Identity management for open overlay for social networks and online services

• US 20070282987A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Bryan, Fischer, Donald, Taylor, Owen, Walters, Colin, Penington, Havoc
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for managing the multiple identities used by a user. The user'"'"'s existing contact lists, website accounts, buddy lists, and the like are analyzed to determine the identities used by the user. A graph is then constructed in order to track and integrate the multiple identities of the user in a social network. The social network graph may then be used by a social network overlay so that the user can share information across their different identities with different users that only know some of the user'"'"'s multiple identities.

Claims

1. A method of forming a social network of users, said method comprising:

determining when a user has invited a new user to join the social network;

forming a temporary group that includes the new user in response to the invitation;

providing information to the temporary group that indicates existing groups of the social network;

selecting an existing group based on input received from the new user; and

distributing information about the new user among users of the existing group selected by the new user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when a user has invited the new user comprises:

identifying the new user based on information provided by the user in the invitation form;

assigning the new user a temporary identity in the social network; and

distributing information about the new user'"'"'s temporary identity to the temporary group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a temporary identity for the new user; and

distributing the temporary identity for the new user to the temporary group until the user has completed registering into the social network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the temporary group comprises:

determining other users that are interested in having the new user join the social network; and

joining the other users that are interested in having the new user join the social network to the temporary group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the temporary group comprises:

determining other users in the social network that are friends of the user that invited the new user; and

joining the other users that are friends of the user to the temporary group.

6. A method of forming a social network of users, said method comprising:

identifying multiple invitations to a new user;

assigning the new user a temporary identity;

distributing the temporary identity for the new user until the new user completes registration into the social network;

notifying all inviters of the new user when the new user completes registration; and

converting the temporary identity into a permanent identity when the new user completes registration into the social network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying the multiple invitations comprises:

receiving a first invitation destined to one of an email address or an instant messaging address;

detecting at least one additional invitation destined to the same email address; and

identifying users that originated the at least one additional invitation.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying the multiple invitations comprises:

receiving a first invitation destined to an email address;

detecting at least one additional invitation destined to the same email address within a period of time of the first invitation; and

identifying users that originated the at least one additional invitation.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity comprises converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity when the new user complete registration into the social network and when at least one user of the social network verifies the identity of the new user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity comprises converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity when the new user complete registration into the social network and after a period of time has lapsed.

11. A method of viewing a user'"'"'s identity in a social network, wherein the user has a plurality of associated identity resources known by only some of the other users in the social network, said method comprising:

receiving from another user a request to contact the user based on one of associated identity resources of the user; and

restricting views of the other user for the identity of the user to the associated identity resource used by that other user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving information from the user that binds the associated identity resources to a master identity; and

consolidating previous interactions with the associated identity resources into the master identity.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving information from the user that binds the associated identity resources to a master identity;

consolidating previous interactions with the associated identity resources into the master identity; and

permitting views of the other user for the identity of the user to any of the associated identity resources and the master identity of the user.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving information from the user that binds the associated identity resources to a master identity; and

updating an appearance of the associated identity resources to indicate that the associated identity resources have been bound to the master identity.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving information that indicates unilateral relationships between the user and the other user; and

restricting views of the other user for the identity of the user based on the unilateral relationships.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a list of people that the other user knows within the social network; and

displaying the associated identity resources for each person in the list of people.