Reverse matching relationships in networks of existing identifiers

• US 8,620,896 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soderstrom, Gustav
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, BINH VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/951,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/707
• US Class Current: 707/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/354 Reverse directory service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012

Abstract

A mobile device, system, and method are directed towards managing social networking information by employing a reverse matching search to identify those members of the social network that may have another person'"'"'s identifier in their contact lists. The person may initially visit the social network site and provide an identifier either automatically or through a directed action by the person. A reverse search may be performed on members'"'"' contact lists to determine which contact lists include the identifier. If a match is found in a member'"'"'s contact list, selected information about that member may be provided to the person. The reverse matching search may also be performed at various subsequent times to provide members information about new members to the social network.

Claims

1. A processor readable storage medium that includes data and instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions on a computing device enabling actions, comprising:

receiving an identifier for a visitor of a social networking site;

determining a plurality of contact lists for members of the social networking site;

searching each of the contact lists in the plurality of contact lists to determine each contact list that includes a match to the visitor'"'"'s identifier to enable the visitor to identify those members that know the visitor;

determining selected information about each member associated with each contact list for which a match of the visitor'"'"'s identifier is found;

providing a display to the visitor of a list of the selected information for each member having a match in their contact lists to the visitor'"'"'s identifier;

if the visitor is not currently a member to the social networking site, the display enabling the visitor to become a member; and

if the visitor is currently a member, filtering the list of selected information such that the display comprises information indicating members that joined the social networking site at a defined time after the visitor joined.

2. The processor readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the identifier further comprises:

automatically receiving the identifier transparent to the visitor over the network, wherein the identifier is associated with a mobile device identifier.

3. The processor readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a client device identifier, an email address, phone number, or a text messaging address.

4. The processor readable medium of claim 1, wherein the selected information comprises at least one of a name of a member, an alias of a member, a photograph of a member, or an avatar associated with a member.

5. The processor readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the identifier further comprises:

requesting the identifier from the visitor;

receiving the identifier provided by the visitor; and

determining if the identifier is valid and associated with the visitor.

6. A method comprising:

receiving an identifier associated with a visitor to a social networking site;

determining a plurality of contact lists, each contact list in the plurality being associated with a member of the social networking site;

searching each of the contact lists in the plurality of contact lists to determine each contact list that includes the visitor'"'"'s identifier;

determining each member associated with each contact list for which a match of the visitor'"'"'s identifier is found to enable the visitor to know who within the social networking site knows the visitor;

providing a display to the visitor comprising information about each member having a match in their contact lists to the visitor'"'"'s identifier;

if the visitor is not currently a member to the social networking site, the display enabling the visitor to become a member; and

if the visitor is currently a member, filtering the information about each member having a match in their contact list to obtain information indicating members that joined the social networking site at a defined time after the visitor joined and providing the obtained information to the visitor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the identifier further comprises:

receiving the identifier automatically and transparent to the visitor from at least one of a client device associated with the visitor, a network carrier'"'"'s network device, or a billing entity'"'"'s network device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the identifier further comprises:

requesting that the visitor provide the identifier; and

determining if the received identifier is valid for the visitor.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

enabling the visitor to employ at least some of the displayed information to send a message to one of the members for which a match is found.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the received identifier is at least one of a device identifier, a text message address, a user name, or an email address.

11. A network device comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, comprising;

receiving an identifier for a visitor of a social networking site;

receiving information from a plurality of contact lists, each contact list in the plurality being associated with a different member of the social networking site;

searching each of the contact lists in the plurality of contact lists to determine each contact list that includes a match to the visitor'"'"'s identifier to enable the visitor to know who within the social networking site knows the visitor;

providing to the visitor a list of members having a match in their respective contact lists;

if the visitor is not currently a member to the social networking site, providing a display enabling the visitor to become a member; and

if the visitor is currently a member, filtering the list of members to obtain information indicating members in the list of members that joined the social networking site at a defined time after the visitor joined and providing the obtained information to the visitor.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the processor is operative to perform actions, further comprising:

for at least one member in the list of members having a match, enabling a display of selected content of the at least one member, independent of whether the visitor is a member of the social networking site.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein providing the list further comprises providing at least one of a name of each member, an alias for each member, a photograph of each member, or an avatar for each member having a match.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein receiving the identifier further comprises receiving the identifier automatically from a mobile device associated with the visitor.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein providing the list further comprises, if the visitor is not a member of the social networking site, providing an offer to the visitor to become a member.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a memory arranged to store data and instructions;

an input interface for receiving requests and sending responses; and

a processor arranged to enable actions embodied by at least a portion of the stored instructions, the actions comprising;

accessing the social networking site over the network;

automatically providing to the site an identifier associated with a user of the mobile device;

receiving a display from the social networking site, wherein the display includes a list of members to the social networking site that has in their respective contact lists the provided identifier associated with the user, wherein the list of members is determined based on a reverse search of each member'"'"'s contact lists for a match to the user'"'"'s identifier to enable the user to know who within the social networking site knows the visitor;

receiving an offer to join the social networking site, if the user of the mobile device is determined to not be a current member to the site; and

if the visitor is currently a member, the received display comprises information indicating members from the list that joined the social networking site at a defined time after the visitor joined.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein automatically providing the identifier further comprises providing a device identifier transparent to the user by at least one of the mobile device, a network carrier'"'"'s network device associated with the mobile device, or providing the identifier through a billing entity'"'"'s network device.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is arranged to enable actions further comprising:

independent of whether the user of the mobile device is a member of the social networking site, receiving a display of content, the content being provided by at least one member within the list of members having a match to the identifier within their contact list.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the list of members further comprises a list of at least one of a member'"'"'s phone number, email address, name, photograph, or avatar.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the list of members further comprises a list of members that have joined the site after the user, if the user is a member of the social networking site.