System and method for identifying transient friends
First Claim
1. A method for manipulating a friend list within a social network for a first user comprising:
- selecting a second user from a list of users proximate the first user;
determining whether the second user is a persisted friend of the first user within the social network;
identifying the second user that is associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user as a possible transient friend of the first user in the social network of the first user if the second user is not a persisted friend of the first user with the social network;
adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user; and
after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitoring the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identifying transient friends for a social network of a user are provided. A transient friend processing function obtains locations of a number of users or locations otherwise associated with the number of users. In order to identify transient friends for a first user, the transient friend processing function identifies other users associated with locations within a proximate area of the first user. For each of the identified users, the transient friend processing function compares a user profile of the first user to a user profile of the identified user to determine whether to add the identified user as a transient friend of the first user. If the transient friend processing function determines that the identified friend is to be added as a transient friend of the first user, the identified friend is then added as a transient friend of the first user.
152 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for manipulating a friend list within a social network for a first user comprising:
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selecting a second user from a list of users proximate the first user; determining whether the second user is a persisted friend of the first user within the social network; identifying the second user that is associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user as a possible transient friend of the first user in the social network of the first user if the second user is not a persisted friend of the first user with the social network; adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitoring the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the system to a plurality of user devices associated with a plurality of users via a communication network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; obtain information identifying a location associated with each of the plurality of users; create a list of users proximate a first user; select a second user from the list of users proximate a first user; determine whether the second user is a persisted friend of the first user within a social network; identify the second user of the plurality of users that is associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user as a transient friend of the first user in the social network of the first user; add the second user as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitor the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method comprising:
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identifying as possible transient friends of a first user one or more second users associated with a location associated with the first user and who are members of a social network of the first user and who are not already associated with the first user; adding at least one of the one or more second users as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitoring the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user.
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27. A system comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the system to a plurality of user devices associated with a plurality of users via a communication network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; identify as possible transient friends of a first user one or more second users associated with a location associated with the first user and who are members of a social network of the first user and who are not already associated with the first user; add at least one of the one or more second users as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitor the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user.
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28. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software with instructions to:
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identify as possible transient friends of a first user one or more second users associated with a location associated with the first user and who are members of a social network of the first user and who are not already associated with the first user; add at least one of the one or more second users as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitor the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user.
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29. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software with instructions to:
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select a second user from a list of users proximate a first user; determine whether the second user is a persisted friend of the first user within a social network; identify the second user that is associated with a location within a proximate area of the first user as a possible transient friend of the first user in the social network of the first user if the second user is not a persisted friend of the first user with the social network; add the second user as a transient friend of the first user; and after adding the second user as a transient friend of the first user, monitor the second user such that a status of the second user as a transient friend of the first user is based upon whether the second user continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user.
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30. A first user device comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the first user device to a plurality of user devices associated with a plurality of users via a communication network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; obtain information identifying a location associated with each of a plurality of user devices; create a list of user devices proximate to the first user device; select a second user device from the list of user devices proximate to the first user device; determine whether a second user of the second user device is a persisted friend of a first user of the first user device in the social network of the first user; add the second user as a transient friend in the social network of the first user; and monitor the location associated with the second user device such that the status of the second user as a transient friend in the social network of the first user is based upon whether the second user device continues to be associated with a location within the proximate area of the first user device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification