System and method for facilitating interpersonal contacts and social and commercial networking

Abstract

Disclosed is a mobile computing device application or “mobile application” designed to assist users in performing directed searches within defined geographic scope to achieve specific goals within social, ecommerce and collaborative spaces. The Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) is used for data transfer. An Internet-based server is responsible for coordinating all connections between mobile peers. Peer matches are pre-qualified by the server based on available location-based service (LBS) data and other criteria. Short-range wireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth, radio-frequency identification (RFID), Wibree, UWB (ultra-wideband), WUSB (wireless USB) and WLAN (wireless local area network) connection, are used as a trigger to indicate proximity. Thus, contact between users in close proximity is established without the need for continuous communication between the mobile device and the server.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by an electronic device e i , a pre-qualifying list of electronic devices, the pre-qualifying list comprising the electronic device e i  and an electronic device e j , the pre-qualifying list generated based at least in part on locations of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j ;   detecting, by the electronic device ei, that the electronic device e j  is within a close proximity of the electronic device e i ;   receiving, by the electronic device e i , from the electronic device e j , a retrieval location of data; and   retrieving, by the electronic device e i , the data from the retrieval location.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one or both of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j  are mobile devices. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one or both of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j  are at static locations. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic device e j  includes a transceiver. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electronic device e i  includes a transceiver. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein both the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j  include transceivers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving a retrieval location of data is in response to a request from the electronic device e i  to the electronic device e j  for the retrieval location of the data. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the pre-qualifying list is further generated based at least in part on criteria c i  for electronic device e i , and criteria c j  for electronic device e j . 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the receiving a pre-qualifying list is from a server and the electronic device e i  is in wireless internet communication with the server. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the electronic device e i  sends a unique identifier to the server before receiving the pre-qualifying list. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the close proximity is about 150 meters. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the close proximity is about 25 meters. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the close proximity is about 3 meters. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the receiving a pre-qualifying list of electronic devices, the detecting, the receiving from the electronic device e j  a retrieval location of data, and the retrieving is via a short range wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the retrieval location is on the electronic device ej. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the retrieval location is on the electronic device ej. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the retrieval location is at a location accessible via a network and the retrieving is via the network. 
     
     
         37 . An electronic device e i  comprising:
 a memory having computer readable instructions; and   one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions controlling the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:   receiving, by the electronic device e i , a pre-qualifying list of electronic devices, the pre-qualifying list comprising the electronic device e i  and an electronic device e j , the pre-qualifying list generated based at least in part on locations of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j ;   detecting, by the electronic device ei, that the electronic device e j  is within a close proximity of the electronic device e i ;   receiving, by the electronic device e i , from the electronic device e j , a retrieval location of data; and   retrieving, by the electronic device e i , the data from the retrieval location.   
     
     
         38 . The electronic device e i  of  claim 37 , wherein one or both of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j  are mobile devices. 
     
     
         39 . The electronic device e i  of  claim 37 , wherein one or both of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j  are at static locations. 
     
     
         40 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by an electronic device e i , a pre-qualifying list of electronic devices, the pre-qualifying list comprising the electronic device e i  and an electronic device e j , the pre-qualifying list generated based at least in part on locations of the electronic device e i  and the electronic device e j ;   detecting, by the electronic device ei, that the electronic device e j  is within a close proximity of the electronic device e i ;   receiving, by the electronic device e i , from the electronic device e j , a retrieval location of data; and   retrieving, by the electronic device e i , the data from the retrieval location.