Method and system for customizing views of information associated with a social network user

• US 20050177385A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slack Technologies LLC (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hull, Mark, Farmer, F., Perelman, Ellen
• Granted Patent: US 7,269,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/961 Associative
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards managing a view of a social network user'"'"'s personal information based, in part, on user-defined criteria. The user-defined criteria may be applied towards a user'"'"'s relationship with each prospective viewer. The user-defined criteria may include degrees of separation between members of the social network, a relationship to the prospective viewer, as well as criteria based, in part, on activities, such as dating, employment, hobbies, and the like. The user-defined criteria may also be based on a group membership, a strength of a relationship, and the like. Such user-defined relationship criteria may then be mapped against various categories of information associated with social network user to provide customized views of the social network user.

Claims

1. A method of managing social network user information over a network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of social network user information from a user;

receiving a relationship criteria for viewing the social network user information from the user;

receiving a request to view the social network user information from another user; and

providing at least a portion of the social network user information to the other user based, in part, on a mapping of the relationship criteria against the plurality of social network user information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship criteria further comprises at least one of a degree of separation, a category membership, a group membership, a relationship strength, and an activity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship criteria further comprises a membership of the user in an activity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the activity further comprises at least one activity associated with dating, business, military, employment, help, advice, expertise, and alumni.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping of the relationship criteria further comprises, determining if the request is from a member of a user-definable category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping of the relationship criteria further comprises, determining if the request is associated with a request for user information associated with at least one of an activity, and a group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing at least a portion of the social network user information further comprises providing at least one of an age, a name, and an email address associated with the user.

8. A method of managing social network user information over a network, comprising:

receiving a request to view social network user information associated with another user;

if the request is from a user associated with a category, determining a user-definable set of social network user information;

if the request is associated with an activity for which the other user is a member;

determining an activity related set of social network user information;

determining a basic set of social network user information;

if the request is from the user that is associated with a group, determining a group set of social network user information;

if the request is from the user that is associated with a predetermined relationship strength, determining a relationship strength set of social network user information; and

providing at least one of the user-definable set, the activity related set, relationship strength, group, and the basic set of social network user information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if the request is from the user associated with the category, further comprises, determining a relationship between the between the user and the other user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the category further comprises a user-definable category.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the activity further comprises a globally defined activity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the activity is selectable from at least one activity associated with dating, business, military, employment, help, advice, expertise, and alumni.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the basic set of social network user information further comprises determining a globally defined set of information including at least one of an age, a name, an email address, and an alias.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein providing at least one further comprises:

if at least two of the user-definable set, the activity related set, the group set, relationship strength set, and the basic set of social network user information are determined, removing redundant social network user information among the determined sets, and providing a reduced set of social network user information.

15. A client device adapted to managing social network user information over a network, comprising:

a display configured to view social network user information; and

a client application coupled to the display, that is configured to perform actions, including;

requesting social network user information associated with another user;

if the request is from a user associated with a user-definable category, receiving at least a user-definable set of social network user information, wherein the user-definable category and the user-definable set are defined by the other user;

if the request is associated with an activity for which the other user is a member;

receiving at least an activity related set of social network user information; and

receiving a third set of social network user information.

16. The client device of claim 15, wherein receiving at least one of the user-definable set and the activity related set, and the third set of social network user information further comprises receiving a set of social network user information, wherein at least one redundant social network user information has been removed.

17. The client device of claim 15, wherein the client device further comprises a mobile device.

18. The client of claim 15, wherein if the request is from a user associated with a category, further comprises, determining a relationship between the user and the other user.

19. The client of claim 18, wherein determining the relationship further comprises determining a degree of separation between the user and the other user.

20. The client of claim 15, wherein the activity further comprises a globally defined activity selectable from at least one activity associated with dating, business, military, employment, help, advice, and alumni.

21. A server for managing social network user information over a network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to a computing device; and

a view manager that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving a request to view social network user information associated with another user;

if the request is from a user associated with a category, determining a user-definable set of social network user information;

if the request is associated with an activity for which the other user is a member;

determining an activity related set of social network user information;

determining a third set of social network user information; and

providing at least one of the user-definable set, the activity related set, and the third set of social network user information.

22. The server claim 21, wherein the view manager is configure to perform further actions, comprising:

if the request is from the user that is associated with a group, determining a group set of social network user information;

if the request is from the user that is associated with a predetermined relationship strength, determining a relationship strength set of social network user information; and

providing at least one of the group set, and the relationship strength set, and the third set of social network user information.

23. The server of claim 21, further comprising:

a spam filter configured to employ at least one of the category, and the activity to determine whether a message is spam.

24. The server of claim 21, wherein if the request is from the user associated with the category further comprises determining a relationship between the user and the other user, wherein the category and the user-definable set of social network user information is definable by the other user.

25. The server of claim 21, wherein the activity further comprises a globally defined activity rather than a user-definable activity.

26. The server of claim 21, wherein the third set of social network user information comprises user information, including at least one of a name, an email address, an alias, and an age.

27. The server of claim 21, wherein providing at least one of the user-definable set, the activity related set, and the third set of social network user information further comprises providing the social network user information towards a mobile device.

28. A modulated data signal for managing social network user information over a network, the modulated data signal comprising the actions of:

transferring a request to view social network user information associated with another user;

if the request is from a user associated with a category, enabling a determination of a user-definable set of social network user information;

if the request is associated with an activity for which the other user is a member;

enabling a determination of an activity related set of social network user information;

enabling a determination a third set of social network user information; and

providing at least one of the user-definable set, the activity related set, and the third set of social network user information.

29. The modulated data signal of claim 28, wherein providing at least one of further comprises providing the at least one of the social network user information towards a mobile device.

30. An apparatus for managing social network user information, comprising:

a means for receiving a plurality of social network user information;

a means for receiving a relationship criteria for viewing the social network user information;

a means for receiving a request to view the social network user information; and

a means for providing at least a portion of the social network user information based, in part, on a means for mapping of the relationship criteria against the plurality of social network user information.