is linked to the device and their information is displayed on the screen 2. Placing the personal avatar on the centre of the screen allows a feed of information from the user represented by the avatar, or photographs or the like of the person represented by the avatar to be displayed on the screen. In this embodiment, the positioning of the avatar on the centre of the screen is configured to provide a feed of information. In alternative embodiment, it may be configured to allow other functions, such as read or write to be performed. The display unit 15 may also be configured to allow emails to be sent and received and services such as MMS and SMS to be accessed.
Fig. 4 shows the display unit 15 with the screen 2 free of avatars. A physical control 18 located on the external casing 4 is used to control positioning of information displayed on the screen. In Figure 4, the physical control 18 is centrally located but it may be relocated to an upper 18:2 or lower limit 18:1 along the side of the casing as shown in Fig 6. The control 18 may be placed on the left or the right of the screen. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the physical control is a linear potentiometer with a button located on its upper surface. The button may be a push button or touch pad or similar interactive device to enable the physical control to interact with the screen. In an alternative embodiment, the physical control may be replaced with a mouse device such as a mouse, a finger pad, a touch screen, a joystick or the like. The physical control 18 is spring loaded, such that when it is moved to its upper or lower limit it will return to its centre position as shown in Figure 4. It will be appreciated if the screen is rotated through 180 degrees, the accelerometer 6 can be used in conjunction with the CPU 3 to detect orientation and adapt the physical control 18 accordingly such that the user is not affected by the orientation of the screen.
The physical control 18 may be used to scroll through the information displayed on the screen 2. The button on the physical control may be used to allow the specific information to be focussed on. By depressing the button on the physical control, the information centred on the screen will be selected for enhanced viewing. It will be appreciated that using a combination of the button on the physical control and the slide feature of the physical control may be used for features such as highlighting or zooming and the like.
When the personal avatar 8 is positioned on the left 21 of the screen, the sensor 1 at that position is activated to cause the unit 15 to send a message to the user represented by the avatar. A keyboard 17 may be mounted on the rear of the VDU 15 as shown in Fig 5. When removed from the back of the device, the keyboard 17 allows the user to compose a message in the message area of the screen, which in this embodiment is located on the left of the screen. The message may be scrolled using the physical controller 18. Once the message is written the user may engage a button on the centre of the physical control 18 to send the message. It will also be appreciated that the keyboard may also be used to send the message.
When the personal avatar is placed in a third position 23 on the right of the screen 2 as shown in Fig. 3, messages from the user represented by the personal avatar 8 may be displayed on the screen 2. In the embodiment shown, messages will be displayed on the left hand side of the screen. Thus, when the personal avatar 8 is placed on the right of the screen, messages will appear on the free side of the screen. The physical control 18 may be used to scroll the messages and if selected using the button on the physical control the message will be selected and pulled into the screen. The physical control may be used to scroll through the message.
In a further configuration, when the display unit is not in use with the personal avatars, the screen may be used to display information pertinent to the display user, such as news services, weather updates, short updates from friends who are registered. In alternative configurations, the display unit may also comprise a storage area in which the personal avatars may be conveniently stored. In one embodiment, when the personal avatars are not in use and stored in this storage area, a separate antenna may also be provided in the VDU to scan any friend passes in this location and display information about these people. Users represented by these personal avatars stored in this location may be considered as "close friends" where as personal avatars of users who are not frequently contacted may be stored in an alternative location.
As shown in Fig. 5, the VDU 15 is held upright using a stand 20. The bottom of the stand 20 can pivot about an upper hinge 19 to hold the device upright in portrait or landscape orientation. The hinge and stand configuration is shown in more detail in Fig. 7. It will be appreciated that the hinge and stand may have a ball and socket connection so that the stand can rotate through 360 degrees. The accelerometer 6 detects the orientation of the screen and allows the controls to re-orientate accordingly. As shown in Fig. 8 the stand 20 and hinge 19 arrangement can be rotated to support the stand in portrait configuration. In Fig. 9 the physical control 18 is located on the bottom of the casing when in portrait configuration. An internal accelerometer can be used to detect the orientation of the screen and the controller may reconfigure the reactions of the display to the physical control accordingly. It will be appreciated that a gyroscope or other orientation sensor, may also be used to detect the orientation of the display unit.
Fig.10 outlines the process of composing a message on the screen. As an initial step, a personal avatar 8 is placed onto the screen 2 on the left hand side 21. When the personal avatar 8 is placed onto or near the sensor 1 on the left hand side of the screen, the sensor will be triggered and will cause the RFID reader to capture all the information which is available to it. Each personal avatar has a unique ID, which may be linked to an online database. A request may then be sent to a central server to link the physical representation of the user with the digital information stored in the online database. Alternative sensors such as BLUETOOTH sensors, Infrared unique ID's, RFID cards e.g. Oyster cards and wireless sensors such as Zigbee sensors may also be used to trigger the up and downloading of user specific information.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the web service may be found on the semantic web. This results in the display requiring a database which stores only meta information and therefore does not have large memory requirements.
Once the personal avatar 8 is placed on the screen 2, the internal controller will confirm if the avatar (friend pass) is registered with the unit 15. If yes, a write message screen will be displayed on the screen 2. If the personal avatar 8 has not been registered with the unit 15, a request will be sent by the controller 3 to the server to link the personal avatar with the unit 15. Once the personal avatar has been registered with the device, the internal controller will confirm the registration and proceed to load the write message screen on the screen 2.
In one embodiment of the present invention a one-plug router may be used to bridge the digital divide. Examples of routers include the Apple Airport Router, a D-Link filter or a Netgear Router. In one embodiment, the router is pre-configured, such that all the settings are embedded and it no setup is required at the user site. In a preferred configuration, a switch such as a toggle switch or push button switch may be located on the external case of the router, such as on the top, allowing the router to be easily set and reset or turned off. A preferred router would be the same as a standard 85mm x 85mm outlet, with a single switch used to turn the router off and on. In a one construction two sockets such as RJ-I l sockets and one socket such as RJ-45 socket may be used, however, the router may have any configuration of sockets and are not confined to RJ-Il and RJ-45 sockets. The router may also have one or more lights such as led lights to indicate the status of the router, such as whether the router is switched on, or if data is being transferred. These lights may also be configured to indicate a physical change in the router. In one embodiment, these status lights may flash in a specific manner as data is being transferred. For example, if the lights are constantly on, the router is switched on and there is no data transfer. Lights fading on and off may be indicative of the router reconnecting to the network. Fading off for four seconds after five minutes may indicate that the router is switched on and connected to the internet. Alternatively a display such as an LCD display may be used to indicate the status information. In order to remove any problems associated with setting up the router hardware the router may be configured at the point of sale and providing a truly plug and play solution. The router may also be externally managed allowing settings to be changed remotely, for example by the Internet Service provider.
As shown in Fig. 11 using the interface is a simple process accessible to all users, including those who are unfamiliar with conventional social networking interfaces. The personal avatar (friend pass) 8 is placed on the screen 2, for example, at the centre position 22. In the embodiment shown, a magnet 9, 14 in the personal avatar 8 adheres to the screen 2 of the display unit 15 which may also be magnetic. The magnet in the personal avatar or friend pass 8 triggers the sensor 1 at the central position 1 of the screen 2, and the RDIF reader or antenna 5 takes a reading of the information stored on the avatar 8. The RFID reader or antenna passes information from the friend pass 8 to the controller 3. This information may include the unique ID. Once the controller or CPU receives the data, it passes it out to a remote server using integrated connectivity, such as that which can be obtained using a 3 G modem, or other modem such as a dial- up, V90, V92, ISDN, DSL, cable modems etc. If the personal avatar 8 has been registered with the unit 15, the unit will be activated to provide either a read, write, update function etc. If the personal avatar is not registered, the controller will link the ID of the personal avatar to the ID on the server. The ID registered on the server, may be taken from various online sources. Once the device is registered, the controller will verify the registration and activate the various resources.
Fig 12. shows how the system works, and outlines some of the foundations upon which the unique aggregating software is built. When avatar 1 is placed onto the visual display unit 5, the magnet sensor 2 will trigger the magnet sensor 3, which causes the RFID reader 4 to capture all the RFIDs that it can find. Each avatar 1 has a unique ID which is linked to an online database 7, 8 and the processor 6 sends out a request to the web service to link the physical information with the digital. In the diagram shown, there are 3 magnetic sensors 3 on the visual display unit 5 which trigger various information to be displayed 8a. The time between placing the avatar 1 and getting information displayed 8a is simultaneous. (This may be over a wireless internet connection which will be bridged by the Jlveone plug router.) The RFID reader 4 may have over 100,000 unique RFID's, while the online database 8 can store near unlimited information about users. The web service 7 will be founded upon the semantic web, therefore the web service and database only have to store meta information about connections.
In Fig. 13 it is illustrated how the data service takes existing online data and embeds it in the data service. The system illustrated and for convenience herein referred to as Jive, builds on existing online content. Open API's and the launch of OpenSocial will mean that all of the existing online data can be aggregated in one place. Services such as FriendFeed already do this with an open API output for their service. OpenSocial defines a common API for social applications across multiple websites, Jive leverages current content so users can have very little to setup. Jive can receive and display SMS and e-mails that you send to your account. Each avatar/friend pass as shown in Fig. 13 has a RDIF embedded into it. It links the physical representation with all existing online information. In the system shown when the friend pass is placed onto the monitor, a magnetic sensor is triggered and this will trigger a RFID reader which will read the information and display the users information.
The words "comprises/comprising" and the words "having/including" when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

Claims

Claims
1. A personal avatar for use in a social networking system, comprising: means for representing a individual; means for storing a unique identification code associated with the individual; and means for transmitting said identification code to a visual display unit.
2. The personal avatar of any preceding claim, wherein the means for transmitting said identification code to the visual display unit comprises an RFID antenna and chipset.
3. The personal avatar of any preceding claim, wherein the means for transmitting comprises one or more magnets arranged to activate sensors in the visual display unit.
4. The personal avatar of any preceding claim, further comprising: means for attaching said personal avatar to the visual display unit.
5. The personal avatar of claim 5, wherein the means for attaching said personal avatar to the visual display unit comprises a magnet.
6. The personal avatar of any preceding claim, further comprising a housing, wherein the means for storing and the means for communication are provided within the housing.
7. The personal avatar of claim 6, wherein the means for representing the individual is a visual representation of the individual provided on an outer surface of the housing.
8. The personal avatar of claim 6, wherein the housing is formed from a ferromagnetic material adapted for attachment to one or more magnets provided in the visual display unit.
9. The personal avatar of any preceding claim, further comprising a power supply for providing power to the means for transmitting.
10. A visual display unit (VDU), comprising; means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar to the visual display unit; means for receiving information from said personal avatar in response to detection of the avatar; means for processing the received information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and means for displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar.
11. The visual display unit of claim 10, wherein the means for displaying information is a personal avatar-driven tangible user interface.
12. The visual display unit of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the means for displaying information comprises an LCD screen.
13. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to claim 12, further comprising: means for communicating with an external network to retrieve information relating to the individual identified by the personal avatar.
14. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 13, further comprising: means for detecting the orientation of the visual display unit.
15. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 14, further comprising: means for scrolling through information displayed by the display means.
16. The visual display unit of claim 15, wherein the means for scrolling further comprises means for selecting information displayed on the display means.
17. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 16, wherein the means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar comprises means for detecting the position of the personal avatar and wherein the visual display unit further comprises means for displaying a selected type of information or activating a predefined function associated with the detected position.
18. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the means for detecting the proximity of a personal avatar comprises one or more magnetically activated sensors.
19.The visual display unit of any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the means for detecting the orientation of the VDU is an accelerometer.
20. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 19, wherein the means for receiving information from said personal avatar is further configured to power an RFID antenna and chipset in the personal avatar.
21. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 20, wherein the information received from the personal avatar comprises a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the avatar.
22. The visual display unit of any of claims 10 to 21 , further comprising a keyboard to enable user interaction with the visual display unit.
23.A method of social networking comprising: providing at least one personal avatar representing an individual with whom a user wishes to network; positioning the personal avatar adjacent to a visual display unit (VDU); detecting the proximity of the personal avatar to visual display unit; transmitting information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from the personal avatar to the visual display unit in response to said detecting; processing the information to determine the identity of the individual represented by the personal avatar; and displaying information relating to the individual represented by the personal avatar on the VDU.
24.A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the information transmitted from the personal avatar to the VDU is a unique identification code associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar.
25.A method as claimed in claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the step of positioning the personal avatar adjacent to the VDU comprises positioning the personal avatar in one of a plurality of predefined positions, wherein each position is associated with a predefined networking function, the method further comprising the step of: detecting the position of the personal avatar; and performing the function associated with the detected position.
26. The method of any of claims 23 to 25, further comprising registering the personal avatar with the visual display unit.
27. The method of any of claims 26, wherein the step of registering comprises linking the information transmitted by the personal avatar with an external server.
28. The method of any of claims 25 to 27, wherein performing one or more of the predefined functions comprises obtaining aggregate information associated with the individual represented by the personal avatar from an external database.
29. The method of any of claims 25 to 28, wherein performing one or more of the predefined functions comprises enabling messages to be sent to or received from the individual represented by the personal avatar.
30. A computer program product comprising code which when executed by a processor causes the processor to implement the method of any of claims 23 to 29.
31.A social networking system comprising: a visual display unit as claimed in any of claims 10 to 22; and at least one personal avatar as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.
32.A personal avatar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
33.A visual display unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in Figures 2 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
PCT/EP2009/055948 2008-05-15 2009-05-15 Method and system for social networking WO2009138502A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0808775A GB0808775D0 (en) 2008-05-15 2008-05-15 Using physical object to retrieve data about a specific user via a tangible user interface
GB0808775.1 2008-05-15

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WO2009138502A1 true WO2009138502A1 (en) 2009-11-19

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Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (1) GB0808775D0 (en)
WO (1) WO2009138502A1 (en)

Non-Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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