PSEUDONAMING ANONYMOUS PARTICIPANTS

• US 20110138302A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schleifer, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed herein for assigning familiar pseudonames to anonymous user members in a shared online environment. Creation of a name pool is provided for using a programmed processor disposed in a computing device. The name pool includes familiar names that may be contextually relevant to a group of user members in the shared online environment. A name from the name pool is provided for assignment to an anonymous user member in the shared online environment, where assignment of the name is, at least in part, based on characteristics of the anonymous user member relative to the shared online environment.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for assigning familiar pseudonames to anonymous user members in a shared online environment, comprising:

providing for creation of a name pool using a programmed processor disposed in a computing device, where the name pool comprises familiar names that can be contextually relevant to a group of user members in the shared online environment; and

providing for a name from the name pool to be assigned to an anonymous user member in the shared online environment, where the assignment of the name can at least in part be, based on characteristics of the anonymous user member relative to the shared online environment.

2. The method of claim 1, the name pool comprising a number of names sufficient to assign a given name to respective anonymous members in the shared online environment.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising providing for adding an appropriate new name to the name pool if existing names in the name pool are fully assigned to existing user members in the shared online environment.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising providing for creation of a plurality of name pools where respective name pools comprise one or more characteristics related to a selection of names comprised in the respective name pools.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising providing for assigning a name pool, from the plurality of name pools, to a shared online environment based on the one or more name pool characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1, the shared online environment comprising a shared online user interaction environment.

7. The method of claim 1, the shared online environment comprising a shared online user collaboration environment.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising one or more of:

storing the name pool in a local database on a local machine connected to the shared online environment; and

storing the name pool in a remote database on a remote machine connected to the shared online environment.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising one of:

automatically assigning a name from the name pool to a user member of the shared online environment when the user member enters the shared online environment anonymously; and

providing for a user to assign a name from the name pool to the user member of the shared online environment when the user member enters the shared online environment anonymously.

10. A system for assigning familiar pseudonames to anonymous user members in a shared online environment, comprising:

a database configured to provide for storage of a name pool on a computer storage device;

a name pool creation component configured to provide for creation of a name pool to be stored in the database, where the name pool comprises familiar names that can be contextually relevant to a group of user members in a shared online environment; and

a name assignment component configured to assign a name from the name pool to an anonymous user member in the shared online environment, where the assignment of the name is, at least in part, based on characteristics of the user member relative to the shared online environment.

11. The system of claim 10, the database comprising one or more name pools comprising a plurality of names, where respective name pools have one or more characteristics that relate to the plurality of names in the name pool.

12. The system of claim 10, the familiar names comprising names from one or more media elements from popular culture.

13. The system of claim 12, the media elements comprising one or more of:

a movie;

a book;

a television show;

a story;

a game;

an historical event; and

a song.

14. The system of claim 10, the name pool creation component configured to allow one or more users to select one or more names in the name pool.

15. The system of claim 10, the name pool creation component configured to allow one or more users to select one or more characteristics for the name pool.

16. The system of claim 10, comprising a name pool assignment component configured to assign a name pool from a plurality of name pools stored in the database to the shared online environment, where the assignment of the name pool is, at least in part, based on characteristics of the name pool relative to the shared online environment.

17. The system of claim 10, the name assignment component configured to automatically assign a name from the name pool upon a user member entering the shared online environment anonymously.

18. The system of claim 10, comprising a name addition component configured to add an appropriate new name to the name pool if existing names in the name pool are fully assigned to existing user members in the shared online environment.

19. A computer-based method for assigning familiar pseudonames to anonymous user members in a shared online environment, comprising:

providing for creation of a name pool using a programmed processor disposed in a computing device, where the name pool comprises;

familiar names that can be contextually relevant to a group of user members in a shared online environment; and

a number of names sufficient to assign a given name to respective anonymous members in the shared online environment;

providing for creation of a plurality of name pools where respective name pools comprise one or more characteristics related to a selection of names comprised in the respective name pools;

providing for storing the name pool in one or more of;

a local database on a local machine connected to the shared online environment; and

a remote database on a remote machine connected to the shared online environment;

providing for automatically assigning a name pool, from the plurality of name pools, to the shared online environment based on the one or more name pool characteristics;

providing for a name from the name pool to be automatically assigned to an anonymous user member in the shared online environment when the user member enters the shared online environment anonymously, where the assignment of the name is, at least in part, based on characteristics of the user member relative to the shared online environment; and

providing for adding an appropriate new name to the name pool if existing names in the name pool are fully assigned to existing user members in the shared online environment.

20. The method of claim 19, the shared online environment comprising one of:

a shared online user interaction environment; and

a shared online user collaboration environment.