System And Method For Modeling And Applying A People Network Representation

• US 20140237037A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elliott Waingold
• Original Assignee: Elliott Waingold
• Inventors: Waingold, Elliott
• Application Number:
  US13/768,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 for applying a people network representation to aid contact between a member of an organization and a target individual selects a contact path between the member and the target supported by analysis of the level of interaction between members of the organization based on network communications of the organization. Level of interaction is analyzed using network communications that take into account the recentness and frequency of interactions, such as email, ICQ, or phone interaction. To contact a targeted individual, for instance such as to obtain expertise in a desired area, the model of the people network allows determination of a contact path between the member and the target which improves the likelihood of obtaining the target'"'"'s expertise. A contact path from a member may include a suggestion to contact the target through one or more intervening organization members.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. An apparatus for determining a contact path between a first individual and a target individual, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing in a memory data associated with multiple individuals;

means for tracking network communications of the individuals;

means for determining a level of interaction between the individuals based on the network communications to develop a people network;

means for determining a contact path between the first individual and the target individual, the contact path including one or more of the individuals having at least a predetermined level of interaction with the first individual and the target individual and the contact path identifies one or more of the individuals that represent a proposed path through the people network for the first individual to contact the target individual, wherein the one or more individuals of the contact path include one or more individuals other than the first individual and the target individual; and

means for providing the contact path to the first individual.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising:

modeling the people network as a directed graph having plural nodes representing the individuals and plural edges representing levels of interaction between a plurality of the individuals;

wherein determining the level of interaction comprises analyzing the edges associated with the first individual and the target individual.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein each edge comprises one or more weights, each weight representing a level of interaction for one type of network communication.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein one weight represents the level of interaction for e-mail communication.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein one weight represents the level of interaction for electronic data communication.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein one weight represents the level of interaction for telephone communication.

32. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising:

storing one or more areas of expertise for a plurality of the individuals; and

identifying an area of expertise desired by the first individual;

wherein the contact path comprises one or more of the individuals that represent a proposed path through the people network for the first member to contact the target individual having the desired expertise, wherein the one or more individuals of the contact path include one or more individuals other than the first individual and the target individual.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein:

determining a contact path further comprises determining plural contact paths, each contact path representing a proposed path through the people network for the first individual to contact the target individual having the desired expertise.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising graphically depicting the plural contact paths as nodes representing a plurality of the individuals and edges representing the level of interaction between the plurality of the individuals, each node and edge having an appearance that corresponds to the strength of the contact path.