System and method for managing information flow between members of an online social network

• US 8,219,500 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Galbreath, Nicholas, Lunt, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/748,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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

An online social network is provided in which members of the online social network control who may view their personal information and who may communicate with them. The members control who may view their personal information by setting a visibility preference. A member may not view another member'"'"'s full personal profile if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the visibility preference of the other member. The members also control who may communicate with them by setting a contactability preference. A member may not communicate with another member if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the contactability preference of the other member.

Claims

1. A method of updating member information settings in a social network, comprising:

receiving member profile information, wherein the member profile information includes personal information of a member;

receiving contact information, wherein the contact information determines a flow of member information to other members in the social network and a flow of information to the member;

identifying, using one or more processors associated with one or more computer servers, relationship information regarding relationships with other members in the social network, the identifying being based on member profile information and contact information;

updating, using the one or more processors, a member database with the member profile information, contact information, and the identified relationship information; and

enabling the other members in the social network to view the member profile information in accordance with a degree of separation preference specified by the member.

2. A method of updating member information settings in a social network

receiving member profile information, wherein the member profile information includes personal information of a member;

receiving contact information, wherein the contact information determines a flow of member information to other members in the social network and a flow of information to the member;

identifying, using one or more processors associated with one or more computer servers, relationship information regarding relationships with other members in the social network, the identifying being based on member profile information and contact information;

updating, using the one or more processors, a member database with the member profile information, contact information, and the identified relationship information; and

enabling the other members in the social network to view the contact information in accordance with a degree of separation preference specified by the member.

3. A computer system in an online social network, comprising:

a database for storing member profile information, wherein the member profile information includes personal information of a member, and for storing contact information received, wherein the contact information determines a flow of member information to other members in the social network and a flow of information to the member; and

a processing unit configured to (1) identify relationship information regarding relationships with other members in the social network, based on the member profile information and contact information stored in the database, (2) update the database with the member profile information, the contact information, and the identified relationship information, and (3) enable the other members in the social network to view the member profile information in accordance with a degree of separation preference specified by the member.

4. A computer system in an online social network, comprising:

a database for storing member profile information, wherein the member profile information includes personal information of a member, and for storing contact information received through the interface, wherein the contact information determines a flow of member information to other members in the social network and a flow of information to the member; and

a processing unit configured to (1) identify relationship information with other members in the social network, based on the member profile information and contact information stored in the database, (2) update the database with the member profile information, contact information, and the identified relationship information, and (3) enable the other members in the social network to view the contact information in accordance with a degree of separation preference specified by the member.