Social network analysis
First Claim
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1. A computer implemented method for classifying a member of an internet or computer-based personal-communication-network as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest, the personal-communication-network including a number of members, the method comprising the steps of:
- gathering explicit personal-communication-network data from information entered on the personal-communication-network;
gathering implicit personal-communication-network data from activities conducted on the personal-communication-network, wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data includes historical data describing interactions of the personal-communication-network members within the personal-communications-network, and wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data is based upon a quantity of personal-communication-network keyword or name searches that list the member in the search results or the number of times that other personal-communication-network members access the member'"'"'s profile; and
classifying the member as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest based at least in part on inferences made about the member based upon the gathered explicit personal-communication-network data and implicit personal-communication-network data;
wherein the step of classifying includes classifying a person'"'"'s innovativeness based upon;
a quantity of personal-communication-network invitations the person has received from one or more personal-communication-network members, wherein each is classified as an innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, or laggard, wherein each is a first, second, or third degree contact in the personal-communication-network, and wherein each is weighted accordingly in the classifying step;
a weighting of the received invitations based on the classification of the personal-communication-network members; and
a factor selected from the group comprising;
length of time required for the person to respond to a personal-communication-network invitation, a number of invitations sent to the person, a percentage of the population that has already adopted an innovation, a time between a similar recent development'"'"'s introduction to a market and a time when the person adopted the similar recent development, the person'"'"'s participation in experimental studies, publications by the person, and a combination thereof; and
wherein the personal-communication-network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communication links, each communication link connecting a pair of the plurality of nodes and annotated with a field of interest.
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Abstract
This invention is generally directed to one or more systems or methods relating to social network analysis. More specifically, this invention is generally directed to one or more systems or methods relating to personal communication networks and the analysis of personal-communication-network data.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for classifying a member of an internet or computer-based personal-communication-network as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest, the personal-communication-network including a number of members, the method comprising the steps of:
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gathering explicit personal-communication-network data from information entered on the personal-communication-network; gathering implicit personal-communication-network data from activities conducted on the personal-communication-network, wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data includes historical data describing interactions of the personal-communication-network members within the personal-communications-network, and wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data is based upon a quantity of personal-communication-network keyword or name searches that list the member in the search results or the number of times that other personal-communication-network members access the member'"'"'s profile; and classifying the member as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest based at least in part on inferences made about the member based upon the gathered explicit personal-communication-network data and implicit personal-communication-network data; wherein the step of classifying includes classifying a person'"'"'s innovativeness based upon; a quantity of personal-communication-network invitations the person has received from one or more personal-communication-network members, wherein each is classified as an innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, or laggard, wherein each is a first, second, or third degree contact in the personal-communication-network, and wherein each is weighted accordingly in the classifying step; a weighting of the received invitations based on the classification of the personal-communication-network members; and a factor selected from the group comprising; length of time required for the person to respond to a personal-communication-network invitation, a number of invitations sent to the person, a percentage of the population that has already adopted an innovation, a time between a similar recent development'"'"'s introduction to a market and a time when the person adopted the similar recent development, the person'"'"'s participation in experimental studies, publications by the person, and a combination thereof; and wherein the personal-communication-network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communication links, each communication link connecting a pair of the plurality of nodes and annotated with a field of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18)
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9. A computer implemented method for displaying search results of an internet or computer-based personal-communication-network search, the personal-communication-network including a number of members, the method comprising the steps of:
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gathering explicit personal-communication-network data from information entered on the personal-communication-network; gathering implicit personal-communication-network data from activities conducted on the personal-communication-network, wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data includes historical data describing interactions of the personal-communication-network members within the personal-communications-network, and wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data is based upon a quantity of personal-communication-network keyword or name searches that list a member in the search results or the number of times that other personal-communication-network members access the member'"'"'s profile; searching at least one of the gathered explicit and implicit personal-communication-network data for a key word or phrase identified by a party conducting the search; making inferences about at least one personal-communication-network member based upon the key word or phrase identified by the party conducting the search; displaying results of the search by at least one of; showing the at least one personal-communication-network member that is identified by the search and showing how the party conducting the search is linked to the at least one personal-communication-network member identified by the search; and showing at least one personal-communication-network communication that is identified by the search and showing how the party conducting the search is linked to the at least one personal-communication-network communication identified by the search; and classifying the member as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest based at least in part on inferences made about the member based upon the gathered explicit personal-communication-network data and implicit personal-communication-network data; wherein the step of classifying includes classifying a person'"'"'s innovativeness based upon; a quantity of personal-communication-network invitations the person has received from one or more personal-communication-network members, wherein each is classified as an innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, or laggard, wherein each is a first, second, or third degree contact in the personal-communication-network, and wherein each is weighted accordingly in the classifying step; a weighting of the received invitations based on the classification of the personal-communication-network members; and a factor selected from the group comprising; length of time required for the person to respond to a personal-communication-network invitation, a number of invitations sent to the person, a percentage of the population that has already adopted an innovation, a time between a similar recent development'"'"'s introduction to a market and a time when the person adopted the similar recent development, the person'"'"'s participation in experimental studies, publications by the person, and a combination thereof; and wherein the personal-communication-network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communication links, each communication link connecting a pair of the plurality of nodes and annotated with a field of interest. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for displaying search results of an internet or computer-based personal-communication-network search, the personal-communication-network including a number of members, the method comprising one or more computers performing the steps of:
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gathering explicit personal-communication-network data from information entered on the personal-communication-network; gathering implicit personal-communication-network data from activities conducted on the personal-communication-network, wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data includes historical data describing interactions of the personal-communication-network members within the personal-communications-network, and wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data is based upon a quantity of personal-communication-network keyword or name searches that list a member in the search results or the number of times that other personal-communication-network members access the member'"'"'s profile; searching at least one of the gathered explicit and implicit personal-communication-network data for a key word or phrase identified by a party; obtaining results of the search including at least one personal-communication-network member that is identified as being associated with information related to the key word or phrase; determining whether the at least one personal-communication-network member is likely to possess information about the key word or phrase by searching at least one of the gathered explicit and implicit personal-communication-network data, and making inferences about the at least one personal-communication-network member based upon at least one of the gathered explicit and implicit personal-communication-network data; displaying the results of the search by showing the at least one personal-communication-network member who is likely to possess information about the key word or phrase; and classifying the member as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest based at least in part on inferences made about the member based upon the gathered explicit personal-communication-network data and implicit personal-communication-network data; wherein the step of classifying includes classifying a person'"'"'s innovativeness based upon; a quantity of personal-communication-network invitations the person has received from one or more personal-communication-network members, wherein each is classified as an innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, or laggard, wherein each is a first, second, or third degree contact in the personal-communication-network, and wherein each is weighted accordingly in the classifying step; a weighting of the received invitations based on the classification of the personal-communication-network members; and a factor selected from the group comprising; length of time required for the person to respond to a personal-communication-network invitation, a number of invitations sent to the person, a percentage of the population that has already adopted an innovation, a time between a similar recent development'"'"'s introduction to a market and a time when the person adopted the similar recent development, the person'"'"'s participation in experimental studies, publications by the person, and a combination thereof; and wherein the personal-communication-network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communication links, each communication link connecting a pair of the plurality of nodes and annotated with a field of interest; wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data relates to personal-communication-network keyword searching that the personal-communication-network members have performed. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A computer implemented method for defining links between two members of an internet or computer-based personal-communication-network, the personal-communication-network including a number of members, the method comprising the steps of:
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gathering explicit personal-communication-network data from information entered on the personal-communication-network; gathering implicit personal-communication-network data from activities conducted on the personal-communication-network, wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data includes historical data describing interactions of the personal-communication-network members within the personal-communications-network, and wherein the implicit personal-communication-network data is based upon a quantity of personal-communication-network keyword or name searches that list a member in the search results or the number of times that other personal-communication-network members access the member'"'"'s profile; recording one or more electronic communications from a first personal-communication-network member to a second personal-communication-network member; quantifying or qualifying the use of a key word or key phrase within the electronic communication; making inferences about at least one of the first personal-communication-network member and the second personal-communication-network member based upon the quantifying or qualifying and at least one of the gathered explicit and implicit personal-communication-network data; defining the links between the two members based on the inferences, wherein the links between members are defined as a field of interest related to the key word or key phrase; and classifying the member as an opinion leader or innovator in a field of interest based at least in part on inferences made about the member based upon the gathered explicit personal-communication-network data and implicit personal-communication-network data; wherein the step of classifying includes classifying a person'"'"'s innovativeness based upon; a quantity of personal-communication-network invitations the person has received from one or more personal-communication-network members, wherein each is classified as an innovator, early adopter, early majority, late majority, or laggard, wherein each is a first, second, or third degree contact in the personal-communication-network, and wherein each is weighted accordingly in the classifying step; a weighting of the received invitations based on the classification of the personal-communication-network members; and a factor selected from the group comprising; length of time required for the person to respond to a personal-communication-network invitation, a number of invitations sent to the person, a percentage of the population that has already adopted an innovation, a time between a similar recent development'"'"'s introduction to a market and a time when the person adopted the similar recent development, the person'"'"'s participation in experimental studies, publications by the person, and a combination thereof; and wherein the personal-communication-network includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communication links, each communication link connecting a pair of the plurality of nodes and annotated with a field of interest. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification