Identifying Users Sharing Common Characteristics

• US 20100318622A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Granito, Jennifer, Keister, Alan, Rephlo, Jeremy, Greenberg, Steve, Jarmolowski, Tom, Wick, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Displaying electronic information in an instant-messaging application includes accessing a first electronic message providing information describing a first user that has an identifier included in a set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application. A second electronic message providing information describing a second user that has an identifier included in the set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application is accessed. Content contained within the first and second messages is analyzed to determine that at least a portion of content is common to the first and second electronic messages. Based upon the content analysis, an indication that the first and second messages include common content is provided to the user. Alternatively or additionally, an indication that two users are in physical proximity to a geographic location may be provided in response to detecting that the two users are within a threshold distance from the geographic location.

Claims

1. A method of displaying electronic information in an instant-messaging application, the method comprising:

accessing a first electronic message that provides information describing a first user that has an identifier included in a set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application;

accessing a second electronic message that provides information describing a second user that has an identifier included in the set of identifiers of users of an instant messaging application;

analyzing content contained within the first and second electronic messages to determine that at least a portion of the content is common to both the first and second electronic messages; and

based upon the content analysis, indicating to a user whether the first and second electronic messages include common content.

2-42. -42. (canceled)