CUMULATIVE CONNECTEDNESS

• US 20130055151A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Englar, Bruce Wyatt
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for determining the connectedness from a first individual to a second individual on a social network. In some embodiments, a method includes: (a) receiving information associated with the social network, (b) determining a direct connection between the first individual and the second individual, (c) determining one or more indirect connections between a first individual and a second individual, and (d) determining the connectedness based at least partially on: the direct connection, and/or the number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, and/or the type of each indirect connection, and/or a qualitative value of each indirect connection. Embodiments of the invention allow a user of a system to determine the strength (or quality/closeness) of a connection between two individuals on a social network.

Claims

1. A method to determine connectedness from a first individual to a second individual on a social network, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with the social network;

determining, based at least partially on the received information, using a processor, a direct connection between the first individual and the second individual; and

in response to determining no direct connection;

determining, based at least partially on the received information, one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determining the connectedness based at least partially on;

a number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, a type of each indirect connection;

wherein an indirect connection is a path from the first individual to the second individual, and wherein the indirect connection comprises one or more intermediate individuals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of the indirect connection is based at least partially on a number of intermediate individuals associated with the indirect connection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to determining a direct connection;

determining one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determining the connectedness based at least partially on;

the direct connection, the number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, and the type of each indirect connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a contribution of an indirect connection to the connectedness is based at least partially on a number of branch connections associated with the indirect connection and a type of each branch connection, wherein the type of each branch connection is based at least partially on a distance of the branch connection to the first individual.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to input, on a user interface, a name of the social network, a name of the first individual, and a name of the second individual.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting a user to input, on a user interface, a numeric value for a maximum number of intermediate individuals, wherein, in determining the connectedness, an indirect connection that comprises more than the maximum number of intermediate individuals is ignored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined connectedness from the first individual to the second individual is different from a determined connectedness from the second individual to the first individual.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined connectedness from the first individual to the second individual is different from a determined connectedness from the second individual to the first individual.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the connectedness based at least partially on a qualitative value associated with the indirect connection, wherein the qualitative value is based at least partially on the first individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, the second individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, and the first individual'"'"'s communication with the second individual on the social network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the qualitative value is either a positive or a negative value.

11. An apparatus to determine connectedness from a first individual to a second individual on a social network, the apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a processor; and

a module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to;

receive information associated with the social network;

determine, based at least partially on the received information, using a processor, a direct connection between the first individual and the second individual; and

in response to determining no direct connection;

determine, based at least partially on the received information, one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determine the connectedness based at least partially on;

a number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, a type of each indirect connection;

wherein an indirect connection is a path from the first individual to the second individual, and wherein the indirect connection comprises one or more intermediate individuals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the type of the indirect connection is based at least partially on a number of intermediate individuals associated with the indirect connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the module is further configured to:

in response to determining a direct connection;

determine one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determine the connectedness based at least partially on;

the direct connection, the number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, and the type of each indirect connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a contribution of an indirect connection to the connectedness is based at least partially on a number of branch connections associated with the indirect connection and a type of each branch connection, wherein the type of each branch connection is based at least partially on a distance of the branch connection to the first individual.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the module is further configured to:

prompt a user to input, on a user interface, a name of the social network, a name of the first individual, and a name of the second individual.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the module is further configured to:

prompt a user to input, on a user interface, a numeric value for a maximum number of intermediate individuals, wherein, in determining the connectedness, the module ignores an indirect connection that comprises more than the maximum number of intermediate individuals.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the connectedness is determined based at least partially on a qualitative value associated with the indirect connection, wherein the qualitative value is based at least partially on the first individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, the second individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, and the first individual'"'"'s communication with the second individual on the social network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the qualitative value is either a positive or a negative value.

19. A computer program product to determine connectedness between from a first individual to a second individual on a social network, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to;

receive information associated with the social network;

determine, based at least partially on the received information, using a processor, a direct connection between the first individual and the second individual; and

in response to determining no direct connection;

determine, based at least partially on the received information, one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determine the connectedness based at least partially on;

a number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, and a type of each indirect connection,

wherein an indirect connection is a path from the first individual to the second individual, and wherein the indirect connection comprises one or more intermediate individuals.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the type of the indirect connection is based at least partially on a number of intermediate individuals associated with the indirect connection.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to:

in response to determining a direct connection;

determine one or more indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual; and

determine the connectedness based at least partially on;

the direct connection, the number of indirect connections between the first individual and the second individual, and the type of each indirect connection.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein a contribution of an indirect connection to the connectedness is based at least partially on a number of branch connections associated with the indirect connection and a type of each branch connection, wherein the type of each branch connection is based at least partially on a distance of the branch connection to the first individual.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to:

prompt a user to input, on a user interface, a name of the social network, a name of the first individual, and a name of the second individual.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to:

prompt a user to input, on a user interface, a numeric value for a maximum number of intermediate individuals, wherein, in determining the connectedness, the set of codes ignores an indirect connection that comprises more than the maximum number of intermediate individuals.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the determined connectedness from the first individual to the second individual is different from a determined connectedness from the second individual to the first individual.

26. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the connectedness is determined based at least partially on a qualitative value associated with the indirect connection, wherein the qualitative value is based at least partially on the first individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, the second individual'"'"'s activity on the social network, and the first individual'"'"'s communication with the second individual on the social network.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the qualitative value is either a positive or a negative value.

28. A method to determine a list of individuals connected to a first individual on a social network, the method comprising:

receiving a connectedness value;

receiving social network information associated with a first individual;

determining, based at least partially on the received social network information, using a processor, the list of individuals connected to the first individual;

wherein the connectedness from the first individual to each individual on the list of individuals is less than or equal to the received connectedness value.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the social network information is associated with one or more social networks.