Network-based system for social interactions between users

• US 8,516,031 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Eschenauer, Laurent, Weisscher, Alard
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US12/842,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709223-226, 709/229, 715/200, 715/764
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

There is provided a system for social interactions between users. The system may include a plurality of network nodes connected in a network, each node comprising a representation of at least one assigned user. The exemplary system comprises a first node assigned to a first user, the first node being adapted to generate an activity upon an execution of an action of the first user with a data object in interaction with the first node. The activity may describe the action in a predetermined format and may include a representation of the data object. The first node may be further adapted to link the activity to at least one second user and to communicate the activity to at least one second node to which the second user is assigned.

Claims

1. A system for social interactions between users, the system having a plurality of network nodes connected in a network, each node comprising a representation of at least one assigned user, the system comprising:

a first node assigned to a first user, the first node being adapted to generate an activity upon an execution of an action of the first user with a data object in interaction with the first node, wherein the first user has joined a social network site provided by the first node, and wherein the action is associated with the social network site provided by the first node;

the activity describing the action in a predetermined format and including a representation of the data object the action of the user is performed with; and

the first node being further adapted to link the activity to at least one second user and to communicate the activity to at least one second node to which the second user is assigned, wherein a communication protocol for transmitting the activity to the second node is based on the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, the communication protocol being an extension of the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, and wherein the first node comprises a plurality of user accounts as a social network site and is configured to generate a notification of the action of the first user for communication to at least one user account, and the first node further comprising a translator module adapted to generate the activity from the notification, while the translator module uses another data format or communication protocol for internal data exchange between its users allowing the social network site provided by the first node to internally maintain its existent data format or communication protocol, wherein the at least one user account is not associated with the social network site provided by the first node.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the activity further comprises a verb describing an operation executed with the object.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the first node is adapted to link the activity to the second user based on a specification of the second user by the first user.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the first node is configured to determine the second user using a rule stored in the first node, the rule linking the action to the second user based on the object and/or the verb.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the action of the user relates to a data object accessible in the network and the first node being configured to link the activity to a publisher and/or owner of the data object.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein a rule is provided by the first user and/or by the second user, the second user having transmitted a subscription request to the first node through the second node for providing the rule.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the representation of an assigned user comprises a profile of the assigned user including information on the assigned user and/or the representation of an assigned user comprises relationship data, the relationship data including identification information of further users to which the assigned user has a relationship.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the first node is adapted to create a corresponding activity when the profile and/or the relationship data of the first user are changed.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein first node is configured to transmit the activity to the second node upon request of the second node after an authorization of the second user to receive the activity has been verified in the first node, the authorization being specified in the activity.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the activity includes at least one recipient user, the first node being configured to transmit the activity to the recipient user, and wherein the activity further comprises information specifying the users being authorized to access the activity.

11. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the first node is adapted to transmit the activity to the second node after having authenticated the second node.

12. The system recited in claim 1, wherein to each node at least one client unit is assigned, the client unit being used by the assigned user to access the node.

13. A method for social interactions between users, one of a plurality of network nodes being assigned to each user, the nodes being connected in a network, the method comprising:

generating an activity in a first node assigned to a first user, when the first user executes an action with a data object in interaction with the first node, wherein the first user has joined a social network site provided by the first node, and wherein the action is associated with the social network site provided by the first node, and wherein the activity describing the action in a predetermined format and comprising a representation of the object the action of the user is performed with;

linking the activity to at least one second user; and

communicating, with the first node, the activity to at least one second node to which the second user is assigned, wherein a communication protocol for transmitting the activity to the second node is based on the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, the communication protocol being an extension of the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, and wherein the first node comprises a plurality of user accounts as a social network site and is configured to generate a notification of the action of the first user for communication to at least one user account, and the first node further comprising a translator module adapted to generate the activity from the notification, while the translator module uses another data format or communication protocol for internal data exchange between its users allowing the social network site provided by the first node to internally maintain its existent data format or communication protocol, wherein the second user is not associated with the social network site provided by the first node.

14. A system for social interactions between users, one of a plurality of network nodes being assigned to each user, the nodes being connected in a network, the system comprising:

means for generating an activity in a first node assigned to a first user, when the first user executes an action with a data object in interaction with the first node, wherein the first user has ioined a social network site provided by the first node, and wherein the action is associated with the social network site provided by the first node, and wherein the activity describes the action in a predetermined format and comprises a representation of the object;

means for linking the activity to at least one second user; and

means for communicating the activity to at least one second node to which the second user is assigned, wherein a communication protocol for transmitting the activity to the second node is based on the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, the communication protocol being an extension of the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol, and wherein the first node comprises a plurality of user accounts as a social network site and is configured to generate a notification of the action of the first user for communication to at least one user account, and the first node further comprising a translator module adapted to generate the activity from the notification, while the translator module uses another data format or communication protocol for internal data exchange between its users allowing the social network site provided by the first node to internally maintain its existent data format or communication protocol, wherein the second user is not associated with the social network site provided by the first node.