Computational systems and methods for disambiguating search terms corresponding to network members

• US 20130060759A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Dyor, Matthew G., Gates, William, Huang, Xuedong, Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Lu, Qi, Malamud, Mark A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Nadella, Satya, Reed, Daniel, Shum, Harry, Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/342 between virtual entities, e.g. orchestrators, SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that carry out accepting at least one search term corresponding to at least one member of a network; disambiguating the at least one search term including associating the at least one search term with at least one of network-participation identifier data or device-identifier data; and presenting a disambiguated search term at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.

Claims

1-76. -76. (canceled)

77. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a primary query data acceptor module configured to accept at least one search term corresponding to at least one member of a network; and

a disambiguation unit configured to disambiguate the at least one search term including circuitry for associating the at least one search term with at least one of network-participation identifier data or device-identifier data;

wherein the disambiguation unit is configured to present a disambiguated search term at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.

78. The system of claim 77 wherein the primary query data acceptor module further comprises at least one of a name query acceptor module or a number query acceptor module.

79. The system of claim 77 wherein the disambiguation unit further comprises an ancillary query data acceptor module.

80. The system of claim 79 wherein the ancillary query data acceptor module further comprises at least one of a device-identifier acceptor module, a network-participation identifier data acceptor module, or a search locus data acceptor module.

81. The system of claim 77 wherein the disambiguation unit further comprises an identity prediction module.

82. The system of claim 81 wherein the identity prediction module further comprises at least one of a de-anonymization module, a real-name profiling module, a web history tracking module, or an app data tracking module.

83. The system of claim 77 wherein the disambiguation unit further comprises a subscriber database.

84. The system of claim 83 wherein the subscriber database includes a cross-carrier subscriber database.

85. The system of claim 77 wherein the disambiguation unit further comprises at least one of filter logic, ranking logic, or correction logic.

86. The system of claim 85 wherein the filter logic is configured to filter search results based on at least one of shared network participation, shared location, or shared device attribute.

87. The system of claim 85 wherein the ranking logic is configured to rank search results based on at least one of degree of shared network participation, degree of shared location, or degree of shared device attribute.

88. The system of claim 85 wherein the correction logic is configured to detect at least one possible error in a search term entered by a user at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.

89. The system of claim 88 wherein the correction logic is configured to suggest at least one alternative to a search term entered by a user at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.

90. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a primary query data acceptor module configured to accept at a user interface at least one search term corresponding to at least one member of a network; and

a disambiguation unit configured to disambiguate the at least one search term including circuitry for associating the at least one search term with at least one of network-participation identifier data or device-identifier data;

wherein the disambiguation unit is configured to present a disambiguated search term at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.

91. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a primary query data acceptor module operative on a computational platform, wherein the primary query data acceptor module is configured to accept at least one search term corresponding to at least one member of a network; and

a disambiguation unit operative on a computational platform, wherein the disambiguation unit is configured to disambiguate the at least one search term including circuitry for associating the at least one search term with at least one of network-participation identifier data or device-identifier data;

wherein the disambiguation unit is configured to present a disambiguated search term at least partly based on at least one of the network-participation identifier data or the device-identifier data.