METHOD FOR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS IN A SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM BASED ON PERSONAL COMMUNICATION INFORMATION AND A SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM INCORPORATING SAME

• US 20090235335A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXP PTE. LTD.
• Original Assignee: VOXP PTE. LTD.
• Inventors: Mendiola, Anna Beltran
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A social networking system comprising a plurality of communication devices; a tracking system; and a social networking interface, where, when a first communication device from the plurality of communication devices communicates with the tracking system so as to authorise the tracking system to track communications made between the first communication device and other communication devices form the plurality of communication devices, and thereafter communicate prescribed details of the communications to the social networking interface, the social networking interface operable to generate a set of invite recommendations for the user associated with the first communication device based on the prescribed details.

Claims

1. A social networking system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices;

a tracking system; and

a social networking interface,

where, when a first communication device from the plurality of communication devices communicates with the tracking system so as to authorise the tracking system to track communications made between the first communication device and other communication devices form the plurality of communication devices, and thereafter communicate prescribed details of the communications to the social networking interface, the social networking interface operable to generate a set of invite recommendations for the user associated with the first communication device based on the prescribed details.

2. A social networking system according to claim 1, where the prescribed details include the handle of a person in possession of the communication device communicating with the first communication device or a unique public identifier of such communication device.

3. A social networking system according to claim 1 or claim 2, where the prescribed details further include at least one of the following:

the time of the communication;

the date of the communication;

the duration of the communication; and

/or

a recording of the communication, or an extract thereof.

4. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system is an application resident in the first communication device.

5. A social networking system according to claim 4, where the tracking system is operable to provide prescribed information in respect of each contact in the first communication devices contact list to the social networking interface.

6. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the first communication device automatically communicates with the tracking system to authorise tracking of communications on initial configuration of the first communication device.

7. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system communicates prescribed details of the communications of the first communication device to the social networking interface on a real-time basis.

8. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system operates to exclude prescribed details of communications the first communication device makes or receives by way of a predefined shortcode.

9. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system operates only to include prescribed details of communications the first communication device makes or receives by way of a predefined shortcode.

10. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system operates to provide prescribed details of only those communications where the tracking system has been authorised by the first communication device and the other communication device to track their communications.

11. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the communication with the tracking system to authorise tracking of communications includes a set of public unique identifiers of communication devices, the tracking system operable not to track communications sent or received from communication devices having a public unique identifier in the set of public unique identifiers.

12. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the social networking interface operates to authorise the sending of a recommended invitation on satisfaction of preset criteria.

13. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the tracking system processes the communications to generate a set of unique prescribed details for communication to the social networking interface.

14. A social networking system according to claim 13, where the tracking system operates to keep a record of all prescribed details communicated to the social networking interface, the set of unique prescribed details being cross-referenced with this record and any matching elements omitted from the set.

15. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the social networking interface is a plug-in for a social networking application.

16. A social networking system according to any preceding claim, where the communication device may be any one of the following:

personal digital assistant, mobile phone, land-line phones, a computer.