Methods and systems for controlling access to relationship information in a social network

• US 7,716,140 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Drobychev, Alexandre, Spertus, Ellen, Nielsen, Thomas Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sensenig; Shaun
• Application Number:
  US11/026,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling access to relationship information in a social network are described. One described method comprises receiving a request from an observer for relationship information indicating at least a first relationship between a target in a social network and a second entity in the social network, identifying at least a first privacy rule for the first relationship, and outputting at least part of the relationship information to the observer if the first privacy rule is satisfied.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing a request to view relationship information, the method executed by at least one computing device comprising a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request via a communications network from a first user to view relationship information associated with a second user;

identifying a first group vertex associated with the first user based on a database of social network information, wherein the social network information comprises relationship information and profile information received from users of the social network, the first group vertex representing a first type of user-established relationship and connecting via a one or more edges a first set of users having the first type of user-established relationship with the first user;

identifying a second group vertex associated with the second user based on the database of social network information, the second group vertex representing a second type of user-established relationship and connecting via one or more edges a second set of users having the second type of user-established relationship with the second user;

identifying a privacy rule associated with the first group vertex and the second group vertex based on the database of social network information;

the processor determining whether the first user has rights to view the relationship information based on the privacy rule; and

providing at least part of the relationship information to the first user via the communications network responsive to determining whether the first user has rights to view the relationship information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a privacy rule associated with the first group vertex and the second group vertex comprises:

identifying one or more group vertices that connect the first group vertex with the second group vertex based on the database of social network information; and

identifying a privacy rule associated with at least one of the one or more group vertices based on the database of social network information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information based in part on a weight of the first type of user-established relationship.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information if the first type of relationship and the second type of relationship are the same type of user-established relationship.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information if the first group vertex and the second group vertex are connected by one vertex.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication that the first user is not permitted to access the relationship information responsive to determining that the first user does not have rights to view the relationship information.

7. A computer system for processing a request to view relationship information comprising one or more computing devices, the system comprising:

a database comprising social network information, wherein the social network information comprises relationship information and profile information received from users of the social network;

a relationship processor stored in a memory associated with the one or more computing devices and executable to;

receive a request from a first user to view relationship information associated with a second user via a communications network,

identify a first group vertex associated with the first user based on the social network information, the first group vertex representing a first type of user-established relationship and connecting via one or more edges a first set of users having the first type of user-established relationship with the first user, and

identify a second group vertex associated with the second user based on the social network information, the second group vertex representing a second type of user-established relationship and connecting via one or more edges a second set of users having the second type of user-established relationship with the second user;

a privacy rule module stored in the memory associated with the one or more computing devices and executable by the processor to;

identify a privacy rule associated with the first group vertex and the second group vertex based on the social network information, and

determine whether the first user has rights to view the relationship information based on the privacy rule; and

a display processor stored in the memory and executable to provide the relationship information to the user via the communications network responsive to determining whether the first user has rights to view the relationship information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the relationship processor is further executable to:

identify one or more group vertices that connect the first group vertex with the second group vertex based on the social network information; and

identify a privacy rule associated with at least one of the one or more group vertices based on the social network information.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information based in part on a weight of the first type of user-established relationship.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information if the first type of user-established relationship and the second type of user-established relationship are the same type of user-established relationship.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the privacy rule specifies that the first user has rights to view the relationship information if the first group vertex and the second group vertex are connected by one vertex.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the display processor is further executable to provide an indication that the first user is not permitted to access the relationship information responsive to determining that the first user does not have rights to view the relationship information.