COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A DISTRIBUTION LIST OF USERS IN AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20130091149A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, Zachary, Olsen, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

Disclosed are examples of methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media for providing a distribution list of users of an online social network to receive data regarding a record stored in a database. In some implementations, information is received that identifies one or more users of the online social network who are relevant to the record and who are not following the record. A distribution list is provided and includes the information identifying the one or more relevant users. The distribution list indicates the one or more relevant users as one or more candidates to receive the data regarding the record. The distribution list is stored on a storage medium.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a distribution list of users of an online social network to receive data regarding a record, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying one or more users of the online social network who are relevant to the record and who are not following the record, the record being stored in a database;

providing the distribution list including the information identifying the one or more relevant users, the distribution list indicating the one or more relevant users as one or more candidates to receive the data regarding the record; and

storing the distribution list on a storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information identifying the one or more relevant users includes one or more of:

retrieving the information from a database, and receiving user input data including the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input data, the distribution list being generated in response to receiving the user input data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the information identifying the one or more relevant users in accordance with a relevance measure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the relevance measure is based on one or more criteria including:

a relationship of the record with a designated entity, the one or more users having access to designated social network data, the one or more users having access to designated customer relationship management (CRM) data, the one or more users being members of a designated organization, the one or more users being members of a designated group, the one or more users following a designated record, the one or more users being associated with a designated person, the one or more users having a designated relationship to a person, the one or more users having a designated title or role in an organizational hierarchy, the one or more users having a designated expertise, the one or more users having a designated badge, the one or more users being associated with a designated keyword, and a geographical location of the one or more users.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that a number of the users meets or exceeds a designated threshold;

applying weights to the criteria to define respective relevance measures of the users;

generating a ranking of the users in accordance with the respective relevance measures; and

selecting the one or more relevant users in accordance with the ranking.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, on a storage medium, data indicating that the one or more relevant users are following the record.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution list is provided for display in a user interface on a display device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the one or more relevant users in the distribution list as the one or more candidates to receive the data regarding the record.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a network communication to a computing device associated with the one or more relevant users identified in the distribution list, the network communication indicating that the one or more relevant users are identified in the distribution list.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network communication includes one or more of:

an email, a text message, a phone call, a message on an information feed, and a tweet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the network communication includes a link capable of being displayed in a user interface on a display device and operable to provide one or more of:

receiving a request from the one or more users to follow the record, receiving a message from the one or more users, receiving a further network communication from the one or more users, providing access to a record feed, providing access to a record page, and providing access to an online chat room.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the data regarding the record for display in a user interface on a display device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that data associated with the record has been selected, requested, or accessed, the distribution list being provided in response to the indication.

15. A computer implemented method for providing a distribution list of users of an online social network to receive data regarding a record, the method comprising:

receiving a request for data associated with a record stored in a database;

responsive to the request, retrieving a distribution list associated with the record from a storage medium, the distribution list including information identifying one or more users of the online social network who are relevant to the record and who are not following the record; and

providing the distribution list to a display device for display in a user interface.

16. One or more computing devices for providing a distribution list of users of an online social network, the one or more computing devices comprising:

one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to;

receive information identifying one or more users of the online social network who are relevant to the record and who are not following the record, the record being stored in a database;

provide the distribution list including the information identifying the one or more relevant users, the distribution list indicating the one or more relevant users as one or more candidates to receive the data regarding the record; and

store the distribution list on a storage medium.

17. The one or more computing devices of claim 16, wherein receiving the information identifying the one or more relevant users includes one or more of:

retrieving the information from a database, and receiving user input data including the information.

18. The one or more computing devices of claim 16, the one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to:

generate the distribution list in response to receiving user input data.

19. The one or more computing devices of claim 16, the one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to:

generate the information identifying the one or more relevant users in accordance with a relevance measure.

20. The one or more computing devices of claim 16, the one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to:

send a network communication to a user system associated with the one or more relevant users identified in the distribution list, the network communication indicating that the one or more relevant users are identified in the distribution list.

21. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computing device to perform a method for providing a distribution list of users of an online social network to receive data regarding a record, the method comprising:

receiving a request for data associated with a record stored in a database;

responsive to the request, retrieving a distribution list associated with the record from a storage medium, the distribution list including information identifying one or more users of the online social network who are relevant to the record and who are not following the record; and

providing the distribution list to a display device for display in a user interface.

22. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, the method further comprising:

receiving an indication that data associated with the record has been selected, requested, or accessed, the distribution list being provided in response to the indication.