Method and system for providing a computer network-based community-building function through user-to-user ally association
First Claim
1. A system for building a reference hierarchy within a computer network-based community, said system comprising:
- a server system comprising one or more servers;
a plurality of user profiles supported on said server system and corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein said plurality of users may take on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
an ally association function, wherein one of said users is selectively associated with another one of said users as an ally, said ally association function activated when an investigator initiates a request to become an ally associate of a profiler upon viewing a feature profile of said profiler, said profiler having the ability to choose from a decline of said request and an acceptance of said request in order to control the allies associated with said profiler, said acceptance serving to associate said investigator with said profiler as an ally to said profiler, as well as to associate said profiler with any allies of said investigator to create a hierarchy of allies to said profiler; and
an ally profile posted on said feature profile of said profiler, said ally profile comprising an access link to a feature profile of said ally, identification of and an access link to any said allies of said ally, and a subjective rating and characterization of said profiler provided by said ally.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention features a system for building a reference hierarchy within a computer network-based community according to a user-to-user ally association function. Through this function, users in a community can associate themselves with other users as ally associates for the purposes of referring, validating, building an online community, and other benefits often found in real space environments. The present invention further features a group association function and a security blocking function that each utilize the ally association technology to involve other users. Finally, the present invention features a relationship stage defining function that allows parties involved in an online relationship to define a relationship and move through pre-defined stages.
102 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A system for building a reference hierarchy within a computer network-based community, said system comprising:
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a server system comprising one or more servers;
a plurality of user profiles supported on said server system and corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein said plurality of users may take on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
an ally association function, wherein one of said users is selectively associated with another one of said users as an ally, said ally association function activated when an investigator initiates a request to become an ally associate of a profiler upon viewing a feature profile of said profiler, said profiler having the ability to choose from a decline of said request and an acceptance of said request in order to control the allies associated with said profiler, said acceptance serving to associate said investigator with said profiler as an ally to said profiler, as well as to associate said profiler with any allies of said investigator to create a hierarchy of allies to said profiler; and
an ally profile posted on said feature profile of said profiler, said ally profile comprising an access link to a feature profile of said ally, identification of and an access link to any said allies of said ally, and a subjective rating and characterization of said profiler provided by said ally. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer network-based user-to-user ally association system comprising:
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a server system comprising one or more servers;
a plurality of client computing devices in communication with said server system to comprise a network-based computer system, said plurality of client computing devices corresponding to a plurality of users, wherein said plurality of users may take on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling said network-based computer system to execute an ally association function, wherein a said user is associated with another said user as an ally, said computer-readable medium comprising code for directing a computer to;
support a plurality of user profiles corresponding to said plurality of users;
display a feature profile of a profiler to an investigator;
receive a request from said investigator to become an ally associate of said profiler upon viewing said feature profile;
send said request to said profiler for approval, said profiler having the ability to choose from a decline of said request and an acceptance of said request in order to control the allies associated with said profiler;
receive a response from said profiler, said response comprising one of said acceptance or decline;
upon acceptance, associate said investigator as an ally of said profiler, as well as associate said profiler with any allies of said investigator to create a hierarchy of allies to said profiler;
display an ally profile on said feature profile of said profiler, said ally profile comprising an access link to a feature profile of said ally, identification of and an access link to any said allies of said ally, and a subjective rating and characterization of said profiler provided by said ally; and
proliferate said association function through other user-to-user ally associations to build a reference and witnessing hierarchy within said computer based-network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for associating a user with a profiler to establish said user as an ally to said profiler, said method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a plurality of users within an online community, said plurality of users taking on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
accessing, as an investigator, a feature profile of a profiler;
initiating a request to become an ally of said profiler;
providing information about and rating, as part of said request, said profiler;
submitting said request to become an ally to said profiler for approval;
becoming an ally to said profiler upon said profiler'"'"'s approval of said request;
adding said investigator as an ally to said feature profile of said profiler, said ally user serving as a voucher and confidant for said profiler, as well as a resource for other investigators within said community to utilize in seeking to pursue and establish a relationship with said profiler; and
creating an ally profile of said ally within said feature profile of said profiler, said ally profile comprising an access link to a feature profile of said ally, identification of and an access link to any said allies of said ally, and a subjective rating and characterization of said profiler provided by said ally. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer program product for implementing within a computer network based system a method for associating an investigator with a profiler, said computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium for providing computer program code means utilized to implement said method, wherein said computer program code means is comprised of executable code for implementing the steps comprised of;
obtaining a plurality of users within an online community, said plurality of users taking on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
displaying to said investigator a feature profile of said profiler;
processing a request by said investigator to become an ally of said profiler;
receiving, as part of said request, information and ratings pertaining to said profiler from said investigator;
transmitting said request to said profiler for approval;
receiving a response from said profiler;
adding said investigator as an ally to said feature profile of said profiler, upon said approval by said profiler, said ally user serving as a voucher and confidant for said profiler, as well as a resource for other investigators within said community to utilize in seeking to pursue and establish a relationship with said profiler; and
creating an ally profile of said ally within said feature profile of said profiler, said ally profile comprising an access link to a feature profile of said ally, identification of and an access link to any said allies of said ally, and a subjective rating and characterization of said profiler provided by said ally.
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34. A computer program product for implementing within a computer network-based system a method for forming and establishing relationships among users, said computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium for providing computer program code means utilized to implement said method, wherein said computer program code means is comprised of executable code for implementing the steps comprised of;
obtaining a plurality of users within an online community, said plurality of users taking on one of several roles, namely an investigator, a profiler, and an ally depending upon whether said users are accessing and viewing other users'"'"' profiles, said users'"'"' profiles are being accessed and viewed, and if said users are associated with other users, respectively;
displaying to said investigator a feature profile of said profiler, said feature profiler comprising information about said profiler and at least one ally profile corresponding to an ally associated with said profiler; and
providing an ally association function, wherein one of said users is selectively associated with another one of said users as an ally, said ally association function activated when an investigator initiates a request to become an ally associate of a profiler upon viewing a feature profile of said profiler, said profiler having the ability to choose from a decline of said request and an acceptance of said request in order to control the allies associated with said profiler, said acceptance serving to associate said investigator with said profiler as an ally to said profiler, as well as to associate said profiler with any allies of said investigator to create a hierarchy of allies to said profiler. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
Specification