US 11,729,579 B2
Method and device for facilitating restricted proximity discovery of an application user
Apostolis K. Salkintzis, Athens (GR)
Assigned to MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed by MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on May 12, 2015, as Appl. No. 14/709,571.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/116,491, filed on Feb. 15, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2016/0242027 A1, Aug. 18, 2016
Int. Cl. G06F 15/16 (2006.01); H04W 4/02 (2018.01); H04W 8/00 (2009.01); H04W 4/08 (2009.01); H04W 8/18 (2009.01); H04W 12/02 (2009.01); H04W 48/14 (2009.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.01)
CPC H04W 4/023 (2013.01) [H04W 4/08 (2013.01); H04W 8/005 (2013.01); H04W 8/183 (2013.01); H04W 12/02 (2013.01); H04W 48/14 (2013.01); H04W 76/14 (2018.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for facilitating restricted discovery of a first user of an application, the method comprising a first proximity-based services server performing:
obtaining, from an application server, authorization to access first user resources for a first application hosted by the application server, wherein the first application is a social networking application;
in response to obtaining authorization to access the first user resources, communicating, to a first user device associated with the first user, a list of associates from the first user resources, wherein the first user and the associates are registered users of the first application, and wherein a connection between each of the associates and the first user is pre-established via the first application;
receiving, from the first user device, an indication of a set of associates selected from the list of associates by the first user, wherein each associate in the set of associates is permitted to discover the first user;
receiving, via a proximity-based services application executing on the first user device, a request for a proximity-based services code, wherein the proximity-based services code facilitates discovery of the first user device;
determining whether the first user is subscribed to proximity-based services associated with the first application;
in response to determining that the first user is subscribed to proximity-based services associated with the first application, allocating a first proximity-based services code for the first application to the first user, wherein the first proximity-based services code is associated with a validity duration during which the first proximity-based services code can be broadcast by the first user device; and
announcing, to a set of other proximity-based services servers, existence of the first proximity-based services code allocated for the first application to the first user until the validity duration expires.