Method of creating and displaying relationship chains between users of a computerized network

• US 7,177,880 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ruvolo, Joann, Schirmer, Andrew L., Zeller, Marijane M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Assistant Examiner(s): PYO, MONICA M
• Application Number:
  US10/323,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/6, 707/10, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/11, 707/1, 705/7, 705/8, 709205-207, 709/203, 709/219, 715/751, 715/752, 715/758, 715/759, 715/706
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and structure for identifying potential relationships between users of a computer network is disclosed. The invention extracts relationship information from databases in the computer network in order to establish multiple relationship chains of the users from the relationship information. More specifically, the invention evaluates network information and network communications between the users to produce metrics and processes the metrics to produce contact information. The contact information indicates whether a personal relationship exists between two users. In addition, the invention can produce relationship values representing strengths of social relationships between users of the computer network based on such relationship information.

Claims

1. A method of identifying relationships between users of a computer network, said method comprising:

extracting information directly from data sources in personal information management systems of said users, wherein said data sources comprise at least one of a calendar, a to-do list, a journal, an address book, e-mails, and a phone log;

processing said information to detect interactions between said users for detecting relationships between said users;

producing sets of contacts for each of said users, wherein a set of contacts for a corresponding user comprises a list of other users having a relationship with said corresponding user;

establishing multiple relationship chains between a first user of said computer network and a second user of said computer network, wherein each relationship chain comprises at least three users and wherein said establishing comprises finding intersections between a first set of contacts of said first user and a second set of contacts of said second user; and

displaying said multiple relationship chains in an order based on a criteria.

2. The method in claim 1, wherein said establishing further comprises, if said finding process is unsuccessful, a second process of finding intersections between second order contacts of said first user of said computer network and second order contacts of said second user of said computer network,

wherein said second order contacts of said first user comprise contacts of users contained in said first user'"'"'s contacts;

and

wherein said second order contacts of said second user comprise contacts of users contained in said second user'"'"'s contacts.

3. The method in claim 1, wherein all of said multiple relationship chains begin with said first user and end with said second user.

4. The method in claim 1, wherein a difference between said multiple relationship chains comprises different computer network users between said first user and said second user.

5. The method in claim 1, further comprising selecting one of said multiple relationship chains as a most desirable relationship chain based upon first user input.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein said criteria comprises chain length and wherein said displaying process displays said multiple relationship chains in said order from shortest relationship chain to longest relationship chain.

7. A method of identifying relationships between users of a computer network, said method comprising:

evaluating network information and network communications between said users to produce metrics, wherein said network information comprises data sources in personal information managements systems of said users and does not comprise entries made for said computer network and wherein said metrics comprise at least one of times and places of meetings, telephone records, email records, and address books;

processing said metrics to produce contact information, wherein said contact information indicates whether personal relationships exists between said users;

producing sets of contacts for each of said users, wherein a set of contacts for a corresponding user comprises a list of other users having a relationship with said corresponding user;

establishing multiple relationship chains between a first user of said computer network and a second user of said computer network, wherein each relationship chain comprises at least three users and wherein said establishing comprises finding intersections between a first set of contacts of said first user and a second set of contacts of said second user; and

displaying said multiple relationship chains in an order based on a criteria.

8. The method in claim 7, wherein said establishing further comprises, if said finding process is unsuccessful, a second process of finding intersections between second order contacts of said first user of said computer network and second order contacts of said second user of said computer network,

wherein said second order contacts of said first user comprise contacts of users contained in said first user'"'"'s contacts;

and

wherein said second order contacts of said second user comprise contacts of users contained in said second user'"'"'s contacts.

9. The method in claim 7, wherein all of said multiple relationship chains begin with said first user and end with said second user.

10. The method in claim 7, wherein a difference between said multiple relationship chains comprises different computer network users between said first user and said second user.

11. The method in claim 7, further comprising selecting one of said multiple relationship chains as a most desirable relationship chain based upon first user input.

12. The method in claim 7, wherein said criteria comprises chain length and wherein said displaying process displays said multiple relationship chains in said order from shortest relationship chain to longest relationship chain.

13. A method of identifying relationships between users of a computer network, said method comprising:

extracting information directly from data sources in personal information management systems of said users, wherein said data sources comprise at least one of a calendar, a to-do list, a journal, an address book, e-mails, and a phone log;

processing said information to detect interactions between said users for detecting relationships between said users;

producing sets of contacts for each of said users, wherein a set of contacts for a corresponding user comprises a list of other users having a relationship with said corresponding user;

producing relationship values representing strengths of each of said relationships, wherein said relationship values are based on at least one of longevity, currency, frequency, exclusivity, complexity and reciprocity of said relationships;

establishing multiple relationship chains between a first user of said computer network and a second user of said computer network, wherein each of said multiple relationship chains comprises a plurality of said relationships that link at least three users and wherein said establishing comprises finding intersections between a first set of contacts of said first user and a second set of contacts of said second user; and

displaying said multiple relationship chains in an order that is based in part upon said strengths of said relationships in said multiple relationship chains.

14. The method in claim 13, wherein said displaying process displays said multiple relationship chains in an order from shortest relationship chain to longest relationship chain, and for relationship chains that have the same length, relationship chains are displayed in an order from highest relationship strength to lowest relationship strength.

15. The method in claim 13, wherein said establishing further comprises, if said finding process is unsuccessful, a second process of finding intersections between second order contacts of said first user of said computer network and second order contacts of said second user of said computer network,

wherein said second order contacts of said first user comprise contacts of users contained in said first user'"'"'s contacts;

and

wherein said second order contacts of said second user comprise contacts of users contained in said second user'"'"'s contacts.

16. The method in claim 13, wherein all of said multiple relationship chains begin with said first user and end with said second user.

17. The method in claim 13, wherein a difference between said multiple relationship chains comprises different computer network users between said first user and said second user.

18. The method in claim 13, further comprising selecting one of said multiple relationship chains as a most desirable relationship chain based upon first user input.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of identifying relationships between users of a computer network, said method comprising:

extracting information directly from data sources in personal information management systems of said users, wherein said data sources comprise at least one of a calendar, a to-do list, a journal, an address book, e-mails, and a phone log;

processing said information to detect interactions between said users for detecting relationships between said users;

producing sets of contacts for each of said users, wherein a set of contacts for a corresponding user comprises a list of other users having a relationship with said corresponding user;

establishing multiple relationship chains between a first user of said computer network and a second user of said computer network, wherein each relationship chain comprises at least three users and wherein said establishing comprises finding intersections between a first set of contacts of said first user and a second set of contacts of said second user; and

displaying said multiple relationship chains in an order based on a criteria.

20. The program storage device in claim 19, wherein said establishing further comprises, if said finding process is unsuccessful, a second process of finding intersections between second order contacts of said first user of said computer network and second order contacts of said second user of said computer network,

wherein said second order contacts of said first user comprise contacts of users contained in said first user'"'"'s contacts;

and

wherein said second order contacts of said second user comprise contacts of users contained in said second user'"'"'s contacts.

21. The program storage device in claim 19, wherein all of said multiple relationship chains begin with said first user and end with said second user.

22. The program storage device in claim 19, wherein a difference between said multiple relationship chains comprises different computer network users between said first user and said second user.

23. The program storage device in claim 19, wherein said method further comprises selecting one of said multiple relationship chains as a most desirable relationship chain based upon first user input.

24. The program storage device in claim 19, wherein said displaying process displays said multiple relationship chains in an order from shortest relationship chain to longest relationship chain.