SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM

• US 20090282121A1
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian D. Robertson, Warren W. Adams
• Original Assignee: Brian D. Robertson, Warren W. Adams
• Inventors: Robertson, Brian D., Adams, Warren W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A networked computer system provides various services for assisting users in locating, and establishing contact relationships with, other users. For example, in one embodiment, users can identify other users based on their affiliations with particular schools or other organizations. The system also provides a mechanism for a user to selectively establish contact relationships or connections with other users, and to grant permissions for such other users to view personal information of the user. The system may also include features for enabling users to identify contacts of their respective contacts. In addition, the system may automatically notify users of personal information updates made by their respective contacts.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a computer-based service that enables users to selectively establish contact relationships with other users such that each user can have one or more contacts;

receiving, from each of a plurality of users of the service, affiliation data specifying an organization with which the respective user was affiliated and an associated date range of affiliation, said affiliation data submitted by the users via an interface to the service;

for a first user of said plurality of users, using the affiliation data received from the plurality of users to identify a set of users who were affiliated with a first organization during a time period in which the first user was affiliated with the first organization; and

outputting a listing of said set of users for presentation to the first user to assist the first user in identifying other users with which to establish contact relationships.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first organization is a school with which the first user and said set of users were enrolled.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said listing includes school graduation dates of the users in said set.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising subsequently outputting an update message to the first user identifying one or more additional users that have indicated an affiliation with said organization.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user to establish a contact relationship with a second user selected by the first user, said request generated using a service interface; and

notifying the second user of said request, and providing an option for the second user to respond to the request by establishing a two-way contact relationship with the first user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

maintaining personal data of the second user in computer storage, said personal data comprising multiple data elements supplied by the second user via an interface to the service; and

providing the second user an option, in connection with said request, to specify which of said data elements are to be exposed to the first user by the service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the first user establishing a contact relationship with a second user, providing an option for the second user to specify whether the service is to automatically notify the first user of a birthday of the second user.

8. A server system programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A computer-readable medium which stores executable instructions that embody the method of claim 1.