| 摘要 |
The present invention is a fan networking system (FNS), available through a software application, executing on fans' portable smart devices for an event to be held in a venue. A FNS may offer event-customized services to fans, such as messaging, fan groups, mementos, coupons, “friends”, and contests. The level of services might depend on whether a fan is attending; timing (pre-, during, post-performance); for a competitive event, whether the fan affiliates with the home or away team; and the category of fan (e.g., audience, management, performer). Determination of whether a fan is attending may be done with geolocation services, e.g., through GPS. A fan might need to remain within the venue for some period of time to qualify as attending. Services to attending fans may extend for a period beyond the event itself. |
| 主权项 |
1. A system, comprising:
a) a portable smart device (PSD), which includes (i) a processing system, which includes a processor, (ii) at least one wireless communication system, implemented at least partially in hardware, through which the processing system can communicate externally, and (iii) computer-accessible tangible storage, including data and software instructions used by the processing system, (iv) a user interface (UI) that includes a hardware display, and (v) a geolocation system that tracks geolocations of the PSD; and b) a fan software application (FSA), which is saved in the storage and is executed by the processing system, that (i) transmits a sequence of the geolocations through a first of the wireless communication systems, directed to a first fan network management system (FNMS), (ii) based upon the sequence of transmitted geolocations, qualifies the PSD as attending a first event, (iii) receives a communication, from the first FNMS over one of the wireless communication systems, metadata that describes an item of digital content, (iv) receives through the UI a user communication that directs the FSA to obtain the item, (v) makes a determination by polling whether some second PSD, which has qualified with the first FNMS as attending the first event, contains the item and is accessible directly by one of the wireless communication systems of the first PSD, and (vi) requests and obtains the item directly from such a second PSD if possible based on the determination, and otherwise requests and obtains the item from the first FNMS. |
