Method and System for Connecting People in a Social Network
First Claim
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1. A method for connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a central server that maintains a list of social network members with unique member identifiers;
(b) operatively connecting the device to the central server via the global computer network;
(c) registering the person with the social network as a member;
(d) friending a contact without an invitation and an acceptance by (1) the central server accepting from the device the at least one unique identifier associated with the contact from the address book;
(2) the central server determining if the unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if the unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book, automatically friending the contact as a friended contact; and
(5) if the unique identifier does not identify another member, saving the unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if the unique identifier of the new member is saved, and if so, automatically friending the new member as a friended contact if the member is in the new member'"'"'s address book;
(e) upon the person registering as a member, automatically friending a predetermined subset of the contacts as friended contacts without an invitation and an acceptance; and
(f) providing access to the member for all friended contacts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for connecting people in a social network using information from a user'"'"'s digital address book. A social network member can friend a contact and be friended by a contact if she is in that contact'"'"'s address book. An central server keeps track of friended members of the social network and contacts.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a central server that maintains a list of social network members with unique member identifiers; (b) operatively connecting the device to the central server via the global computer network; (c) registering the person with the social network as a member; (d) friending a contact without an invitation and an acceptance by (1) the central server accepting from the device the at least one unique identifier associated with the contact from the address book;
(2) the central server determining if the unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if the unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book, automatically friending the contact as a friended contact; and
(5) if the unique identifier does not identify another member, saving the unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if the unique identifier of the new member is saved, and if so, automatically friending the new member as a friended contact if the member is in the new member'"'"'s address book;(e) upon the person registering as a member, automatically friending a predetermined subset of the contacts as friended contacts without an invitation and an acceptance; and (f) providing access to the member for all friended contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, the system comprising:
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(a) a central server having a processor executing instructions stored in memory, the central server maintaining a list of social network members with unique member identifiers; (b) the device connected to the central server via the global computer network; (c) the central server running an application, the application including instructions for registering the person with the social network as a member; (d) the application including instructions for friending a contact without an invitation and an acceptance comprising the steps of (1) accepting from the device the at least one unique identifier associated with the contact from the address book;
(2) determining if the unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if the unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if the member is in the contact'"'"'s address book, automatically friending the contact as a friended contact; and
(5) if the unique identifier does not identify another member, saving the unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if the unique identifier of the new member is saved, and if so, automatically friending the new member as a friended contact if the member is in the new member'"'"'s address book;(e) the application including instructions to automatically friend a predetermined subset of the contacts as friended contacts without an invitation and an acceptance upon the person registering as a member; and (f) the application including instructions to provide access to the member for all friended contacts. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification