Method And System For Handling Overlapping Events

Abstract

In the present disclosure methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium are described for determining when a proposed event will overlap with an existing event. Events, which are associated with sharing pools, are defined by temporal and geographical boundaries, and are determined to overlap when both the temporal boundaries and geographical boundaries overlap. In some embodiments, the proposed event will be aborted, and the initiator will be provided with an invitation to join the existing event. In some embodiments, the initiator of the proposed event is provided with a notification of the overlap, but the second event is initiated. In some embodiments, the geographical boundaries of an event are tied to a reference device, wherein the reference device may change geographical location over time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a server device, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a first device, a first sharing pool initiation request, the first sharing pool initiation request comprising first event information;   initiating a first sharing pool based on the first event information, the first sharing pool including the first device of a plurality of devices;   associating the first sharing pool with a single reference position device, the first sharing pool being a movable sharing pool that changes geographical boundary information over time in response to changes in geographical position of the single reference position device, the geographical boundary information controlling which content is linked to the first sharing pool;   receiving, from a second device, a second sharing pool initiation request, the second sharing pool initiation request comprising second event information;   in response to determining that the first sharing pool and a pending second sharing pool would overlap, providing a notification to the second device identifying the first sharing pool;   receiving, from the second device, an indication that the second sharing pool initiation request is to be aborted;   providing, to the second device, an invitation to join the first sharing pool; and   receiving, from the second device, an invitation acceptance to join the first sharing pool.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in response to determining that the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would not overlap: 
 initiating a second sharing pool. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the invitation is comprised of three or more of:
 information identifying altitudinal boundaries of the first sharing pool, 
 information identifying status of the first sharing pool, 
 information identifying an initiation policy of the first sharing pool, and 
 information identifying a termination policy of the first sharing pool. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining that the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap further comprises:
 performing a first comparison of first geographical boundary information of the first event information and second geographical boundary information of the second event information; 
 based on the first comparison, determining that geographic boundaries of the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap; 
 performing a second comparison of first temporal boundary information of the first event information and second temporal boundary information of the second event information; 
 based on the second comparison, determining that temporal boundaries of the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap; and 
 based on determining that the geographic boundaries of the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap and the temporal boundaries of the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap, determining that the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving information identifying the first device as the single reference position device; 
 receiving a current geographic position of the single reference position device; and 
 in response to determining that the current geographic position of the single reference position device has changed, updating geographical boundary information of the first sharing pool. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the single reference position device is operated on a cruise ship. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the single reference position device is operated on a car trip. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein information associated with the first sharing pool is comprised of three or more of:
 information identifying event altitudinal boundaries, 
 information identifying a moderator of the first sharing pool, 
 information identifying an initiation policy of the first sharing pool, 
 information identifying a termination policy of the first sharing pool, and 
 information identifying the single reference position device for the first sharing pool. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first device is within a geographical area indicated by the first event information at a time the first sharing pool initiation request is received. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first device is not within a geographical area indicated by the first event information at a time the first sharing pool initiation request is received. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein temporal boundary information indicated in the first event information represents a past time period. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein temporal boundary information indicated in the first event information represents a future time period. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein temporal boundary information indicated in the first event information represents a time period containing a current time. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 associating, with the first sharing pool, a textual tag wherein a plurality of sharing pools is associated with the first sharing pool, and the textual tag is unique among the plurality of sharing pools; 
 providing, to the second device present at a first event associated with the first sharing pool, information identifying the textual tag; 
 receiving, from the second device present at the first event, an image captured at the first event, and information reflecting that the textual tag is associated with the image captured at the first event; and 
 storing the image and the textual tag. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein associating, with the first sharing pool, the textual tag further comprising:
 selecting, by the server device, the textual tag to be one of:
 unique among a first event, 
 unique among all events associated with the first sharing pool, 
 unique among all events having been operated by the server device, and 
 unique among all sharing pools having been operated by the server device. 
 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the textual tag is a social networking service messaging label. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining that the first sharing pool and the pending second sharing pool would overlap further comprises:
 comparing the first event information to the second event information to determine whether a first event and a second event would overlap includes comparing geographical boundaries, temporal boundaries, and altitudinal boundaries of the first event information to the second event information to determine that each overlap. 
 
     
     
         20 . A server device comprising:
 a communications interface operable to:
 couple a first device of a plurality of devices and a second device to the server device over a network; and 
   a processor and a memory operable associated with the communications interface and operable to:
 receive, from the first device, a first sharing pool initiation request, the first sharing pool initiation request comprising first event information; 
 initiate a first sharing pool based on the first event information, the first sharing pool associated with the first device; 
 associating the first sharing pool with a single reference position device, the first sharing pool being a movable sharing pool that changes geographical boundary information over time in response to changes in geographical position of the single reference position device, the geographical boundary information controlling which content is linked to the first sharing pool; 
 receive, from the second device, a second sharing pool initiation request, the second sharing pool initiation request comprising second event information; and 
 in response to determining that the first sharing pool and a pending second sharing pool would not overlap, initiate the pending second sharing pool. 
   
     
     
         21 . A method of operating a server device, the method comprising:
 associating a first sharing pool with a single reference position device, the first sharing pool being a movable sharing pool that changes geographical boundary information over time in response to changes in geographical position of the single reference position device, the geographical boundary information controlling which content is linked to the first sharing pool;   receiving, from a second device, a second sharing pool initiation request; and   in response to determining that the first sharing pool and a pending second sharing pool would not overlap, initiating the pending second sharing pool.