Using social networks while respecting access control lists

• US 20090106822A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Obasanjo, Oludare, Ming, Paul, Sethi, Bhupinder, Nichols, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Techniques are described for use with social networks and associated access information, such as access control lists, indicating which users are allowed to access the social networks. The social networks represent relationships between users. The social networks and access control lists may be represented in a graph which is traversed in connection with performing different operations using the social networks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining whether a first user and a second user of a social networking website are connected comprising:

receiving a graph representing social networks and access information indicating which one or more of a plurality of users are allowed access to said social networks that define relationships between users, said graph including a node for each of said plurality of users, an edge between two nodes of said graph indicating a relationship between the two nodes as included in one of said social networks, said first user and said second user being represented, respectively, by a first node and a second node in said graph; and

traversing said graph to determine if there exists a path from said first node to said second node in which said first user has access to view each node in the path in accordance with said access information, said path including two or more edges.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said traversing traverses nodes of said graph using a breadth-first technique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said edge of said graph is an edge of a first type between two nodes to indicate that one of said two nodes is included in a social network associated with the other of said two nodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said graph includes an edge of a second type between two nodes to indicate that one of said two nodes is included in an access control list associated with the other of said two nodes providing the one node access to one or more social networks of said other node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, before traversing an edge of the first type between two nodes, a determination is made as to whether said first user has access to view a relationship represented by said edge of said first type.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first user has access to view the relationship represented by the edge of the first type if there is another edge of said second type between said first node representing said first user and a node associated with the access control list corresponding to a user of the access control list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said traversing further includes:

determining all paths from said first node within a particular distance from said first node.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether said second node is included as a node in one of said paths.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein if said first user does not have access to a social network of another user as indicated by an access control list of said another user, said traversing performs processing in which said social network is treated as including no members.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said access information includes at least one access control list defined by explicitly listing each user included in said access control list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said access information includes at least one access control list implicitly defined using a portion of said social networks.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a first user defines a first social network including first members and implicitly defines an access control list including said first members and others members included in a second social network of each of said first members of said first social network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a first user defines a first social network including first members and implicitly defines an access control list, said access control list not including the first members and including other members of a second social network of each of said first members of said first social network.

14. A computer-implemented method for determining one or more users of a social networking website related to a first user of the social networking website comprising:

receiving a graph of social networks and access information indicating which of a plurality of users are allowed access to said social networks defining relationships between users, said graph including a node for each of said plurality of users, an edge between two nodes of said graph indicating a relationship between the two nodes as included in one of said social networks, said first user being represented by a first node of said graph;

traversing said graph to determine any paths originating from said first node, each of said paths being within a particular distance from said first node and said first user having access to view each node in said each path in accordance with said access information; and

determining a set of nodes of said graph which are included in said paths, each node of said set corresponding to a user of said social networking website related to said first node within said particular distance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said traversing traverses nodes of said graph in a breadth-first fashion.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said graph includes an edge of a first type between two nodes to indicate that one of said two nodes is included in a social network associated with the other of said two nodes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said graph includes an edge of a second type between two nodes to indicate that one of said two nodes is included in an access control list associated with the other of said two nodes providing the one node access to one or more social networks of said other node.

18. A computer readable medium comprising code stored thereon for determining whether a first user and a second user of a social networking website are related, the computer readable medium comprising code for:

receiving a data structure describing social networks defined for users of said social networking website and access information indicating which of said users are allowed access to said social networks defining relationships between users; and

traversing said data structure to determine if there exists a relationship from said first user to said second user in which said first user has access to view all intervening relationships connecting the first user and said second user through others of said users in accordance with said access information.

19. The computer readable, medium of claim 18, wherein said access information includes at least one access control list defined by explicitly listing each user included in said access control list.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said access information includes at least one access control list of a first user implicitly defined using at least one connection between a first social network of said first user and a second social network of a second user.