Method and Computer Program Product for Operating a Relationship Mapping Site
First Claim
1. A method of operating an Internet-based relationship mapping website, comprising:
- (a) receiving information about a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website;
(b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts;
(c) receiving information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons, wherein at least one of said other persons is one of said plurality of hubs;
(d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs;
(e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to an individual of interest via said one of said plurality of hubs; and
(f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users;
wherein individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and computer program products for facilitating the operation of Internet-based (i.e., online) social networking sites are disclosed. Such methods and computer program products allow people to discover, explore and maintain relationship paths (i.e., links) with any other person in the world by utilizing the fact that every person has one or more “relationship paths” to everyone else through varying degrees of separation. The power of the Internet, via online social networking sites, is leveraged to build a comprehensive database revealing how each person is connected to everyone by designating certain users of the site as “hubs,” “gateways” and/or “connectors.
4 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of operating an Internet-based relationship mapping website, comprising:
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(a) receiving information about a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; (c) receiving information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons, wherein at least one of said other persons is one of said plurality of hubs; (d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs; (e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to an individual of interest via said one of said plurality of hubs; and (f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of operating an Internet-based relationship mapping website for a plurality of users, comprising:
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(a) receiving information about the plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts and an indication of degree of strength of the relationship between each of said plurality of users and their respective said plurality of contacts; (c) receiving information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons, wherein at least one of said other persons is one of said plurality of hubs; (d) assigning an indication of relationship between each of said plurality of hubs and their respective said plurality of relationship paths to other said users of said website and to said users of said social network; (e) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs; (f) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said one of said plurality of hubs and, via said hub, to an individual of interest who is not a user of said website; and (g) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users, wherein information presented with each individual on said relationship path displayed is limited based on a number of links to said one of said plurality of users.
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25. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium encoded in a computer having control logic stored therein for causing the computer to provide an Internet-based relationship path website, said control logic comprising:
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first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive information about a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons and to at least one of said plurality of users; fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs; fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to an individual of interest via said one of said plurality of hubs; and sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification