Instant messaging system with dynamic displaying of affinity among users
First Claim
1. A method of managing a messaging service for use in a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
- providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer.
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Abstract
A method of managing a messaging service is proposed for use in a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of: providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of managing a messaging service for use in a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
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providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer program, directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the system, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
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providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer.
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15. A program product comprising a computer readable medium storing a computer program, the program being directly loadable into a working memory of a data processing system with distributed architecture for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the system, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
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providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer.
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16. In a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a computer program directly loadable into a working memory of a server computer for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the server computer, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
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receiving personal information of the user, determining, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, and transmitting each affinity value to the client computer of the user to cause the client computer to provide an indication of each affinity value to the user.
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17. In a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a program product comprising a computer readable medium storing a computer program, the program being directly loadable into a working memory of a server computer for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the server computer, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of:
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receiving personal information of the user, determining, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, and transmitting each affinity value to the client computer of the user to cause the client computer to provide an indication of each affinity value to the user.
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18. In a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a computer program directly loadable into a working memory of a client computer for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the client computer, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps of:
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sending personal information of the user of the client computer to the at least one server computer to cause the at least one server computer to determine, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, receiving each affinity value from the at least one server computer, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user.
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19. In a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a program product comprising a computer readable medium storing a computer program, the program being directly loadable into a working memory of a client computer for performing a method of managing a messaging service when the program is run on the client computer, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps of:
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sending personal information of the user of the client computer to the at least one server computer to cause the at least one server computer to determine, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, receiving each affinity value from the at least one server computer, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user.
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20. A data processing system with distributed architecture for managing a messaging service including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, wherein the at least one server computer includes means for providing the messaging service for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, means for receiving personal information of each user, means for determining, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, and means for transmitting each affinity value to the client computer of the user, and wherein each client computer includes means for providing an indication of each affinity value to the user of the client computer.
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21. In a data processing system with distributed architecture for managing a messaging service including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, a server computer including means for receiving personal information of each user, means for determining, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, and means for transmitting each affinity value to the client computer of the user to cause the client computer to provide an indication of each affinity value to the user.
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22. In a data processing system with distributed architecture for managing a messaging service including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, the messaging service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, a client computer including means for sending personal information of the user of the client computer to the at least one server computer to cause the at least one server computer to determine, for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, means for receiving each affinity value from the at least one server computer, and means for providing an indication of each affinity value to the user.
Specification