METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SEEDING ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK CONTACTS

• US 20110125661A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slack Technologies, Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Excalibur IP, LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Hull, Mark E., Perelman, Ellen S., Farmer, F. Randall
• Granted Patent: US 10,062,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user'"'"'s contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user'"'"'s existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for managing a communication in an online social network, comprising:

determining information related to at least one behavior of a subscriber of an online portal;

if the subscriber is a member of the online social network, enabling at least a portion of the information to be employed to seed a contact list associated with the subscriber, and

employing the seeded contact list to establish communication with at least one other member of the online social network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the online social network includes at least one of multiple degree relationships among members of the online social network, and a shared interest among members of the online social network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the information comprises tracking at least one of a frequency with which the subscriber accessed at least one of a portal service and a non-portal Web site, a duration over which the subscriber accessed at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site, a content type accessed by the subscriber through at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site, an online purchase made by the subscriber through at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site, a participation in an online group, a use of a chat session, a use of instant messaging, and a use of an email service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavior of the subscriber comprises participating in at least one of an online friend matching service, an online dating service, an online job searching service, an online classmate searching service, an online military colleague searching service, an online club, an online financial service, an online auction, and a online purchase.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one other member has engaged in spamming; and

indicating in the information that the at least one other member has engaged in spamming.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising revising the information based on a current online action of the subscriber, wherein the current online action includes at least one of playing a media file, receiving a streaming media, viewing a Web page, and participating in an instant message session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising revising the information based, in part, on at least one of an email address, an address book of the subscriber, another address book of at least one other member within the portal, a buddy list, an instant messaging buddy list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a chat group, a master contact list, and user-defined information.

8. A server for managing a communication in an online social network, comprising:

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to another computing device;

a processor in communication with the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor and storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

determining information related to at least one behavior of a subscriber of an online portal; and

if the subscriber is a member of the online social network, enabling at least a portion of the information to be employed to seed a contact list associated with the subscriber, wherein the subscriber is enabled to establish communication with at least one other member of the online social network based, in part, on the portion of the information.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the online social network includes at least one of a multiple degree relationship among members of the online social network, and a shared interest among members of the online social network.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform an operation of tracking at least one of a frequency with which the subscriber accessed at least one of a portal service and a non-portal Web site, a duration over which the subscriber accessed at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site, a content type accessed by the subscriber through at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site, and an online purchase made by the subscriber through at least one of the portal service and the non-portal Web site.

11. The server of claim 8, wherein the behavior of the subscriber comprises participating in at least one of an online friend matching service, an online dating service, an online job searching service, an online classmate searching service, an online military colleague searching service, an online club, an online financial service, an online auction, online purchase a buddy list, an instant messaging service, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a chat service, and an email service.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform an operation of revising the seeded contact list to further include at least one of a contact within an address book of the subscriber, a contact within an address book of the other member within the portal, a contact associated with buddy list, a contact associated with an instant messaging list, a contact associated with an activity, a contact associated with a mailing list, a contact associated with an online discussion group, and a contact associated with a chat group.

13. A client device for managing a communication in an online social network, comprising:

a display;

a transceiver for receiving and sending information to a computing device;

a processor in communication with the display and the transceiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor and storing data and machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

enabling performance of at least one behavior of a subscriber of an online portal employing the client device;

enabling a determination of information related to the at least one behavior;

receiving a contact list that is seeded based at least on a portion of the determined information; and

enabling the subscriber to establish communication with at least one other member of the online social network based, in part, on the portion of the information.

14. The client device of claim 13, wherein the online social network enables multiple degree relationships among members of the online social network.

15. The client device of claim 13, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of indicating that at least one contact in the seeded contact list has engaged in spamming.

16. The client device of claim 13, wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of enabling the online portal subscriber to create user-definable information to determine another contact with which to seed the contact list.

17. The client device of claim 13, wherein the client device further comprises a mobile device.

18. A modulated data signal for managing a communication in an online social network, the modulated data signal comprising instructions that enable a computing device to perform the actions of:

enabling a determination of information related to at least one behavior of a subscriber of an online portal;

enabling at least a portion of the information to be employed to seed a contact list associated with the subscriber; and

enabling the subscriber to establish communication with at least one other member of the online social network based, in part, on the portion of the information.

19. The modulated data signal of claim 18, wherein the modulated data signal is communicated between a mobile device and another device.

20. An apparatus for managing a communication in an online social network, comprising:

a means for determining information related to at least one behavior of a subscriber of an online portal;

a means for employing at least a portion of the information to seed a contact list associated with the subscriber; and

a means for enabling the subscriber to establish communication with at least one other member of the online social network based, in part, on the portion of the information.