AUTOMATED RELATIONSHIP CLASSIFICATION

• US 20110161429A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kadashevich, A. Julie, Davies, Richard Blair JR., MARCUS, JANE B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,898 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 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A method and computer program product for automatically classifying relationships in a social networking or email application is described. A method may comprise associating, via at least one of a client electronic device and a server computer, a first incoming communication type and a first outgoing communication type with a first contact group, and a second incoming communication type and a second outgoing communication type with a second contact group. The method may further comprise monitoring, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, an incoming communication from a contact and an outgoing communication to the contact.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating, via at least one of a client electronic device and a server computer, a first incoming communication type and a first outgoing communication type with a first contact group, and a second incoming communication type and a second outgoing communication type with a second contact group, in at least one of a social networking application and an email application;

monitoring, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, an incoming communication from a contact and an outgoing communication to the contact;

designating, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, the incoming communication as at least one of the first incoming communication type and the second incoming communication type and the outgoing communication as at least one of the first outgoing communication type and the second outgoing communication type; and

placing, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group based upon, at least in part, the designated incoming communication type and the designated outgoing communication type.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining the first contact group and the second contact group in at least one of the social networking application and the email application.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first contact group has a first access permission scheme, the second contact group has a second access permission scheme, and a third contact group has a third access permission scheme.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first incoming communication type, first outgoing communication type, second incoming communication type, and second outgoing communication type are at least one of a personal message, a wall message, a chat, a virtual poke, an e-card, a virtual gift, and a photo tag.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

defining the first access permission scheme for the first contact group, the second access permission scheme for the second contact group, and the third access permission scheme for the third contact group.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requiring a user'"'"'s permission before placing the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring communication types of, at least one of, a plurality of outgoing communications to at least one contact, and a plurality of incoming communications from the at least one contact;

monitoring which contact group a user places the at least one contact into;

extrapolating a default model for the user based upon, at least in part, the communication types and which contact group the user placed the at least one contact into; and

placing a new contact into one of the contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

monitoring communication types of at least one of incoming communications and outgoing communications for a plurality of users;

monitoring contact group placement by each of the plurality of users;

extrapolating a default model based upon, at least in part, the communication types and the contact group placements by each of the plurality of users; and

placing contacts into contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein placing the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group is scheduled by a user.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein placing contacts into contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model is scheduled by a user.

11. A computer program product residing on a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

associating, via at least one of a client electronic device and a server computer, a first incoming communication type and a first outgoing communication type with a first contact group, and a second incoming communication type and a second outgoing communication type with a second contact group, in at least one of a social networking application and an email application;

monitoring, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, an incoming communication from a contact and an outgoing communication to the contact;

designating, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, the incoming communication as at least one of the first incoming communication type and the second incoming communication type and the outgoing communication as at least one of the first outgoing communication type and the second outgoing communication type; and

placing, via at least one of the client electronic device and the server computer, the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group based upon, at least in part, the designated incoming communication type and the designated outgoing communication type.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for:

defining the first contact group and the second contact group in at least one of the social networking application and the email application.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the first contact group has a first access permission scheme, the second contact group has a second access permission scheme, and a third contact group has a third access permission scheme.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the first incoming communication type, first outgoing communication type, second incoming communication type, and second outgoing communication type are at least one of a personal message, a wall message, a chat, a virtual poke, an e-card, a virtual gift, and a photo tag.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising instructions for:

defining the first access permission scheme for the first contact group, the second access permission scheme for the second contact group, and the third access permission scheme for the third contact group.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for:

requiring a user'"'"'s permission before placing the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for:

monitoring communication types of, at least one of, a plurality of outgoing communications to at least one contact, and a plurality of incoming communications from the at least one contact;

monitoring which contact group a user places the at least one contact into;

extrapolating a default model for the user based upon, at least in part, the communication types and which contact group the user placed the at least one contact into; and

placing a new contact into one of the contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising instructions for:

monitoring communication types of at least one of incoming communications and outgoing communications for a plurality of users;

monitoring contact group placement by each of the plurality of users;

extrapolating a default model based upon, at least in part, the communication types and the contact group placements by each of the plurality of users; and

placing contacts into contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 further wherein placing the contact into at least one of the first contact group and the second contact group is scheduled by a user.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein placing contacts into contact groups based upon, at least in part, the default model is scheduled by a user.