Method for facilitating and analyzing social interactions and context for targeted recommendations in a network of a telecom service provider

• US 20110201317A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ttsl-Iitb Centre For Excellence In Telecom
• Original Assignee: Ttsl-Iitb Centre For Excellence In Telecom
• Inventors: Kumar, Sanjay, Kumar, Animesh, Parakh, Dhanashree Deval, Sharma, Somya, Kapadia, Prateek, Karandikar, Abhay
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A mobile social networking platform including a system and method for cellular communications and accessing services using cellular communications. The system and method enable any mobile device user having a mobile station (MS) with minimal functionality to SMS to access a social network without installing any additional software on the MS. The system and method also enable the mobile user to access Location Based Services even if the network provides location information, without specifically requiring a GPS/GPRS enabled MS.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method for providing targeted recommendations about an event to a user in a social network, wherein said social network is accessible from a mobile device in a mobile network, said method comprising providing recommendations about said event to said user based on a plurality of factors, said factors comprising of at least one of:

a relationship of said user with a social cluster;

a relationship of said event with an event cluster;

a relationship of said social cluster with said event cluster; and

ratings provided by a plurality of users for a plurality of events in said event cluster,

wherein said user may be included in said plurality of customers.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said social cluster is created by performing steps comprising:

analyzing said feedback and said rated events, where said rated events are similar to said event, to build a list of users with similar interests; and

grouping said list of users into a social cluster.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said social cluster is modified by performing steps comprising:

analyzing call detail records of said user, list of contacts of said user, profile of said user, location of said user, said feedback and said rated events, where said rated events are similar to said event; and

re-grouping said social cluster.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein analyzing rated events further comprises:

fetching users who have rated events, wherein said events are of interest to said user; and

quantifying interest of said users on said social network.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein analyzing call detail records further comprises:

assigning weights to entries present in said call detail records; and

ranking said entries based on said weights.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said weights are assigned based on similarity of interests between said user and said entries.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein analyzing list of contacts of said user further comprises:

checking contacts of said user for contacts who have similar interests as said user; and

quantifying influence of contacts with similar interests on said user.

38. The method of claim 32, where attributes of said social clusters are dynamically defined.

39. The method of claim 32, where attributes of said social clusters are dynamically defined by a third party.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein providing recommendations to a user further comprises at least one of:

said user providing feedback about said event; and

said user providing ratings for said event.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said feedback and said ratings are further used to modify said event clusters.

42. A system for providing targeted recommendations about an event to a user in a social network, wherein said social network is accessible from a mobile device in a mobile network, and wherein said system comprises at least one means for providing recommendations about said event to said user based on a plurality of factors, said factors comprising of at least one of:

a relationship of said user with a social cluster;

a relationship of said event with an event cluster;

a relationship of said social cluster with said event cluster; and

ratings provided by a plurality of users for a plurality of events in said event cluster, wherein said user may be included in said plurality of customers.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said mobile device is adapted for using Short Messaging Service for accessing said social network.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein said system is adapted for creating said event cluster by performing steps comprising:

fetching event attributes of said event;

analyzing said event attributes to build a list of events with similar attributes; and

grouping said list of events into said event clusters.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said system is adapted for fetching said event attributes from an event database.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein said system is adapted for creating said social cluster by performing steps comprising:

analyzing said feedback and said rated events, where said rated events are similar to said event, to build a list of users with similar interests; and

grouping said list of users into a social cluster.

47. The system, as claimed in claim 46, wherein said system is adapted for modifying said social cluster by performing steps comprising:

analyzing call detail records of said user, list of contacts of said user, profile of said user, location of said user, said feedback and said rated events, where said rated events are similar to said event; and

re-grouping said social cluster.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said system is adapted for analyzing rated events by performing steps comprising:

fetching users who have rated events, wherein said events are of interest to said user; and

quantifying interest of said users on said social network.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said system is adapted for analyzing call detail records by further performing steps comprising:

assigning weights to entries present in said call detail records; and

ranking said entries based on said weights.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein said system is adapted for assigning said weights based on similarity of interests between said user and said entries.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein said system is adapted for analyzing list of contacts of said user by performing steps comprising:

checking contacts of said user for contacts who have similar interests as said user; and

quantifying influence of contacts with similar interests on said user.

52. The system of claim 47, wherein said system is adapted for modifying said event clusters based on feedback and ratings provided by said user.