IDENTITY MANAGEMENT FOR OPEN OVERLAY FOR SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ONLINE SERVICES

• US 20100299617A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• 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: Penington, Havoc, Clark, Bryan, Fischer, Donald, Taylor, Owen, Walters, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and systems can manage 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 for forming a social network of users, said method comprising:

identifying, by a server, multiple invitations to a new user to join the social network, the multiple invitations originating from multiple inviting users;

assigning the new user a temporary identity prior to the new user joining the social network;

distributing the temporary identity of the new user to the multiple inviting users; and

notifying the multiple inviting users in response to the new user joining the social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the multiple invitations comprises:

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

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

identifying one or more inviting users that originated the at least one additional invitation.

3. The method of claim 1, 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 one or more inviting users that originated the at least one additional invitation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the temporary identity of the new user into a permanent identity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein converting the temporary identity of the new user into the permanent identity comprises converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity in response to the new user joining the social network and when at least one other user of the social network verifies the temporary identity of the new user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein converting the temporary identity of the new user into the permanent identity comprises converting the temporary identity into the permanent identity in response to the new user joining the social network and after a period of time has lapsed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a temporary group comprising the multiple inviting users, wherein the temporary identity of the new user is visible exclusively to users of the temporary group.

8. A method for viewing an identity of a user in a social network by another user, wherein the user has a plurality of associated identity resources known by some other users in the social network, said method comprising:

receiving, at a server, from the another user of the social network, a request to contact the user based on a selected one of the plurality of associated identity resources of the user; and

restricting views of the another user for the identity of the user to the selected one of the plurality of associated identity resources.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprisinq:

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

consolidating previous interactions with the plurality of associated identity resources into the master identity of the user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

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

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

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

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

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

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

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

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

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

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

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

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