Multi-user on-line real-time virtual social networks based upon communities of interest for entertainment, information or e-commerce purposes

• US 7,853,881 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Real Time Social Inventions LLC
• Original Assignee: Isq Online
• Inventors: Aly Assal, Amr Fouad, Manese Lim, Raymond Marcelino, Lee, Man-Ho Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao "Kevin"
• Application Number:
  US11/825,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 715734-736, 715763-765, 715851-855, 715741-744
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In a multi-user online real-time network in which users access content associated with a plurality of social networks related by common communities of interest, an interactor client application is embedded in content pages accessed by a user, and the user is provided a list of other users and the content pages in the related social networks that they are accessing. The inteactor client application cooperates with an interactor server application on a network server to enable a user to view the content being accessed by multiple selected ones of the other users, and to interact with the other users online and in real time.

Claims

1. A method of interacting in real-time with online users accessible through a computer network, comprising:

accessing by a first user a first real-time social network comprising a community of members having a specific predetermined common interest, the first real-time social network being within an interactor zone that includes one or a logical collection of related real-time social networks, the first user accessing the first real-time social network using an interactor client application that allows the first user to communicate in real-time with other online users who are members of said first or another one of said real-time social networks;

displaying in real-time to the first user identities of other users who are online at the time and who are members of the first or another one of said real-time social networks within said interactor zone and who choose to be identifiable; and

enabling using the interactor client application real-time interaction by the first user with said selected ones of said other online users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said online users access one or more content pages associated with said social networks, and wherein said enabling interaction by the first user with selected ones of said other online users comprises enabling interacting with other online users who are accessing pre-selected ones of said content pages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more social networks have content pages associated with a single or with multiple web sites, and wherein said enabling interaction comprises displaying to the first user the content pages being accessed by said other online users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first social network and said other social networks comprise a virtual structure of related content.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a degree of separation between said first user and said other online users, and said enabling interaction comprises enabling interaction with said selected other online users that are within a predetermined degree of separation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling interaction further comprises enabling other online users selected by said first user to display a first content page being displayed by the first user, and enabling real-time communications between said first user and said selected other online users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling interaction comprises enabling interaction by said interactor client application and by an interactor server application running on an interactor server of said network.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising forwarding a profile of the first user to the interactor server, and wherein each of said first and said other online users have a profile that is unique to each such user, the profiles being dynamically variable and having a privacy level setting that enables each user to control access to such user by said selected ones of said other online users.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said profile is dynamically updated according to the content being accessed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said interactor client application comprises one of code or a URL reference to code that is inserted into a content page by the interaction server.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising an interactor server providing said interactor client application to said other online users to enable real-time interaction by said other online users with the first user.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising enabling by said interactor client application said first user to join said first social network as a member, and updating by said interactor client application a membership list for said first social network at said interactor server.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting one user as a leader from among said first user and said other online users;

activating a group browsing page at the leader;

updating by leader the interactor server application on said interactor server with group browsing data of the leader; and

supplying said group browsing data to the other online users to enable real-time displaying of content on the leader'"'"'s group browsing page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said selecting comprises selecting more than one leader from among users browsing different pages, and supplying browsing data of each of the leaders to the interactor server to enable users to display one or more browsing sessions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said interactor client application of said leader creates an image of the group browsing page, and forwards said image to the interactor server for display to the other online users.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said interaction comprises one or more of viewing content pages accessed by said other online users, communicating with said other online users, and broadcasting a question to members of other social networks.

17. A method of real-time online interacting with users logged on to social networks in a computer network, the social networks being part of an interactor zone that includes one or a logical collection of related real-time social networks, comprising:

accessing by a first user a first real-time social network in said interactor zone using an interactor client application that allows the first user to communicate in real-time with other online users who are members of said first or another one of said real-time social networks;

displaying in real-time to the first user a list of other users who are online at the time and are accessing social networks within said interactor zone which meet predetermined criteria established by the first user, said displaying comprising displaying content pages being accessed by said other users who choose to be identifiable;

selecting by the first user for interaction selected ones of said other users based upon the content of the content pages; and

enabling real-time interaction by said client application between said first user and said selected ones of said other users.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said predetermine criteria comprise a degree of separation between the first social network and other social networks being accessed by said other users.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said degree of separation is determined by the relationship between a first content page of said first social network and other content pages of said other social networks.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising establishing by each user a profile that characterizes such user, and using by content owners said profiles for targeted advertising.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said interaction comprises communicating in real-time and online with all or a group of said selected other users, and enabling access to the content pages being accessed by the selected other users.

22. A computer network in which a plurality of online users access real-time social networks within an interactor zone that includes one or a logical collection of related real-time social networks, the computer network including a network user device comprising a processor, and a memory, for storing computer programs for controlling the operation of the network user device to perform the steps of:

accessing a selected real-time social network by a first user using an associated interactor client application that enables real-time interaction between online users within said interactor zone who are members of one of said social networks;

displaying in real-time using the interactor client application a list of other users who are online and are accessing one or more of said social networks; and

enabling by the interactor client application online real-time interaction between the first user of said user device and other online users accessing other social networks that are within a predetermine locale of the first social network, including providing identities of users on said list of other users who choose to be identifiable, and communicating the content of content pages accessed by the users to said user device.

23. A computer network according to claim 22, wherein said interaction comprises viewing the content pages being accessed by selected ones of said other users, and communicating with said other users.

24. A computer network according to claim 22, further comprising determining degrees of separation between said content pages, and wherein said predetermined locale comprises a predetermined degree of separation.

25. A computer network according to claim 22 further comprising an interactor server hosting an interactor server application communicating with the interactor client application of a said first user to afford said interaction.