Method and system for connecting people in a social network
First Claim
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1. A method for automatically connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a central server that maintains a list of social network members with unique member identifiers;
(b) operatively connecting said device to said central server via said global computer network;
(c) registering said person with said social network as a member;
(d) friending a contact by (1) said central server accepting from said device said at least one unique identifier associated with said contact from said address book;
(2) said central server determining if said unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if said unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book, providing access to said member for said contact; and
(5) if said unique identifier does not identify another member, saving said unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if said unique identifier of said new member is saved, and if so, providing access to said member by said new member; and
(e) upon said person registering as a member, automatically friending a predetermined subset of said contacts.
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Abstract
A system and method for connecting people in a social network using information from a user'"'"'s digital address book. A social network member can unilaterally friend any contact in her address book. Optionally, a member can only friend a contact and be friended by a contact if she is in that contact'"'"'s address book. An central server keeps track of friended members of the social network and contacts.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for automatically connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a central server that maintains a list of social network members with unique member identifiers; (b) operatively connecting said device to said central server via said global computer network; (c) registering said person with said social network as a member; (d) friending a contact by (1) said central server accepting from said device said at least one unique identifier associated with said contact from said address book;
(2) said central server determining if said unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if said unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book, providing access to said member for said contact; and
(5) if said unique identifier does not identify another member, saving said unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if said unique identifier of said new member is saved, and if so, providing access to said member by said new member; and(e) upon said person registering as a member, automatically friending a predetermined subset of said contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for automatically connecting people on a social network, each person having a device with access to a global computer network and an address book with contacts, each contact having at least one unique identifier, said system comprising:
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(a) a central server that maintains a list of social network members with unique member identifiers; (b) said device being connected to said central server via said global computer network; (c) said central server running an application, said application including instructions for registering said person with said social network as a member; (d) said application including instructions for friending a contact comprising the steps of (1) accepting from said device said at least one unique identifier associated with said contact from said address book;
(2) determining if said unique identifier identifies another member;
(3) if said unique identifier identifies another member, verifying that said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book;
(4) if said member is in said contact'"'"'s address book, providing access to said member for said contact; and
(5) if said unique identifier does not identify another member, saving said unique identifier, and upon a new member registering, determining if said unique identifier of said new member is saved, and if so, providing access to said member by said new member; and(e) said application including instructions to automatically friend a predetermined subset of said contacts upon said person registering as a member. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification