A system and method of spreading messages in a social network

• US 20070271336A1
• Filed: 05/21/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Venkat Ramaswamy
• Original Assignee: Venkat Ramaswamy
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Venkat
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

This invention consists of a restricted online social network system that does not expose one member'"'"'s friends to other members and a method of spreading a message in the system by members asking the system to show the message to their friends, recursively. The system records each member'"'"'s actions on a message and reports the message'"'"'s overall reach, acceptance and effectiveness through various metrics. Further, when a viewer submits a form embedded in the message, the system can fulfill an online transaction or send an online communication. Also, the system integrates with internet search engines and online advertisement vendors to promote the message on the internet.

Claims

1. A system of online social network in which a person becomes a member by registering with the system and he/she is henceforth referred as a “

member” and

two members can become friends with mutual consent and they are henceforth referred as “

friends”

of each other and said system does not show one member'"'"'s friends to other members

and members can create messages in said system and said system maintains a single copy and an unique identifier to each message and such messages are henceforth referred as “

messages”

and a method comprising the steps of (1) a member creates a message in the system (2) the member asks the system to show the message to one or more of her friends and this step henceforth referred as “

forwarding”

(3) and a friend of the member views the message in the system when he subsequently visits the system (4) and the friend forwards the message to one or more of his friends and the message gets forwarded recursively.

2. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further records each member'"'"'s actions on every message in said method.

3. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said message consist of a title and summary and description and other named parts.

4. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said message has embedded hyperlinks and web forms and audio files and video files and downloadable documents and hidden frames and JavaScript and Java applets and ActiveX controls.

5. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said message is in plain text or HTML or DHTML or XML or XHTML or PDF or other common internet formats.

6. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system is implemented as software on a server computer or a server farm of computers.

7. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system can further be accessed by a client software over the internet or private intranets

8. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein members use the system through a web browser or standalone client software or as a module of another software or as a toolbar from a web browser or as an add-on to email software or through a software on a wireless device.

9. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further records keywords in said message.

10. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further places said message into different categories.

11. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays similar messages to said message using categories and keywords.

12. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system uses collaborative filtering technique to find other messages that may be of interest to a member.

13. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said method has an additional step of a message viewer endorsing or rejecting a message and optionally providing a reason.

14. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further allows members to create rules that would automatically forward messages from certain friends to certain other friends.

15. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays cumulative metrics on actions of members including viewing and endorsing and rejecting and forwarding of a message.

16. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays cumulative metrics on actions of members on each link that is embedded in a message.

17. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays cumulative metrics on web form values for each embedded web form in the message that was submitted by members.

18. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays cumulative metrics on actions of members on each document that is downloadable in the message.

19. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further displays cumulative metrics on the amount of time members played each audio or video file embedded in the message.

20. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system shows a message to a member as a promotion for the message.

21. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further submits a message for inclusion in internet search engines.

22. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further places advertisements for a message in external websites.

23. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further fulfills an online transaction when a message viewer submits a web form in a message.

24. The system and method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system further sends an online communication when a message viewer submits a web form in a message.