METHOD FOR INFORMATION GATHERING AND DISSEMINATION IN A SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20070266097A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PageBites, Inc. (JOYY, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PageBites, Inc. (JOYY, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harik, Ralph, Krishnamurthy, Praveen, Harik, Georges
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method is provided for automatically and efficiently propagating information using previously established social methods of communication (e.g., email, instant messaging (IM), social network message posting, and short message services). In conjunction with the method, a system for collecting and disseminating information on a social network is provided, which includes: (a) a server for providing a user interface (e.g., a user facing web site) which allows a user to exchange information with one or more external services, wherein the information exchange includes receiving a message from the user that the user intends to disseminate through the external services; (b) a message module which prepares the message received from the user for dissemination; and (c) a communication module coupled to the user interface, the message module and the external services to mediate the information exchange between the user and the external services.

Claims

1. A system for collecting and disseminating information on a social network, comprising:

a server for providing a user interface which allows a user to exchange information with one or more external services, wherein the information exchange includes receiving a message from the user that the user intends to disseminate through the external services;

a message module which prepares the message received from the user for dissemination; and

a communication module coupled to the user interface, the message module and the external services to mediate the information exchange between the user and the external services.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a user facing web site.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein the communication module communicates with the external services through remote procedure calls.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein the external services comprise one or more of an email service, an instant messaging service, a text message service, and a social network.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein the external services comprise an instant messaging service and wherein the message to be disseminated is referenced in a user status displayed in connection with the instant messaging service.

6. A system as in claim 4, wherein the message is posted as a weblog or a posting on a message board.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein the message module comprises a database for storing information used in preparing the message.

8. A system as in claim 1, wherein the message module interacts with the user via the user interface to allow the user to create, delete, view, comment on a posted message and determine whether or not to help propagate posted message.

9. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a message propagation module for determining parameters related to message dissemination.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein the message propagation module limits selected messages to be disseminated only for a predetermined period of time.

11. A system as in claim 9, further comprising a friend module that provides a relationship graph relating potential message recipients according to a social relationship.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the message module takes advantage of the social relationship to formulate message propagation paths.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein the relationship graph comprises a friends graph.

14. A system s in claim 11, wherein the friends module keeps track of parameters indicative of predetermined relationships between the potential message recipients.

15. A system as in claim 14, wherein the parameters comprise a frequency of communication between two given potential message recipients.

16. A system as in claim 5, further comprising an economic module that optimizes the parameters related to message dissemination.

17. A system as in claim 16, wherein the message to be disseminated is assigned a level indicative of importance, and wherein the economic module selects message propagation paths based on the indicated level of importance.

18. A system as in claim 17, wherein the user assigns resources to message propagation.

19. A system as in claim 18, wherein the resources assigned is expressed as a number of credit points or an amount of money.

20. A system as in claim 16, wherein the economic module provides incentives for assisting in propagating the message.

21. A system as in claim 16, wherein the optimization is performed automatically.

22. A system as in claim 16, wherein the economic module includes a database which stores data collected for factors affecting message dissemination effectiveness.

23. A system as in claim 22, wherein the factors include one or more of:

(a) data rating the importance of the message;

(b) data provided from components of the system;

(c) data relating to the relevance of the message;

(d) data relating the closeness of the recipients;

(e) data regarding the geographical proximity of the actors;

(f) data regarding the user'"'"'s past status messages;

(g) relevant data regarding the message or the user;

(h) data regarding the intrusiveness of the medium;

(i) data regarding the duration of the posting; and

(j) data regarding whether or not the user has a record of helping message propagation.

24. A system as in claim 22, further comprising a module for applying a metric for measuring message dissemination effectiveness.

25. A system as in claim 24, wherein the metric comprises one or more of:

(a) a user satisfaction metric;

(b) a user return rate;

(c) a user stay metric;

(d) a user conversion rate;

(e) a message selection rate; and

(f) an allocation of points.

26. A system as in claim 16, wherein the economic module selects message propagation paths according to cost considerations.

27. A system as in claim 16, wherein the parameters related to message propagation comprise the recipient'"'"'s time.

28. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a widget module, the widget module providing widgets on web pages for accessing the external services.

29. A system as in claim 1,further comprising a proxy-advertising system.

30. A system as in claim 29, wherein the proxy-advertising system sends a message to be advertised in an external advertising server via an application program interface.

31. A system as in claim 29, wherein the proxy-advertising system extracts information from the message and provides the information to one or more external advertisers.

32. A system as in claim 29, wherein the proxy-advertising system determines an allocation of resources among a plurality of external advertisers.

33. A method for collecting and disseminating information on a social network, comprising:

providing a user interface which allows a user to exchange information with one or more external services, wherein the information exchange includes receiving a message from the user that the user intends to disseminate through the external services;

preparing the message received from the user for dissemination; and

transmitting the message received to the external services through a communication module that mediates the information exchange between the user and the external services.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the user interface comprises a user facing web site.

35. A method as in claim 33, wherein the communication module communicates with the external services through remote procedure calls.

36. A method as in claim 35, wherein the external services comprise one or more of an email service, an instant messaging service, a text message service, and a social network.

37. A method s in claim 36, wherein the external services comprise an instant messaging service and wherein the message to be disseminated is referenced in a user status displayed in connection with the instant messaging service.

38. A method as in claim 36, wherein the message is posted as a weblog or a posting on a message board.

39. A method as in claim 33, wherein preparing the message comprises storing in a database information used in preparing the message.

40. A method as in claim 33, wherein the user interface allows the user to create, delete, view, comment on a posted message and determine whether or not to help propagate posted message.

41. A method as in claim 33, further comprising determining parameters related to message dissemination.

42. A method as in claim 41, further comprising limiting selected messages to be disseminated only for a predetermined period of time.

43. A method as in claim 41, further comprising providing a relationship graph relating potential message recipients according to a social relationship.

44. A method as in claim 43, further comprising formulating message propagation path using the social relationship.

45. A method as in claim 44, wherein the relationship graph comprises a friends graph.

46. A method s in claim 43, further comprising keeping track of parameters indicative of predetermined relationships between the potential message recipients.

47. A method as in claim 46, wherein the parameters comprise a frequency of communication between two given potential message recipients.

48. A method as in claim 37, further comprising optimizing the parameters related to message dissemination.

49. A method as in claim 48, wherein the message to be disseminated is assigned a level indicative of importance, the method further comprising selecting message propagation paths based on the indicated level of importance.

50. A method claim 49, further comprising receiving from the user an assignment of resources for message propagation.

51. A method as in claim 50, wherein the resources assigned is expressed as a number of credit points or an amount of money.

52. A method as in claim 48, further comprising providing incentives for assisting in propagating the message.

53. A method as in claim 48, wherein optimizing is performed automatically.

54. A method as in claim 48, further comprising storing data collected for factors affecting message dissemination effectiveness.

55. A method as in claim 54, wherein the factors include one or more of:

(a) data rating the importance of the message;

(b) data provided from components of the system;

(c) data relating to the relevance of the message;

(d) data relating the closeness of the recipients;

(e) data regarding the geographical proximity of the actors;

(f) data regarding the user'"'"'s past status messages;

(g) relevant data regarding the message or the user;

(h) data regarding the intrusiveness of the medium;

(i) data regarding the duration of the posting; and

(j) data regarding whether or not the user has a record of helping message propagation.

56. A method as in claim 54, further comprising applying a metric for measuring message dissemination effectiveness.

57. A method as in claim 56, wherein the metric comprises one or more of:

(a) a user satisfaction metric;

(b) a user return rate;

(c) a user stay metric;

(d) a user conversion rate;

(e) a message selection rate; and

(f) an allocation of points.

58. A method as in claim 48, further comprising selecting message propagation paths according to cost considerations.

59. A method as in claim 48, wherein the parameters related to message propagation comprise the recipient'"'"'s time.

60. A method as in claim 33, further comprising providing widgets on web pages for accessing the external services.

61. A method as in claim 33, further comprising providing a proxy-advertising system.

62. A method as in claim 61, further comprising sending through the proxy-advertising system a message to be advertised in an external advertising server via an application program interface.

63. A method as in claim 61, further comprising extracting information from the message and provides the information to one or more external advertisers.

64. A method as in claim 61, further comprising determining an allocation of resources among a plurality of external advertisers.