System and method for interacting with a social network

• US 10,395,257 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Hamilton Malcolm, Matthew Campbell Patterson
• Original Assignee: Andrew Hamilton Malcolm, Matthew Campbell Patterson
• Inventors: Patterson, Matthew Campbell, Malcolm, Andrew Hamilton
• Primary Examiner(s): Munson, Patricia H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baggot, Breffni
• Application Number:
  US14/447,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 715753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for interacting with a social network. The method includes displaying a web page provided by a content provider on a user device. The web page includes at least one social network access item. The social network access item may be selected by a user of the user device, with a first type of selection causing a link to an online resource associated with a social network provider to be followed by the web browser, the online resource enabling the user to login to a social network. Receiving a second type of selection causes at least one control option to be displayed within the web page. The control option may be for saving details of the web page to a storage location remote from the user device and provided by the social network provider, or accessing the details of at least one web page previously saved by the user from the storage location.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for user specific management of webpage content directly from within a web page comprising:

displaying, on a user device, a webpage of content from a web site, that is hosted by a web server device of a content provider, the web page comprising an authentication element, and a visible social network icon for a social network operated by at least one server device of a social network provider displayed in the web page by a script embedded into the web page as a self-contained block and executable by a web browser, and enabling a user to input a first type of selection of the social network icon, a second type of selection of the social network icon, or a selection of an element displayed within the webpage other than the social network icon;

determining, using the authentication element, whether the user device has a cookie stored locally on the user device, wherein the web page identifies and verifies the user based on the cookie;

determining if the user input the first type of selection of the social network icon, the second type of selection of the social network icon, or a selection of an element displayed within the web page other than the social network icon;

causing, upon determining that the user input the first type of selection of the social network icon, the web browser to follow a link to an online resource associated with the social network provider, the online resource enabling the user to login to the social network operated by at least one server device provided by the social network provider, wherein the first type of selection comprises one of;

a left-click of a mouse, a touch gesture equivalent of a left-click of a mouse on a touch screen, or a voice command equivalent of a left click of a mouse, and

causing, upon determining that the user input the second type of selection of the social network icon, wherein the second type of selection comprises one of;

a right-click of a mouse, a touch gesture equivalent of a right-click of a mouse on a touch screen, or a voice command equivalent of a right-click of a mouse;

accessing user specific information, from a storage hub remote from the user device and provided by the social network provider, based on the cookie;

execution of script associated with the social network icon by the web browser to display a user interface unique to the social network icon within the web page; and

display of the user interface, based on the user specific information, within the web page, wherein the user interface comprises a menu displaying selectable control options, the control options including at least;

a recommend function that displays the details of the web page on the user'"'"'s social network page;

a save web page control function, selection of which causes saving, by the at least one server device, details of the web page together with the cookie to a storage hub remote from the user device and provided by the social network provider;

a saved web page access function, selection of which causes;

accessing, by the at least one server device in bidirectional communication with the remote storage hub, user specific information including the cookie;

accessing, by the at least one server device, of details of at least one web page previously saved by the user to the storage hub with the cookie, and

transmitting the details of the at least one previously saved web page to the user device for display to the user within a secondary interface overlaying the web page displayed by the web browser on the user device; and

causing, upon determining that the user input is the selection of an element displayed within the webpage other than the social network icon, the display of a context menu standard to the web browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displayed control options comprises an option to send details of the web page to one or more contacts of the user retrieved from the remote storage hub.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said displayed control options comprise an option to send details of the web page to the one or more contacts retrieved from the remote storage hub, and wherein selection of said option results in sending of an invitation to the one or more contacts to view the web page currently being viewed by the user.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an online contacts list populated with contacts of the user retrieved from the remote storage hub who have been identified as currently having access to social network functions by the social network provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises a reminder regarding a calendar event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a messaging service provided by the social network provider.

7. A system comprising:

a web server device of a content provider; and

a user device comprising at least one processor, and at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the system to;

receive, for display on the user device, a web page hosted by the web server device of the content provider, the web page comprising an authentication element, and a visible social network icon of a social network operated by at least one server device provided by a social network provider, displayed in the web page by a script embedded into the web page as a self-contained block of script and executable by a web browser, and enabling a user to input a first type of selection of the social network icon, a second type of selection of the social network icon, or a selection of an element displayed within the webpage other than the social network icon;

determine, using the authentication element, whether the user device has a cookie stored locally on the user device, wherein the web page identifies and verifies the user based on the cookie;

determine if the user input the first type of selection of the social network icon, the second type of selection of the social network icon, or a selection of an element displayed within the web page other than the social network icon;

cause, upon determining that the user input the first type of selection of the social network icon, the web browser to follow a link to an online resource associated with the social network provider, the online resource enabling the user to login to the social network, wherein the first type of selection comprises one of;

a left-click of a mouse, a touch gesture equivalent of a left-click of a mouse on a touch screen, or a voice command equivalent of a left click of a mouse, and

cause, upon determining that the user input the second type of selection of the social network icon, wherein the second type of selection comprises one of;

a right-click of a mouse, a touch gesture equivalent of a right-click of a mouse on a touch screen or a touch pad equivalent of a right-click of a mouse, and a voice command equivalent of a right-click of a mouse;

access of user specific information, from a storage hub remote from the user device and provided by the social network provider, based on the cookie;

execution of script associated with the social network icon by the web browser to display a user interface unique to the social network icon within the webpage; and

display the user interface, based on the user specific information, within the web page, wherein the user interface comprises a menu displaying selectable control options to be displayed within the web page, the control options including at least;

a recommend function that displays the details of the web page on the user'"'"'s social network page;

a save web page control function, selection of which causes saving, by the at least one server device, details of the web page together with the cookie to a storage hub remote from the user device and provided by the social network provider;

a saved web page access function, selection of which causes;

accessing, by the at least one server device in bidirectional communication with the remote storage hub, user specific information including the cookie;

accessing, by the at least one server device, of details of at least one web page previously saved by the user to the storage hub with the cookie, and

transmitting the details of the at least one previously saved web page to the user device for display to the user within a secondary interface overlaying the web page displayed by the web browser on the user device; and

causing, upon determining that the user input is the selection of an element displayed within the webpage other than the social network icon, the display of a context menu standard to the web browser.