TECHNIQUES FOR EXCHANGING CONTACT INFORMATION AND ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION VIA A SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICE

• US 20150189028A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Linkedln Corporation
• Inventors: Sayed, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 9,503,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method of making it easier for users to interact with each other via a social networking system is disclosed. It is detected that a first user of a social networking system performed an action with respect to a second user of the social networking system. It is interpreted that the action of the first user corresponds to a command that the first user intends to issue to a social networking system, the command pertaining to the second user. The command is processed by the social networking system on behalf of the first user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting that a first user of a social networking system performed an action with respect to a second user of the social networking system, the action not being an explicit issuance of a command to the social networking system;

inferring that the user intends to issue the command to the social networking system based on the action; and

processing the command, wherein the processing of the command is performed by a computer processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is a making by the first user of a gesture in a direction of the second user and the processing of the command includes exchanging a business card of the first user with a business card of the second user.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising generating the business card of the first user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the first user and generating the business card of the second user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the subset of the information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user is selected based on a template created by the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes recording a name of the second user as spoken by the second user and the processing of the command includes identifying a profile of the second user that matches the recording of the name of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes becoming present at a location of the second user and the processing of the command includes sending a notification to the first user of a sub-location of the second user at the location based on a determination that a relationship exists between the first user and the second user with respect to the social networking system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a type of the relationship is specified by the first user.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the action includes becoming present at a location of the second user and the processing of the command includes sending a notification to the first user of a sub-location of the second user at the location based on a determination that a relationship exists between the first user and the second user with respect to the social networking system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a type of the relationship is specified by the first user.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

a module implemented by the processor and configured to;

detect that a first user of a social networking system performed an action with respect to a second user of the social networking system, the action not being an explicit issuance of a command to the social networking system;

infer that the user intends to issue the command to the social networking system based on the action; and

process the command.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the action is a making by the first user of a gesture in a direction of the second user and the processing of the command includes exchanging a business card of the first user with a business card of the second user.

10. The system of claim 9, the method further comprising generating the business card of the first user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the first user and generating the business card of the second user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the subset of the information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user is selected based on a template created by the first user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the action includes recording a name of the second user as spoken by the second user and the processing of the command includes identifying a profile of the second user that matches the recording of the name of the second user.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

detecting that a first user of a social networking system performed an action with respect to a second user of the social networking system, the action not being an explicit issuance of a command to the social networking system;

inferring that the user intends to issue the command to the social networking system based on the action; and

processing the command.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the action is a making by the first user of a gesture in a direction of the second user and the processing of the command includes exchanging a business card of the first user with a business card of the second user.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, the method further comprising generating the business card of the first user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the first user and generating the business card of the second user based on a subset of information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the subset of the information maintained by the social networking system with respect to the second user is selected based on a template created by the first user.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein the action includes recording a name of the second user as spoken by the second user and the processing of the command includes identifying a profile of the second user that matches the recording of the name of the second user.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium d of claim 15, wherein the action includes becoming present at a location of the second user and the processing of the command includes sending a notification to the first user of a sub-location of the second user at the location based on a determination that a relationship exists between the first user and the second user with respect to the social networking system.