Apparatus for increasing social interaction over an electronic network

• US 8,626,828 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Social Concepts Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Social Concepts Incorporated (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Lee, Joseph William, Grendler, Peter August, Hedlund, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): THIAW, CATHERINE B
• Application Number:
  US13/431,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-206, 705/14.1, 705 1411- 1413, 705/14.23, 705/14.35, 705/319, 715751-753
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• 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: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0213 Consumer transaction fees
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

enabling members of an electronic social networking system to submit a request, through the electronic social networking system, to initiate a temporary period, wherein the electronic social networking system comprises a social networking resource that is configured to provide real time interaction between the members;

responsive to receiving an input from one of the members to request initiation of a particular temporary time period, selecting a start time and an end time for the particular temporary time period;

temporarily modifying the social networking resource to identify the member that sent the input for a duration corresponding to the selected times; and

responsive to receiving the input, performing at least one of changing a mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period or enabling an electronic purchase, of a good or service that is offered for electronic purchase at a first price before the start time or after the end time, by the members for a second discounted price within the duration;

wherein changing the mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period further comprises triggering the electronic social networking system to adjust points awarded to the members for performing a predefined action within the duration corresponding to the selected times, and wherein in response to said triggering, member actions corresponding to the predefined action and sent using the electronic social networking system before the start time or after the end time are scored at a first non-zero rate and member actions corresponding to the predefined action and sent using the electronic social networking system within the duration are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined action comprises a member interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined action comprises a referral action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined action comprises a purchasing action.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined action comprises a profile update action.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period responsive to receiving the input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the electronic purchase, of the good or service that is offered for electronic purchase at the first price before the start time or after the end time, by the members for the second discounted price within the duration responsive to receiving the input.

8. A memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

enabling members of an electronic social networking system to submit a request, through the electronic social networking system, to initiate a temporary period, wherein the electronic social networking system comprises a social networking resource that is configured to provide real time interaction between the members;

responsive to receiving an input from one of the members to request initiation of a particular temporary time period, selecting a start time and an end time for the particular temporary time period;

temporarily modifying the social networking resource to identify the member that sent the input for a duration corresponding to the selected times; and

responsive to receiving the input, performing at least one of changing a mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period or enabling an electronic purchase, of a good or service that is offered for electronic purchase at a first price before the start time or after the end time, by the members for a second discounted price within the duration; and

wherein changing the mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period further comprises triggering the electronic social networking system to adjust points awarded to the members for performing a predefined action within the duration corresponding to the selected times, and wherein in response to said triggering, member actions corresponding to the predefined action and sent using the electronic social networking system before the start time or after the end time are scored at a first non-zero rate and member actions corresponding to the predefined action and sent using the electronic social networking system within the duration are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate.

9. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the predefined action comprises a member interaction.

10. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the predefined action comprises a referral action.

11. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the predefined action comprises a purchasing action.

12. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the predefined action comprises a profile update action.

13. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise changing the mode of the electronic social networking system for the particular temporary time period responsive to receiving the input.

14. The memory device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise enabling the electronic purchase, of the good or service that is offered for electronic purchase at the first price before the start time or after the end time, by the members for the second discounted price within the duration responsive to receiving the input.