SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING INFORMATION FROM VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMS

• US 20120099485A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vonage America Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage America Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: LANGOS, Geoffrey, Efrati, Tzahi, Sterman, Baruch
• Application Number:
  US13/242,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/555 Statistics, e.g. about subscribers but not being call statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods of recommending that two people form a link on a social networking system use information for a first person that is obtained from a contact list or an address book that is maintained for the first person on a telephony system. The information drawn from the first person'"'"'s contact list or address book is used to determine if any individuals or businesses listed in the first person'"'"'s contact list or address book are members of a social networking system. If so, a recommendation that the first person form a link on the social networking system with those individuals or businesses is issued to one or both parties.

Claims

1. A method of recommending that a first member of a social networking system establish a link with another member of the social networking system, comprising:

reviewing a contact list or address book for a first member of a social networking system that is maintained on a telephony system to create a list of identifiers associated with entries on the first member'"'"'s contact list or address book;

determining if any individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list are members of the social networking system; and

recommending that the first member establish a link on the social networking system with an individual or business associated with an identifier on the list if the individual or business is also a member of the social networking system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

identifying names of individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list; and

using the identified names to determine if any of the individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list are members of the social networking system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying step comprises consulting an identifier cross-reference database maintained by the telephony system to obtain names of individuals and businesses that are associated with the identifiers on the list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reviewing step comprises reviewing a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored in a central database facility of the telephony system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reviewing step comprises reviewing a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored on a telephony device that is provided with service by the telephony system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reviewing step comprises reviewing a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored on a mobile telephony device that is provided with service by the telephony system.

7. A system for recommending that a first member of a social networking system establish a link with another member of the social networking system, comprising:

means for reviewing a contact list or address book for a first member of a social networking system that is maintained on a telephony system to create a list of identifiers associated with entries on the first member'"'"'s contact list or address book;

means for determining if any individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list are members of the social networking system; and

means for recommending that the first member establish a link on the social networking system with an individual or business associated with an identifier on the list if the individual or business is also a member of the social networking system.

8. A system for recommending that a first member of a social networking system establish a link with another member of the social networking system, comprising:

a reviewing unit that reviews a contact list or address book for a first member of a social networking system that is maintained on a telephony system to create a list of identifiers associated with entries on the first member'"'"'s contact list or address book;

a determining unit that determines if any individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list are members of the social networking system; and

a link recommendation unit that recommends that the first member establish a link on the social networking system with an individual or business associated with an identifier on the list if the individual or business is also a member of the social networking system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the determining unit identifies names of individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list, and uses the identified names to determine if any of the individuals or businesses associated with the identifiers on the list are members of the social networking system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining unit consults an identifier cross-reference database maintained by the telephony system to obtain names of individuals and businesses that are associated with the identifiers on the list.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the reviewing unit reviews a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored in a central database of the telephony system.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the reviewing unit reviews a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored on a telephony device that is provided with service by the telephony system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the reviewing unit reviews a contact list or address book for the first member that is stored on a mobile telephony device that is provided with service by the telephony system.