Methods for searching private social network data

• US 8,515,936 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pear Software, LLC
• Original Assignee: Pear Software, LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Andrew S, Hansen, Scott B
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US13/352,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 707/715, 707/769, 707/781, 707/783, 707/723, 707/726, 726 2- 3, 726/17, 726/27
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method for searching a database that includes private network data includes providing one or more databases including a plurality of database entries, a first portion of the database entries including private social network data and a second portion including non-social network data that is publicly accessible on the World Wide Web. The method further includes receiving a keyword search request from a search request user and searching the one or more databases or a keyword index thereof using one or more keywords and ranking the search result items according to relevancy. The method also includes displaying at least a portion of the search results items as a selectable link where a first portion of the selectable links are to private network data and a second portion of the links are to public, non-social network data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing search results from a private database in combination with a web-based search, comprising:

receiving a search request from a search request user, the search request user having a social network account that allows the social network user to form relationships by invitation with other social network users and to share private social network data on the social network through the relationships;

providing one or more databases including a plurality of database entries, a first portion of the database entries including private network data from the social network account or an index thereof and a second portion including public non-social network data that is publicly accessible on the World Wide Web;

receiving authentication data associated with the search request user, wherein the authentication data identifies access rights of the search request user to the social network data from the social network account or index thereof;

searching the plurality of database entries to generate a plurality of search result items, a first portion of the search result items including private social network data from the social network account or an index thereof and a second portion of search result items including public non-social network data;

determining whether the search request user has access rights to the first portion of the search result items;

ranking the search result items according to relevancy to generate a search result; and

providing to the search request user the search result for display on a graphical user interface, the search result comprising one or more lists of selectable links,

a first portion of the selectable links linking to private network data to which the search request user has access rights; and

a second portion of the selectable links linking to public non-social network data.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search result includes a link to the website Wikipedia.org.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the social network account is cart of a social network having at least 1 million unique users.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the private network data from the social network account includes private photographs.

5. A computer program product in the form of instructions recorded on a tangible medium for providing search results to a search request user requesting a search, the computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of database entries include a keyword index of private network data from the social network account and the links provided in the search result includes at least one link to a social network database on a social network server.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search result items are ranked using historical search data to generate the list of selectable links.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the historical search data includes private social network data from the social network account of the search request user.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the ranking is determined in part using an algorithm that applies one or more weighting terms.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the weighting term is derived from social network data.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the social network data used to derive the weighting term is an established social network relationship.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein historical search data associated with the established network relationship is used in ranking at least a portion of the search result items.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the weighting term derived from the private social network data is used to rank at least a portion of the search result items associated with non-social network data.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing logon information for obtaining access to one or more social networks of the user.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more databases includes a relational database having a plurality of activity entries and a plurality of locations respectively associated therewith.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an advertisement in association with the search results, wherein the advertisement is selected at least in part based on one or more keywords received in the search request.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of database entries include private social network data associated with permission rules.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the permission rules identify social network users with access rights to the social network data.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the permission rules are rules established on the social network at least in part by the search request user.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the permission rules are rules established at least in part by the one or more social network users having a relationship with the search request user on the social network.