LINKING USERS INTO LIVE SOCIAL NETWORKING INTERACTIONS BASED ON THE USERS' ACTIONS RELATIVE TO SIMILAR CONTENT

• US 20120278740A1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADDnCLICK, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADDnCLICK, Inc.
• Inventors: Robinson, Jack D., Muller, Peter, Lim, Teng Lew, Cluff, James, Fullerton, Larry, Noke, Timothy, Glausi, Wallace
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and method that uses interne content and/or content metadata as a means to establish social networks. Examples include linking internet users, searchers, viewers and/or listeners of the same and/or similar internet content to each other via a platform that enables any of the following in n-dimensional environments: social networking, communications, sharing, e-commerce, advertising, search, hosting and registry services, push and pull applications, anonymous communications, and rich presence.

Claims

1. A method for associating network-linked users with one another based on mutually-expressed indications of interest in device-accessible content, comprising:

registering a user at a central user registry, the registering including recording at a non-transitory data storage medium information corresponding to an identity of the user;

delivering to the registered user device-executable instructions configured, when executed by processing circuitry of a device network-linked, to the user registry, to enable the user to register content at a central content registry, wherein the registration of the content includes;

storing metadata of the content at a non-transitory data storage medium of the content registry, and

associating with the content a marker comprising coded instructions configured, when executed on a data processing device, to present to the user a graphical user interface (GUI) object which, when selected by the registered user, initiates a network link with another user;

detecting an action of another registered user upon content having metadata;

detecting one or more similarities between metadata of content registered by the user and the metadata of the content acted upon by the other user;

providing an interactive, network-enabled link between the registered user and the other registered user in response to selection by the registered user of the marker displayed at a display device associated with the registered user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening a new window on the user'"'"'s display device in response to the registered user selecting the marker, wherein the window includes a thumbnail representation of the content with which the marker was associated.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the new window also includes a thumbnail representation of the content acted upon by the other registered user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the new window also includes a representation of an advertisement posted by a sponsor of the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the new window includes controls enabling the registered user to invite other users to join the network-enabled link between the registered user and the other registered user.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the new window is configured to present to the registered user and to the other registered user a representation of a three-dimensional environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the environment includes at least one representation of a vertical surface upon which content can be displayed to the registered user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting an advertisement displayed within the three-dimensional environment, by an action of the registered user relative to the advertisement, causes the three-dimensional environment to display additional content posted by a sponsor of the advertisement.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein either of the registered user and the other registered user is represented as an avatar within the three-dimensional environment.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the new window is a persistent client window (PCW).

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

causing a display device associated with the other registered user to display a same item of content that is concurrently displayed to the registered user via the PCW.

12. A method of marking network-accessible content for network-enabled, content-based interaction between users, comprising:

receiving via a network connection data indicating a user identity;

confirming at a central user registry that the user identity corresponds to a registered user;

receiving via the network connection metadata of a selected content item;

recording the received metadata at a central content registry; and

associating coded instructions with the selected content item, wherein the instructions are configured, when executed on a data processing device, to;

insert a user-viewable and selectable icon at a portion of the content item; and

in response to selection of the icon by the registered user or another user, to open a persistent client window (PCW) graphical user interface (GUI) at a display device associated with the registered user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the coded instructions are further configured, when executed in response to selection of the icon, to establish a network-enabled link between the registered user and the other user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the PCW depicts a three-dimensional environment.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the PCW includes a depiction of the content item.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein either or both of the registered user and the other user are depicted as avatars in the PCW.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the PCW further includes two or more content display panes at which content can be simultaneously displayed to a user.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the PCW further includes one or more advertisements visibly displayed to either or both of the registered user and the other user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more advertisements are relevant to information submitted to the central user registry by either or both of the registered user.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a means for the registered user and the other user to interact via the PCW, wherein the means comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of a text messaging portion, a video messaging portion, a voice messaging portion, and suitable messaging portion controls.