Hierarchical posting systems and methods with social network filtering

• US 7,818,392 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pincus, Mark, Martino, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mesa; Joel
• Application Number:
  US11/102,572
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 707/7, 709/217, 709/224, 709/200
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A hierarchal posting method includes determining a first plurality of social network relationship factors associated with a first plurality of users with respect to a first user, determining a second plurality of users from the first plurality of users that have associated social network relationship factors that satisfy a filtering criteria, wherein a third plurality of users from the first plurality of users have associated social network relationship factors that do not satisfy the filtering criteria, determining a first plurality of hierarchal posts associated with the second plurality of users, wherein a second plurality of hierarchal posts are associated with the third plurality of users, and automatically providing the first plurality of hierarchal posts to the first user, but not the second plurality of hierarchal posts to the first user.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

determining a first plurality of social network relationship factors associated with a first plurality of users with respect to a first user;

determining a second plurality of users from the first plurality of users having associated social network relationship factors satisfying a filtering criteria, wherein a third plurality of users from the first plurality of users have associated social network relationship factors that do not satisfy the filtering criteria, wherein a first profile is provided for the first user and includes a first social distance between the first user and a second user, and wherein a second profile is provided for the first user and includes a second social distance between the first user and the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, wherein the first social distance is reduced between the first and second users as a result of a weighting factor determined by a frequency of communications between the first and second users, a responsiveness by the first user in answering communications from the second user, a user satisfaction characteristic, and by a manual adjustment made directly to the weighting factor by the first user;

determining a first plurality of hierarchal posts associated with the second plurality of users, wherein a second plurality of hierarchal posts are associated with the third plurality of users, wherein each of the posts are identified as having been submitted by an individual user, and wherein the first plurality of hierarchal posts are selected from a group consisting of;

job posts, classified listing posts, and auction listings; and

providing the first plurality of hierarchal posts to the first user, but not the second plurality of hierarchal posts, wherein the first plurality of hierarchical posts is provided in a directory including the first social distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first plurality of social network relationship factors associated with a first plurality of users comprises determining a social distance between the first user and at least one user from the first plurality of users.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining a second plurality of social network relationship factors associated with the first plurality of users with respect to the second user;

determining a fourth plurality of users from the first plurality of users having associated social network relationship factors satisfying another filtering criteria, wherein a fifth plurality of users from the first plurality of users have associated social network relationship factors that do not satisfy the other filtering criteria;

determining a third plurality of hierarchal posts associated with the fourth plurality of users, wherein a fourth plurality of hierarchal posts are associated with the fifth plurality of users; and

providing the third plurality of hierarchal posts to the second user, but not the fourth plurality of hierarchal posts.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the filtering criteria is substantially similar to the other filtering criteria;

and

wherein the first plurality of hierarchal posts and the third plurality of hierarchal posts are different.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user comprises an entity selected from a group consisting of:

an individual, a company, a partnership, a business, a group of individuals, an affinity group, a tribe.

6. A method for a computer system comprises:

receiving a first classified advertisement listing from a first user;

receiving a second classified advertisement listing from a second user;

receiving a third classified advertisement listing from a third user;

determining a first social network relationship criteria for a fourth user;

determining a first social network relationship weight from the fourth user to the first user;

determining a second social network relationship weight from the fourth user to the second user;

determining a third social network relationship weight from the fourth user to the third user;

identifying the first user and the fourth user in response to the first social network relationship weight, to the second social network relationship weight and to the first social network relationship criteria, wherein a first profile is provided for the first user and includes a first social distance between the first user and the fourth user, and wherein a second profile is provided for the first user and includes a second social distance between the first user and the fourth user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, wherein the first social distance is reduced between the first and fourth users as a result of a weighting factor determined by a frequency of communications between the first and fourth users, a responsiveness by the first user in answering communications from the fourth user, a user satisfaction characteristic, and by a manual adjustment made directly to the weighting factor by the first user;

receiving a request for classified advertisement listings from the fourth user; and

providing the first classified advertisement and the second classified advertisement listing to the fourth user, but not the third classified advertisement listing, in response to the request, wherein each of the listings are identified as having been submitted by an individual user, and wherein the first classified advertisement listing is selected from a group consisting of;

a job listing, an auction listing, a listing of goods, a listing of services, and a listing of real estate, wherein the classified advertisements are included in a hierarchical post provided in a directory including the first social distance.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a second social network relationship criteria for a fifth user;

determining a fourth social network relationship weight from the fifth user to the first user;

determining a fifth social network relationship weight from the fifth user to the second user;

determining a sixth social network relationship weight from the fifth user to the third user;

identifying the second user and the third user in response to the fifth social network relationship weight, to the sixth social network relationship weight, and to the second social network relationship criteria;

receiving a request for classified advertisement listings from the fifth user; and

providing the second classified advertisement and the third classified advertisement listing to the fifth user, but not the first classified advertisement listing, in response to the request from the fifth user.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating the first classified advertisement listing and the second classified advertisement listing with a first logical storage;

associating the third classified advertisement listing with a second logical storage;

wherein receiving the request for the classified advertisement listings from the fourth user comprises receiving a selection of the first logical storage by the fourth user.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a selection of the second logical store by the fourth user; and

providing the third classified advertisement to the fourth user is in response to the selection of the second logical store.

10. The method of claim 6,

wherein determining the first social network relationship weight from the fourth user to the first user comprises determining a relationship from the fourth user to the first user;

and

wherein the relationship is selected from a group consisting of;

a shortest social distance from the fourth user to the first user, affinity distance from affinity groups associated with the fourth user to affinity groups associated with the first user, a smallest social distance from users in affinity groups the fourth user is a member of to users in affinity groups the first user is a member of.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the fourth user is an individual;

and

wherein the first user comprises an entity selected from a group consisting of;

a company, a partnership, a business, a group of individuals.

12. A computer system comprises:

a memory for storing a plurality of links between users from a plurality of users, wherein the memory stores a first plurality of advertisement postings; and

a processor for determining a social network factor for each of the plurality of users away from a first user, wherein the processor determines a social network factor criteria associated with the first user, wherein the processor determines a second plurality of advertisement postings from the first plurality of advertisement postings in response to the social network factor for each of the plurality of users away from the first user and in response to the social network factor criteria, wherein the processor provides the second plurality of advertisement postings to the first user, wherein each of the postings are identified as having been submitted by an individual user, and wherein the second plurality of advertisement postings are selected from a group consisting of;

job postings, sale of goods postings, offer for service postings, and auction notice postings, wherein a first profile is provided for the first user and includes a first social distance between the first user and a second user, and wherein a second profile is provided for the first user and includes a second social distance between the first user and the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, wherein the first social distance is reduced between the first and second users as a result of a weighting factor determined by a frequency of communications between the first and second users, a responsiveness by the first user in answering communications from the second user, a user satisfaction characteristic, and by a manual adjustment made directly to the weighting factor by the first user, wherein the advertisement postings are included in a hierarchical post provided in a directory including the first social distance.

13. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the social network factor for each of the plurality of users comprises a social distance;

and

wherein the social network factor criteria is selected from the group consisting of;

a social distance less than a first predetermined social distance, a social distance greater than a second predetermined social distance.

14. A computer program product for a computer system operating in a network environment in which Internet Protocol (IP) packets are exchanged, the computer system including a processor executes code including:

code directing the processor to determine at least one social network relationship factor for a first user with respect to each user of a plurality of users;

code directing the processor to determine a pre-determined number of posts from a plurality of posts associated with the plurality of users, in response to at least the one social network relationship factor for the first user with respect to each user of the plurality of users, and in response to a filtering criteria;

code directing the processor to provide the pre-determined number of posts to the first user, wherein a first profile is provided for the first user and includes a first social distance between the first user and a second user, and wherein a second profile is provided for the first user and includes a second social distance between the first user and the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, wherein the first social distance is reduced between the first and second users as a result of a weighting factor determined by a frequency of communications between the first and second users, a responsiveness by the first user in answering communications from the second user, a user satisfaction characteristic, and by a manual adjustment made directly to the weighting factor by the first user; and

code directing the processor to provide an additional number of posts from the plurality of posts only in response to a request from the first user, wherein each of the posts are identified as having been submitted by an individual user, and wherein the posts are selected from the group consisting of;

classified listings, job listings, goods listings, services listings, and auction listings, wherein the code resides on a tangible media to be executed by the processor, wherein the posts are included in a hierarchical post provided in a directory including the first social distance.

15. The computer program product of claim 14,

wherein the at least one social network relationship factor comprises a social distance;

and

wherein the filtering criteria comprises a criteria selected from a group consisting of;

less than the social distance, greater than the social distance, equal to the social distance.