Methods and apparatus for redetermining social maps upon expectation of change

• US 7,860,889 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wehner, Kristopher C., Martino, Paul J., Vale, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBERLY, VAN HONG
• Application Number:
  US11/123,844
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 707/802, 707/781, 707/784, 707/999.009, 707/999.102
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method for a computer system includes receiving an identifier from a user, initiating a user session in response to the identifier, determining a social map for the user in response to the identifier and in response to a plurality of social network relationships, receiving a first change to the plurality of social network relationships from the user, receiving a second change to the plurality of network relationships from another user, determining a revised social map for the user during the user session in response to receiving the first change, but not in response to receiving the second change, wherein the revised social map for the user reflects the first change and the second change, and storing the revised social map for the user during the user session in a cache.

Claims

1. A method for a computer system includes:

computing a social map for a first user, the social map including a plurality of different social distances between a plurality of users in a computer network, 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 a third user and the second profile includes no information about the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, and wherein a weighting factor is used in determining the first social distance such that responsiveness in e-mail messaging between the first user and the second user reduces the first social distance;

storing the social map for the first user during a user web session in a cache, wherein the social map is computed during log-in time for the user and a cached copy of the social map is stored in the cache, and wherein, while the user is logged into the user web session, an evaluation of the cached copy of the social map is performed in order to identify dirty bits, which are indicative of the cached copy of the social map being stale and requiring an update to be performed during the user web session;

receiving a first change to relationship data for the first user during the user web session, the first change made by the first user;

receiving a second change to the relationship data for the first user during the user web session, the second change made by another user;

computing a revised social map for the first user during the user web session in response to receiving the first change, wherein the revised social map for the first user reflects the first change and the second change only if the first user ratifies the second change;

storing the revised social map for the first user during the user web session in the cache;

updating a database to include the revised social map;

receiving a request from the first user for at least a portion of the revised social map for the first user; and

providing at least a portion of the revised social map to the first user from the cache during the user web session.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first change is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding new relationship data, the first user deleting relationship data, the first user confirming relationship data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first change is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding a link to another user, the first user joining an affinity group, the first user specifying an interest.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second change is selected from a group consisting of:

the other user adding a new link to the first user, the other user adding a new link to an additional user, the other user deleting a link to the first user, the other user deleting a link to an additional user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a plurality of users from the revised social map for the first user during the user web session;

determining a plurality of interests for the plurality of users during the user web session, and

providing a list of the plurality of interests to the first user during the user web session.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of interests are selected from a group consisting of:

affinity groups the first user is not a member of, classified listings the first user may be interested in viewing, users the first user may be interested in communicating, businesses the first user may be interested in.

7. A computer system includes:

a memory configured to store relationship data for a user;

at least one processing unit coupled to the memory, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

compute a social map for the first user, the social map including a plurality of different social distances between a plurality of users in a computer network, 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 a third user and the second profile includes no information about the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, and wherein a weighting factor is used in determining the first social distance such that responsiveness in e-mail messaging between the first user and the second user reduces the first social distance,

receive a first change to the relationship data for the first user during a user web session, wherein the social map is computed during log-in time for the user and a cached copy of the social map is stored in a cache, and wherein, while the user is logged into the user web session, an evaluation of the cached copy of the social map is performed in order to identify dirty bits, which are indicative of the cached copy of the social map being stale and requiring an update to be performed during the user web session,

receive a second change to relationship data for the first user during the user web session, the second change made by another user,

compute a revised social map for the first user during the user web session in response to receiving the first change, wherein the revised social map for the first user reflects the first change and the second change only if the first user ratifies the second change;

wherein the memory is also configured to store the first change to the relationship data for the first user and to store the second change to the relationship data for the first user in the revised social map;

wherein the processing unit is also configured to receive a request from the first user for the revised social map for the first user;

wherein the processing unit is configured to retrieve the revised social map from the cache during the user web session; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to provide the revised social map to the first user during the user web session.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the first change is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding new relationship data, the first user deleting relationship data, the first user confirming new relationship data.

9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the new relationship data is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding a link to another user, the first user joining an affinity group, the first user specifying an interest in a classified listing.

10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the second change is selected from a group consisting of:

the other user adding a new link to the first user, the other user adding a new link to an additional user, the other user deleting a link to the first user, the other user deleting a link to an additional user.

11. The computer system of claim 7

wherein the processing unit is also configured to determine a plurality of users from the revised social map for the first user during the user web session;

wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a plurality of interests for the plurality of users during the user web session; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to provide a list of the plurality of interests to the first user during the user web session.

12. The computer system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of interests are selected from a group consisting of:

affinity groups the first user may be interested in joining, classified listings the first user may be interested in viewing, users the first user may be interested in communicating with, businesses the first user may be interested in, products the first user may be interested in.

13. A computer program product comprising a tangible media comprising executable code for a computer system including a processor and a memory including relationship data for a first user includes:

code that directs the processor to compute a social map for the first user upon initiation of a web session, the social map comprising relationship data for 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 a third user and the second profile includes no information about the second user, the first social distance and the second social distance being different, and wherein a weighting factor is used in determining the first social distance such that responsiveness in e-mail messaging between the first user and the second user reduces the first social distance;

code that directs the processor to cache the social map for the first user during the web session, the social map including a plurality of different social distances between a plurality of users in a computer network, wherein the social map is computed during log-in time for the user and a cached copy of the social map is stored in a cache, and wherein, while the user is logged into the web session, an evaluation of the cached copy of the social map is performed in order to identify dirty bits, which are indicative of the cached copy of the social map being stale and requiring an update to be performed during the web session;

code that directs the processor to determine a first change to the relationship data for the first user during the web session, the first change made by the first user;

code that directs the processor to determine a second change to the relationship data for the first user during the web session, the second change made by another user;

code that directs the processor to compute a revised social map for the first user during the web session in response to determining the first change, wherein the revised social map for the first user reflects both the first change to the relationship data for the first user and the second change to the relationship data for the first user only if the first user ratifies the second change;

code that updates a database to include the revised social map;

code that directs the processor to receive a request from the first user for at least a portion of the revised social map for the first user; and

code that directs the processor to provide at least a portion of the revised social map to the first user from the cache during the web session;

wherein the codes reside on a tangible media.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the first change to the relationship data for the first user is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding new relationship data, the first user deleting relationship data, the first user confirming new relationship data, the first user confirming deletion of relationship data.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein adding the new relationship data is selected from a group consisting of:

the first user adding a relationship to another user, the first user joining a tribe, the first user specifying an interest.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the second change to the relationship data for the first user is selected from a group consisting of:

the other user adding a relationship to the first user, the other user adding a relationship to an additional user, the other user deleting a relationship with the first user, the other user deleting a relationship to an additional user.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

code that directs the processor to determine a plurality of users from the revised social map for the first user during the web session;

code that directs the processor to determine a plurality of interests for the plurality of users during the web session; and

code that directs the processor to provide a list of the plurality of interests to the first user during the web session;

wherein the plurality of interests are selected from a group consisting of;

affinity groups the first user is not a member of, classified listings the first user may be interested in viewing, users the first user may be interested in communicating, businesses the first user may be interested in.