System and method for identifying and managing social circles

• US 8,010,418 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lee, Wing K.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAQ, NAEEM U
• Application Number:
  US11/617,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 705/26.2, 705/26.25, 705/26.3, 705/26.35, 705/26.4, 705 2641- 2644, 705/26.5, 705 2661- 2664, 705/26.7, 705/26.8, 705/26.81, 705/26.82, 705/26.9, 705/27.1, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A system for identifying and managing social circles is provided that includes a data store and instructions. The data store stores a social circle that lists individuals. The social circle members are identified by monitoring individuals that a customer communicates with via the customer'"'"'s mobile device. The data store further maintains recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle. When instructions are executed by a processor, the processor promotes managing the individuals of the social circle, searching for businesses and products, and retrieving recommendations and purchase histories from the data store that are associated with the searched businesses and products.

Claims

1. A system using social circles, comprising:

a data store in a non-transitory computer readable media that stores a social circle listing individuals, the social circle members identified by monitoring individuals that a customer communicates with via the customer'"'"'s mobile device, the data store further maintaining recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle;

instructions stored in a non-transitory computer media that when executed by a processor promote the processor to;

manage the individuals of the social circle,

search for businesses and products, and

retrieve recommendations and purchase histories from the data store associated with the searched businesses and products;

a global positioning system to track the physical location of mobile devices of the customer and at least some of the individuals of the customer'"'"'s social circle; and

the processor further configured to;

retrieve the physical location of at least one member of the social circle; and

provide the physical location of the at least one member of the social circle to the customer related to the search for businesses and products.

2. A system using social circles, comprising:

a data store in a non-transitory computer readable media that stores a social circle listing first individuals and an extended social circle listing second individuals, the social circle members identified by monitoring individuals that a customer communicates with via the customer'"'"'s mobile device, the extended social circle identified as individuals who are members of social circles of members of the customer'"'"'s social circle and that are not members of the customer'"'"'s social circle, the data store further maintaining recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle and recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the extended social circle; and

instructions stored in a non-transitory computer media that when executed by a processor promote the processor to;

manage the individuals of the social circle and the extended social circle, search for businesses and products, and

retrieve recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle associated with the searched businesses and products from the data store when there are recommendations or purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle associated with the searched business and products; and

retrieve recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the extended social circle associated with the searched businesses and products from the data store when there are no recommendations and purchase histories associated with the individuals of the social circle associated with the searched businesses and products contained in the data store.