Sharing social network information

• US 8,538,895 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Greenberg, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORMICK, GABRIELLE A
• Application Number:
  US11/079,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,108 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/319
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Social network information may be shared across online service providers. Thus, one online service provider M that maintains a membership separate from a second online service provider N may nevertheless use the social network maintained by the second online service provider N to tailor content and/or services based on such social network information.

Claims

1. A method for using social network information from a first online service provider network to modify a webpage provided by a second online service provider network, the method comprising:

storing a webpage at a second online service provider network;

receiving, at the second online service provider network, a request from a first user to view the webpage stored at the second online service provider network;

sending, from the second online service provider network to a first online service provider network, a request for social network information related to a relationship between the first user and a second user, the request including a social network identifier for the first user and an identifier for the second user, the request being structured to use a defined interface to the first online service provider, the defined interface including one or more functions that each retrieve a type of information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user, and the first online service provider network being different from the second online service provider network;

receiving, at the second online service provider network and from the first online service provider network, social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user;

modifying the webpage stored at the second online service provider network based on the received social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user; and

causing presentation, to the first user, of the modified webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the social network identifier is associated with a username for the first user established at the first online service provider network, and

sending the request for social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user to the first online service provider network comprises sending the social network identifier associated with the username for the first user at the first online service provider network, such that the first online service provider network determines the social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user based on the social network identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the stored webpage comprises accessing content on the stored webpage relating to the second user or an identifier of the second user in the stored webpage and highlighting the content or identifier of the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the stored webpage comprises accessing content on the stored webpage relating to the second user and changing the position of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the social network information comprises a number of degrees of separation between the first user and the second user; and

modifying the stored webpage comprises displaying a visual cue in proximity to content on the stored webpage relating to the second user or an identifier of the second user in the stored webpage, the visual cue indicating the number of degrees of separation between the first user and the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the social network information comprises a number of degrees of separation between the first user and the second user; and

modifying the stored webpage comprises accessing content on the stored webpage relating to the second user and changing the position of the content based on the number of degrees of separation between the first user and the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the social network information comprises a value representing a reputation of the second user in a social network of the first user; and

modifying the stored webpage comprises displaying a visual cue in proximity to content on the stored webpage relating to the second user or an identifier of the second user in the webpage, the visual cue indicating the value of the reputation for the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the social network information comprises a value representing a reputation of the second user in a social network of the first user; and

modifying the stored webpage comprises accessing content on the stored webpage relating to the second user and changing the position of the content based on the value representing the reputation of the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user from the first online service provider network comprises receiving information regarding members of a first social network maintained for the first user by the first online service provider network including the second user maintained by the first online service provider network; and

modifying the stored webpage based on the received social network information comprises modifying the stored webpage based on the information regarding members of a first social network maintained for the first user by the first online service provider network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user from the first online service provider network comprises receiving information regarding members of a first social network including the second user maintained by the first online service provider network, the method further comprising:

maintaining a second social network on the second online service provider network, the second social network having members including the first user; and

linking the members of the first social network to members of the second social network using the received information regarding members of the first social network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a username for the first user; and

sending the username for the first user to the first online service provider network.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the second online service provider network with the first online service provider network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein registering the second online service provider network with the first online service provider network includes sending, to the first online service provider network, credential information corresponding to the first user for the first online service provider network and an identifier corresponding to the second online service provider network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the credential information includes a username.

15. A computer storage medium storing a program for using social network information from a first online service provider network to a webpage provided by a second online service provider network, the programming comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

store a webpage at a second online service provider network;

receive, at the second online service provider network, a request from a first user to view the webpage stored at the second online service provider network;

send, from the second online service provider network to a first online service provider network, a request for social network information related to a relationship between the first user and a second user, the request including a social network identifier for the first user and an identifier for the second user, the request being structured to use a defined interface to the first online service provider, the defined interface including one or more functions that each retrieve a type of information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user, and the first online service provider network being different from the second online service provider network;

receive, at the second online service provider network and from the first online service provider network, social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user;

modify the webpage stored at the second online service provider network based on the received social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user; and

cause presentation, to the first user, of the modified webpage.

16. A system comprising:

a processor;

memory that stores instructions for causing the processor to perform the following operations;

store a webpage at a second online service provider network;

receive, at the second online service provider network, a request from a first user to view the webpage stored at the second online service provider network;

send, from the second online service provider network to a first online service provider network, a request for social network information related to a relationship between the first user and a second user, the request including a social network identifier for the first user and an identifier for the second user, the request being structured to use a defined interface to the first online service provider, the defined interface including one or more functions that each retrieve a type of information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user, and the first online service provider network being different from the second online service provider network;

receive, at the second online service provider network and from the first online service provider network, social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user;

modify the webpage stored at the second online service provider network based on the received social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user; and

cause presentation, to the first user, of the modified webpage.

17. A method for using social network information from a first online service provider network to modify a webpage provided by a second online service provider network, the method comprising:

storing a webpage at a second online service provider network;

registering the second online service provider network with the first online service provider network by sending, to the first online service provider network, credential information corresponding to a first user for a first online service provider network and an identifier corresponding to the second online service provider network;

receiving, at the second online service provider network, a request from the first user to view the webpage stored at the second online service provider network;

sending, from the second online service provider network to the first online service provider network, a request for social network information related to a relationship between the first user and a second user, the request including a social network identifier for the first user and an identifier for the second user, the request being structured to use a defined interface to the first online service provider, the defined interface including one or more functions that each retrieve a type of information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user, and the first online service provider network being different from the second online service provider network;

receiving, at the second online service provider network and from the first online service provider network, social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user;

modifying the webpage stored at the second online service provider network based on the received social network information related to the relationship between the first user and the second user; and

causing presentation, to the first user, of the modified webpage.