COMMUNITY SEARCH SYSTEM WITH RELATIONAL RANKING

• US 20110191318A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aubert Park Ventures Limited
• Original Assignee: Aubert Park Ventures Limited
• Inventors: Clowes, Michael, Gilbey, David
• Application Number:
  US12/993,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

In the present invention, there is provided a computer system (10) for retrieving published content from a social network of users in which each user has connections to one or more other users, and in which the degree of separation between users within the social network is defined as the number of connections required to connect two given users. The system (10) comprises a database (14) for storing a plurality of content assets published by users, each content asset being indexed against one or more users in the network, a network user map (13) stored in memory which, for each user, identifies degrees of separation between that user and other users in the social network, an application interface (12) for receiving an online search request from a first user, a search engine (15) having a system index for identifying one or more stored content assets that match the search request; and a processor for filtering the matching content assets to identify content assets indexed against users within the first user'"'"'s network user map and generate search results ranked in dependence on the degree of separation between the first user and the user or users associated with the one or more matching content assets.

The present invention provides a content searching service allowing users to search for and retrieve stored content according to their personal relationships with other users who are part of their social network. Unlike conventional methods, the present invention does not provide the same content to every user regardless of context, but rather presents the content according to their relationship with the user(s) associated with (indexed against) that content.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of retrieving published content from a social network of users in which each user has connections to one or more other users, and in which the degree of separation between users within the social network is defined as the number of connections required to connect two given users, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of content assets published by users in a storage system, each content asset being indexed against one or more users in the network;

maintaining a network user map which, for each user, identifies degrees of separation between that user and other users in the social network;

receiving an online search request from a first user;

searching the stored content assets to identify one or more content assets that match the search request;

filtering the matching content assets to identify content assets indexed against users within the first user'"'"'s network user map; and

generating search results for matching content assets which are ranked in dependence on the degree of separation between the first user and the user or users associated with the one or more matching content assets.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network user map is dynamically updated when a new connection is created between a user and another user in the network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network user map is dynamically updated when an existing connection is deleted between a user and another user in the network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the network user map is derived from a stored network file which has a list of all user connections with just one degree of separation.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the network user map is created by parsing the network file to identify all connecting users with n degrees of separation, where n is greater than or equal to two, and preferably n is equal to 3.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the search results indicate the degree of separation.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the search results identify the one or more users associated with the one or more matching content assets.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more matching content assets are additionally ranked according to at least one other parameter.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the content assets are digital content selected from a group including:

answers, attachments, categories, classifieds, comments, feedbacks, geocodes, groups, invitations, messages, offers, photo albums, questions, relationships, scrapbook folders, scrapbook items, subscriptions, users and weblinks.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining whether the first user has permission to view the matching content asset.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein content assets which are indexed are stored within polymorphic tables.

6. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. A computer system for retrieving published content from a social network of users in which each user has connections to one or more other users, and in which the degree of separation between users within the social network is defined as the number of connections required to connect two given users, the system comprising:

a database for storing a plurality of content assets published by users, each content asset being indexed against one or more users in the network;

a network user map stored in memory which, for each user, identifies degrees of separation between that user and other users in the social network;

an application interface for receiving an online search request from a first user;

a search engine having a system index for identifying one or more stored content assets that match the search request; and

,

a processor for filtering the matching content assets to identify content assets indexed against users within the first user'"'"'s network user map and generate search results ranked in dependence on the degree of separation between the first user and the user or users associated with the one or more matching content assets.

18. A system according to claim 17, in which the search engine of the system includes a web index thereby to facilitate searching of the world wide web (WWW) to identify web content that matches the search request.

19. A system according to claim 17, in which the content assets are digital content selected from a group including:

answers, attachments, categories, classifieds, comments, feedbacks, geocodes, groups, invitations, messages, offers, photo albums, questions, relationships, scrapbook folders, scrapbook items, subscriptions, users and web links.

24. A system according to claim 17, in which content assets which are indexed by the search engine are stored within polymorphic tables within the database.

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code, the program code executable by a computer to

store a plurality of content assets published by users in a storage system, each content asset being indexed against one or more users in the network;

maintain a network user map which, for each user, identifies degrees of separation between that user and other users in the social network;

receive an online search request from a first user;

search the stored content assets to identify one or more content assets that match the search request;

filter the matching content assets to identify content assets indexed against users within the first user'"'"'s network user map; and

generate search results for matching content assets which are ranked in dependence on the degree of separation between the first user and the user or users associated with the one or more matching content assets.

26. A medium according to claim 25, the program code further executable by a computer to derive the network user map from a stored network file which has a list of all user connections with just one degree of separation.

27. A medium according to claim 26, the program code further executable by a computer to parse the network file to identify all connecting users with n degrees of separation, where n is greater than or equal to two, and preferably n is equal to 3.

28. A medium according to claim 25, the program code further executable by a computer to determine whether the first user has permission to view the matching content asset.

29. A medium according to claim 25, the program code further executable by a computer to store content assets which are indexed within polymorphic tables.