METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERNET-BASED HUMAN NETWORK BROKERING
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- responsive to receipt of a search query and accompanying search criteria at a server of a social networking system, said server having a processor and a memory coupled thereto, searching a social network of a user of the social networking system for matches to said search query, said matches including potential targets satisfying the search query and one or more of the search criteria defined for the search;
for each respective one of the potential targets, determining whether profile access control criteria established by the respective potential targets are met; and
for those respective ones of the potential targets whose profile access control criteria are met, reporting said respective potential targets to the user as matches for the search query, said reporting comprising returning a list of said potential targets to a client communicatively coupled to said server,wherein the social network of the user comprises persons in one or more chains of person-to-person relationships connecting the searcher and the potential targets, and the profile access control criteria define attributes of personal profiles of said persons and said persons'"'"' contacts that may be shared with others.
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Abstract
Matches between search queries and potential targets of such search queries are automatically brokered by (i) comparing search criteria specified in the search queries with profile criteria describing the potential targets, and (ii) reporting instances of acceptable correspondence between the search criteria and the profile criteria, provided that access controls associated with the profile criteria of the targets permit such reporting in light of access levels assigned to the Search inquiries. Initiators, using client applications at various remote locations, may formulate the search queries and the brokering may be performed at one or more server locations communicatively coupled (e.g., via the Internet) thereto. The profile criteria may include portions of rich descriptive profiles of the potential targets.
22 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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responsive to receipt of a search query and accompanying search criteria at a server of a social networking system, said server having a processor and a memory coupled thereto, searching a social network of a user of the social networking system for matches to said search query, said matches including potential targets satisfying the search query and one or more of the search criteria defined for the search; for each respective one of the potential targets, determining whether profile access control criteria established by the respective potential targets are met; and for those respective ones of the potential targets whose profile access control criteria are met, reporting said respective potential targets to the user as matches for the search query, said reporting comprising returning a list of said potential targets to a client communicatively coupled to said server, wherein the social network of the user comprises persons in one or more chains of person-to-person relationships connecting the searcher and the potential targets, and the profile access control criteria define attributes of personal profiles of said persons and said persons'"'"' contacts that may be shared with others. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
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6. The computer-implemented method of claim I, wherein reporting said respective potential targets further comprises autonomously brokering connections between the searcher and one or more of the respective potential targets, so as to provide information regarding individuals in one or more of the chains of person-to-person relationships connecting the searcher and the one or more of the respective potential targets, by brokering, in accordance with one or more instructions supplied by any one or more connecting individuals in an inter-personal connection path from the searcher to a respective potential target, where such instructions refer to attributes of relationships between any two or more persons in said chains of person-to-person relationships, said attributes of relationships including one or more of the following:
- levels of trust, levels of access, levels of privacy, levels of security, length of relationship, frequency of interaction, closeness of relationship, and nature of relationship.
Specification