Method and apparatus for providing control of social networking sites

• US 10,110,698 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alfred, Joseph Anderson, Sommer, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, David
• Application Number:
  US14/577,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing control of social networking sites are disclosed. For example, the method establishes an owner profile, receives a request from a third party user to post information on a social networking site associated with an owner, determines if the request should be granted in accordance with the owner profile and posts the information on the social networking site associated with the owner if the request is granted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request from a third party user for permission to post information on a social networking site associated with an owner, wherein the information is not posted on the social networking site associated with the owner until the request is granted, wherein the third party user and the owner are different entities;

determining, by the processor, if the request should be granted in accordance with an owner profile, wherein the owner profile comprises a relationship profile and a security profile, wherein the relationship profile comprises a plurality of approved third party users and a plurality of relationship types, the plurality of relationship types comprising at least two of;

a friend relationship type, a family relationship type, a co-worker relationship type, or an acquaintance relationship type, wherein the security profile defines what type of information can be posted on the social networking site associated with the owner, wherein the owner profile is used for posting the information; and

posting, by the processor, the information on the social networking site associated with the owner when the request is granted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner profile further comprises an application profile indicating how the information is to appear upon the posting or is to be encoded for the posting and an order of posting profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the order of posting profile comprises an order of postings based upon an approved third party user of the plurality of approved third party users as defined by the owner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises:

holding the information in a queue for the owner to review the information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

receiving permission from the owner to post the information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the posting of the information from the third party user is originated from the owner and not the third party user.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a third party user for permission to post information on a social networking site associated with an owner, wherein the information is not posted on the social networking site associated with the owner until the request is granted, wherein the third party user and the owner are different entities;

determining if the request should be granted in accordance with an owner profile, wherein the owner profile comprises a relationship profile and a security profile, wherein the relationship profile comprises a plurality of approved third party users and a plurality of relationship types, the plurality of relationship types comprising at least two of;

a friend relationship type, a family relationship type, a co-worker relationship type, or an acquaintance relationship type, wherein the security profile defines what type of information can be posted on the social networking site associated with the owner, wherein the owner profile is used for posting the information; and

posting the information on the social networking site associated with the owner when the request is granted.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the owner profile further comprises an application profile indicating how the information is to appear upon the posting or is to be encoded for the posting and an order of posting profile.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the order of posting profile comprises an order of postings based upon an approved third party user of the plurality of approved third party users as defined by the owner.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the receiving further comprises:

holding the information in a queue for the owner to review the information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises:

receiving permission from the owner to post the information.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the posting of the information from the third party user is originated from the owner and not the third party user.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from a third party user for permission to post information on a social networking site associated with an owner, wherein the information is not posted on the social networking site associated with the owner until the request is granted, wherein the third party user and the owner are different entities;

determining if the request should be granted in accordance with an owner profile, wherein the owner profile comprises a relationship profile and a security profile, wherein the relationship profile comprises a plurality of approved third party users and a plurality of relationship types, the plurality of relationship types comprising at least two of;

a friend relationship type, a family relationship type, a co-worker relationship type, or an acquaintance relationship type, wherein the security profile defines what type of information can be posted on the social networking site associated with the owner, wherein the owner profile is used for posting the information; and

posting the information on the social networking site associated with the owner when the request is granted.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the owner profile further comprises an application profile indicating how the information is to appear upon the posting or is to be encoded for the posting and an order of posting profile.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the order of posting profile comprises an order of postings based upon an approved third party user of the plurality of approved third party users as defined by the owner.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receiving further comprises:

holding the information in a queue for the owner to review the information.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the determining further comprises:

receiving permission from the owner to post the information.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the posting of the information from the third party user is originated from the owner and not the third party user.