Method and system for controlling access to user information in a social networking environment
First Claim
1. A method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising:
- receiving, from a first user, access control criterion for content of the first user, wherein the access control criterion comprises a first relationship designator; and
if relationship information for a second user corresponds to the access control criterion, permitting the second user to access the content of the first user, wherein the relationship information comprises a second relationship designator.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for controlling access to content in a social networking environment are disclosed. A first user defines relationships with a plurality of second users by assigning one or more relationship designators for each relationship. The first user stores content within the social networking environment and denotes individuals allowed to or prevented from accessing the content by entering one or more relationship designators. The first user may further control access by using tier designators. The social networking environment may generate a proximity index based on the relationships between a first user and a particular second user. The first user may control access to content based on the proximity index. The first user may also allow or prevent the reception of content from other users having particular relationship designators, tier designators, and/or proximity indices with respect to the first user.
565 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising:
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receiving, from a first user, access control criterion for content of the first user, wherein the access control criterion comprises a first relationship designator; and
if relationship information for a second user corresponds to the access control criterion, permitting the second user to access the content of the first user, wherein the relationship information comprises a second relationship designator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising:
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receiving, from a first user, access control criterion for content directed to the first user, wherein the access control criterion comprises a first relationship designator; and
if relationship information for a second user corresponds to the access control criterion, permitting the first user to access content directed to the first user from the second user, wherein the relationship information comprises a second relationship designator. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising:
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assigning a value to content by a first user;
generating, by a social networking environment, a proximity index denoting a strength of a relationship between the first user of the social networking environment and a second user of the social networking environment; and
if the proximity index is greater than the value, permitting the second user to access content of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system for controlling access to content in a social networking environment, comprising:
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a processor;
a computer-readable storage medium operably connected to the processor;
a communications network operably connected to the processor; and
a plurality of computer systems operably connected to the communications network, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising;
receiving, by the processor, content from a first computer system via the communications network, wherein the content pertains to a first user, storing the content in the computer-readable storage medium, receiving, by the processor, access control criterion via the communications network, wherein the access control criterion pertains to the content, wherein the access control criterion comprises a first relationship designator, storing the access control criterion in the computer-readable storage medium, receiving, by the processor, access request information via the communications network, wherein the access request information is received from a second user using a second computer system, wherein the access request information comprises a second relationship designator, and if the access request information corresponds to the access control criterion, transmitting the content to the second computer system. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A system for controlling access to content in a social networking environment, comprising:
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a processor;
a computer-readable storage medium operably connected to the processor;
a communications network operably connected to the processor; and
a plurality of computer systems operably connected to the communications network, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising;
receiving, by the processor, access control criterion from a first computer system via the communications network, wherein the access control criterion pertains to a first user, storing the access control criterion in the computer-readable storage medium, receiving, by the processor, content via the communications network, wherein the content is received from a second user using a second computer system, storing the content in the computer-readable storage medium, determining a relationship between the first user and the second user, wherein the relationship comprises a relationship designator, and if the relationship corresponds to the access control criterion, transmitting the content to the first user at the first computer system via the communications network.
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40. A system for controlling access to content in a social networking environment, comprising:
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a processor;
a computer-readable storage medium operably connected to the processor;
a communications network operably connected to the processor; and
a plurality of computer systems operably connected to the communications network, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of controlling access to content in a social networking environment, the method comprising;
receiving, by the processor, content from a first computer system via the communications network, wherein the content pertains to a first user, storing the content in the computer-readable storage medium, receiving, by the processor, access control criterion via the communications network, wherein the access control criterion pertains to the content received from the first user, wherein the access control criterion comprises a proximity index threshold, storing the access control information in the computer-readable storage medium, receiving, by the processor, access request information via the communications network, wherein the access request information pertains to the content, wherein the access request information is received from a second user using a second computer system, computing a proximity index between the first user and the second user, and if the proximity index exceeds the proximity index threshold, transmitting the content to the second computer system via the communications network.
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41. A method for searching for users within a social networking environment, the method comprising:
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receiving, from a first user of a social networking environment, a search request having criteria, wherein the criteria comprise one or more of a relationship designator, personal information and a physical distance; and
transmitting, to the first user, a return list containing a designation for each of one or more second users of the social networking environment matching the criteria. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A system for searching for users within a social networking environment, comprising:
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a processor;
a computer-readable storage medium operably connected to the processor;
a communications network operably connected to the processor; and
a plurality of computer systems operably connected to the communications network, wherein the computer-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of searching for users within a social networking environment, the method comprising;
receiving, by the processor, a search request from a first user of a social networking environment using a first computer system, wherein the search request comprises criteria, wherein the criteria comprise one or more of a relationship designator, personal information and a physical distance; and
transmitting, to the first user at the first computer system via the communications network, a return list containing a designation for each of one or more second users of the social networking environment matching the criteria.
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Specification