System and Method for Determining Relationships Between Users of a Network System
First Claim
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1. A method for determining one or more relationships between a plurality of users of a network system, the method including the steps of:
- a) populating a database with a unique network user identifier for each of the plurality of users,b) selecting a user and further populating the database with connection data for the selected user from a network access device associated with the selected user to provide unique network user identifiers of users known to the selected user,c) repeating step b) for the remainder of the plurality of users,d) for a predetermined user, searching each of the plurality of user'"'"'s connection data in the database for the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier to identify all users that have the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier in their connection data,e) storing the network user identifiers of the users located by the search of step d), to provide set of data for the predetermined user representative of one or more other user'"'"'s relationship with the predetermined user, andf) providing data from the data setoff step e) to a network access device associated with the predetermined user.
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Abstract
A network system is provided that allows relationships between users of the system to be determined, maintained or created. The system may access connection data of users, for example by accessing a user'"'"'s electronic address book, and from this determine which other users have a selected user as a contact.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for determining one or more relationships between a plurality of users of a network system, the method including the steps of:
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a) populating a database with a unique network user identifier for each of the plurality of users, b) selecting a user and further populating the database with connection data for the selected user from a network access device associated with the selected user to provide unique network user identifiers of users known to the selected user, c) repeating step b) for the remainder of the plurality of users, d) for a predetermined user, searching each of the plurality of user'"'"'s connection data in the database for the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier to identify all users that have the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier in their connection data, e) storing the network user identifiers of the users located by the search of step d), to provide set of data for the predetermined user representative of one or more other user'"'"'s relationship with the predetermined user, and f) providing data from the data setoff step e) to a network access device associated with the predetermined user. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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30. A computerized apparatus comprising,
a) means for populating a database with a unique network user identifier for each of the plurality of users, b) means for selecting a user and further populating the database with connection data for the selected user from a network access device associated with the selected user to provide unique network user identifiers of users known to the selected user, c) means for repeating step b) for the remainder of the plurality of users, d) means for a predetermined user, searching each of the plurality of user'"'"'s connection data in the database for the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier to identify all users that have the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier in their connection data, e) means for storing the network user identifiers of the users located by the search of step d), to provide set of data for the predetermined user representative of one or more other user'"'"'s relationship with the predetermined user, and f) means for providing data from the data setoff step e) to a network access device associated with the predetermined user.
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31. Apparatus for determining one or more relationships between a plurality of users of a network system, the apparatus including:
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a database populated with a unique network user identifier for each of the plurality of users and with connection data for each such user, the connection data being obtained from a network access device associated with each such user, a processor adapted to search each user'"'"'s connection data in the database for a predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier to identify all users that have the predetermined user'"'"'s unique network user identifier in their connection data, a memory device to store the user identifiers located by the search to provide a data set for the predetermined user representative of one or more other user'"'"'s relationship with the predetermined user, and wherein the processor is further adapted to provide the data set to a network access device associated with the predetermined user.
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Specification