Providing notifications to an individual in a multi-dimensional personal information network

• US 7,970,827 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Resource Consortium Limited
• Inventors: Cumberbatch, Bradlee, Eldering, Charles A., Igoe, Patrick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo; Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/883,756
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A method for providing notifications to an individual within a multi-dimensional personal information network includes obtaining itinerary information corresponding to a first individual within a multi-dimensional personal information network. A second individual that is included in a projection of the multi-dimensional personal information network that also includes the first individual is identified. Itinerary information corresponding to the second individual is obtained. One or notifications based on the itinerary information corresponding to the first individual and the itinerary information corresponding to the second individual are provided to the first individual.

Claims

1. A method for generating geographically relevant recommendations for a first individual associated with a first geographic area, the method comprising:

receiving purchase records relating to itinerary information corresponding to the first individual, the itinerary information associated with travel information related to a second geographic area different from the first geographic area;

identifying one or more second individuals connected to the first individual within a multi-dimensional personal information network and associated with the second geographic area, wherein the first individual and the one or more second individuals are connected by a predetermined maximum degree of separation along one or more dimensions in the multi-dimensional personal information network;

receiving event information corresponding to at least one of the one or more second individuals, the event information being generated by computer calendar software and associated with the second geographic area; and

generating one or more recommendations relating to the second geographic area for the first individual based, at least in part, on the itinerary information and the event information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection between the first individual and the one or more second individuals is a direct connection along at last one of the one or more dimensions and the direct connection requires authorization from the first individual and each of the respective one or more second individuals to establish the direct connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional personal information network is a peer-to-peer network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining the second geographic area by analyzing the received itinerary information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving event information further comprises receiving explicit authorization from the one or more second individuals for generating the one or more recommendations.

6. A system for generating geographically relevant recommendations for a first individual associated with a first geographic area, the system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory;

a receiving module configured for receiving purchase records relating to itinerary information corresponding to the first individual, the itinerary information associated with travel information related to a second geographic area different from the first geographic area;

an identification module configured for identifying one or more second individuals connected to the first individual within a multi-dimensional personal information network and associated with the second geographic area, wherein the first individual and the one or more second individuals are connected by a predetermined maximum degree of separation along one or more dimensions within the multi-dimensional personal information network;

an event module configured for receiving event information corresponding to at least one of the one or more second individuals, the event information being generated by computer calendar software and associated with the second geographic area; and

a recommendation module configured for generating one or more recommendations relating to the second geographic area for the first individual based, at least in part, on the itinerary information and the event information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the connection between the first individual and the one or more second individuals is a direct connection along at last one of the one or more dimensions and the direct connection requires authorization from the first individual and each of the respective one or more second individuals to establish the direct connection.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the multi-dimensional personal information network further comprises a peer-to-peer network.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a processing module for automatically determining the second geographic area by analyzing the received itinerary information.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the event module is further configured for receiving explicit authorization from the one or more second individuals for generating the one or more recommendations.

11. An article of manufacture for generating geographically relevant recommendations for a first individual associated with a first geographic area, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable, non-transitory medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing the method comprising:

receiving purchase records relating to itinerary information corresponding to the first individual, the itinerary information associated with travel information related to a second geographic area different from the first geographic area;

identifying one or more second individuals connected to the first individual within a multi-dimensional personal information network and associated with the second geographic area, wherein the first individual and the one or more second individuals are connected by a predetermined maximum degree of separation along one or more dimensions in the multi-dimensional personal information network;

receiving event information corresponding to at least one of the one or more second individuals, the event information being generated by computer calendar software and associated with the second geographic area; and

generating one or more recommendations relating to the second geographic area for the first individual based, at least in part, on the itinerary information and the event information.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the connection between the first individual and the one or more second individuals is a direct connection along at last one of the one or more dimensions and the direct connection requires authorization from the first individual and each of the respective one or more second individuals to establish the direct connection.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically determining the second geographic area by analyzing the received itinerary information.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the receiving event information further comprises receiving explicit authorization from the one or more second individuals for generating the one or more recommendations.