CONTEXTUAL CONNECTION INVITATIONS

• US 20160212230A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Michael Patrick, Lewis, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for including information in an invitation from a first to connect with a second user that identifies a context regarding how the first user found the second user. A system can include a request component configured to receive, at a first network source, information identifying a second user that a first user has selected to send an invitation to connect with at the first network source, a context component configured to determine a context regarding selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user found the information identifying the second user, and a generation component configured to generate an invitation that invites the second user to connect with the first user at the first network source. The invitation comprises first user identification information and context information identifying the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer executable components;

a processor that executes at least the following computer executable components stored in the memory;

an invitation request component configured to receive, at a first network source, information identifying a second user that a first user has selected to send an invitation to connect with at the first network source;

a context component configured to determine a context regarding selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user identified the information identifying the second user;

an invitation generation component configured to generate an invitation that invites the second user to connect with the first user at the first network source, the invitation comprising first user identification information and context information identifying the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user; and

a delivery component configured to determine second user contact information for the second user based on the information identifying the second user, and send the invitation from the first network source to the second user using the second user contact information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the second user includes the second user contact information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of the information from contacts information stored in memory on a device employed by the first user to access the first network source,

wherein the context information indicates the first user found the information identifying the second user in the first user'"'"'s contacts information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of the information from social contacts information identifying users that are social contacts of the first user at the first network source, and

wherein the context information indicates the first user identified the second user in the first user'"'"'s social contacts information for the first network source or the other network source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of the information from social contacts information identifying users that are social contacts of the first user at a second network source, and

wherein the context information indicates the first user identified the second user in the first user'"'"'s social contacts information for the second network source.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of an instance of a profile of the second user provided at the first network source in association with a content item provided by the first network source,

wherein the context information indicates where the first user identified the instance of the second user'"'"'s profile at the first network source and the content item.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of an instance of a profile of the second user provided at the first network source in association with a comment provided by the second user at first network source based on the content item,

wherein the context information indicates where the first user identified the instance of the second user'"'"'s profile at the first network source in association with the comment for the content item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to selection of a connection request link provided on a channel page of the second user at the first network source,

wherein the context information indicates the first user identified the second user via the second user'"'"'s channel page.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the invitation request component is configured to receive the information identifying the second user in response to provision of the information to the first user by a third user affiliated with the second user,

wherein the context information indicates that the third user referred the second user to the first user.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an affinity component configured to determine additional information relating the first user with the second user, including first user contact information for the first user that has been previously associated with an account of the second user,

wherein the invitation generation component is configured to extract the identification information identifying the first user from the first user contact information that has been previously associated with the account of the second user.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an affinity component configured to determine additional information relating the first user with the second user, including social graph information relating the first user and the second user,

wherein the invitation generation component is configured to include the social graph information in the invitation.

12. The system of claim 3, further comprising an affinity component configured to determine additional information relating the first user with the second user, including a point in time when the first user received the information identifying the second user in the contacts information,

wherein the invitation generation component is configured to include the point in time in the invitation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the affinity component is further configured to determine a location of the second user at the point in time when the first user received the information identifying the second user in the contacts information,

wherein the invitation generation component is configured to include the location in the invitation.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an affinity component configured to determine additional information relating the first user with the second user, including a common subscription or preference of the first user and the second user,

wherein the invitation generation component is configured to include the common subscription or preference in the invitation.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a blocking component configured to prevent generation or sending of the invitation based on blocking information for the second user restricting the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a privacy component configured to receive blocking information for the second user in response to acceptance or rejection of the invitation by the second user, wherein the blocking information restricts a context regarding provision, by the system, of future invitations to the second user to connect with the first user or another user at the first network source.

17. A device, comprising:

a memory that stores computer executable components;

a processor that executes at least the following computer executable components stored in the memory;

an invitation component configured to receive, from a server employed by a service provider, an invitation that invites a second user to connect with a first user via an application of the service provider, the invitation comprising first user identification information and context information identifying a context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user identified information identifying the second user; and

a presentation component configured to generate a graphical user interface comprising the invitation for display to the second user.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a privacy component configured to receive, in response to acceptance or rejection of the invitation by the second user, a request to implement a privacy setting that restricts a context regarding provision, by the server, of future invitations to the second user to connect with the first user or another user via the application.

19. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a relationship component configured to identify, based on the first user identification information, other information identifying the first user from contacts information stored in the memory and include the other information in the invitation.

20. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, at a first network source, information identifying a second user that a first user has selected to send an invitation to connect with at the first network source;

determining a context regarding selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user accessed the information identifying the second user;

generating an invitation that invites the second user to connect with the first user at the first network source, the invitation comprising first user identification information and context information identifying the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user;

determining second user contact information for the second user based on the information identifying the second user; and

sending the invitation from the first network source to the second user using the second user contact information.