System and method for confirming an association in a web-based social network

• US 7,827,265 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Putnam, Chris, Cheever, Charlie, Agarwal, Aditya, Trahan, Bob, Callahan, Ezra
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Imad
• Application Number:
  US11/726,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A method for confirming a request for an association with an organization by a user of a web-based social network is disclosed. In one embodiment, the request includes an e-mail address not controlled by the organization. The request may also be part of an application for membership with the web-based social network. A determination is made whether the request is accepted based at least partially on a specified number of prior requests for association with the organization or being identified as a member of the organization by another user already a member of the organization. The organization may be a high school, a college, a university, a business, a non-profit company, or any other group of people who may desire to associate with each other.

Claims

1. A method for confirming an association with an online organization, the method comprising:

maintaining a profile in a computer memory for each of a set of users of a social networking system, wherein one or more of the users are associated with an organization;

receiving a request from a user of the social networking system to be associated with the organization, wherein the requesting user is not associated with the organization;

determining whether to grant the request based at least in part on whether the requesting user has established a connection in the social networking system with one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization;

granting the request if the requesting user has established a connection in the social networking system with one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization; and

updating the profile of the requesting user to indicate that the requesting user is associated with the organization if the request is granted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the organization comprises an online group of users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the organization comprises an online group of users within the social networking system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the organization exists outside of the social networking system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the organization has a real-world counterpart.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the organization is selected from a group consisting of:

a school, a college, a university, a business, and a non-profit entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection between the requesting user and the one or more other users of the social networking system who are associated with the organization is established after receiving the request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is granted only if the user has established multiple connections in the social networking system with other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying the request if the requesting user has not established a connection in the social networking system with one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to denying the request, inviting the requesting user to establish a connection with one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

11. A method for confirming an association with an online organization, the method comprising:

maintaining a profile in a computer memory for each of a set of users of a social networking system, wherein one or more of the users are associated with an organization;

maintaining social information about the users of the social networking system;

receiving a request from a user of the social networking system to be associated with the organization, wherein the requesting user is not associated with the organization;

determining whether to grant the request based at least in part on social information about the requesting user and one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization;

granting the request based at least in part on the social information about the requesting user and one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization; and

updating the profile of the requesting user to indicate that the requesting user is associated with the organization if the request is granted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the social information comprises information about one or more connections between the requesting user and the one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request is granted based on an existence of a number of connections between the requesting user and the one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the social information comprises a similarity between two or more users of the social networking system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the social information comprises email addresses for the users of the social networking system, and wherein the request is granted based on whether the requesting user has an email address having the same domain as one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the social information comprises confirmations by the users of the social networking system of connections with each other, and wherein the request is granted based on whether a user of the social networking system who is already associated with the organization has confirmed a connection to the requesting user after the request has been made.