Human relationships registering system and device for registering human relationships, program for registering human relationships, and medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by computer

• US 8,661,058 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mekiki Company Limited, Mekiki Creates Company Limited (Mekiki Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mekiki Company Limited, Mekiki Creates Company Limited (Mekiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Deguchi, Hikaru, Ninomiya, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US13/970,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

To provide a human relationships registering system, a method and a server for registering human relationships, a program for registering human relationships, and a medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by a computer, all of which are used to establish wide and close relationships with members having a variety of occupations or engaged in various technical fields and to obtain expert knowledge or information. The human relationships registering system comprises first data processing units 2 and 3 including sections for receiving personal data of a new member, and a second data processing unit including a section for storing the received personal data. The second data processing unit stores the personal data of the new member in correlation to an existing member when the existing member confirms the new member.

Claims

1. An apparatus including a server coupled to a communication network and configured to establish and update relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to the communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a database configured to store personal attribute information of the members and direct relationship data indicating a direct relationship between at least some of the members;

a message communicator configured to communicate via the communication network

a relationship request from a first member to another member indicating that the first member wishes to establish a direct relationship with the another member, and

a relationship acceptance from the another member to the first member indicating acceptance of the first member'"'"'s relationship request, thereby establishing a direct relationship between the first member and the another member; and

a relationship identifier configured to

search the database specifically for one or more introducing members that are directly related to both the first member and a second member, and communicate to the first member via the communication network at least a portion of the personal attribute information of at least a subset of the one or more introducing members, and

after a third member that is already directly related to the first member becomes directly related to at least one fourth member, search the database specifically for the at least one fourth member and communicate to the first member via the communication network at least a portion of the personal attribute information of the at least one fourth member and also an indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second member is directly related to the first member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one fourth member is not directly related to the first member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said relationship identifier communicates said indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member in the form of a relationships diagram.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said direct relationship data stored in the database includes relationship coefficients.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein once a direct relationship is established between the third member and the at least one fourth member, indirect relationship data between the first member and the at least one fourth member is updated in the database.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the personal attribute information of each member stored in the database includes at least one of an e-mail address and name.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search for said introducing members is in response to one or more key words of a search criteria including the personal attribute information of the first member and the second member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said search for the at least one fourth member is in response to one or more key words of a search criteria including the personal attribute information of the first member.

10. A method, implemented by an apparatus including a server coupled to a communication network, for establishing and updating relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to the communication network, the method comprising:

storing, at a database, personal attribute information of the members and direct relationship data indicating a direct relationship between at least some of the members;

communicating to another member, at a message communicator via the communication network, a relationship request from a first member indicating that the first member wishes to establish a direct relationship with the another member;

communicating to the first member, at the message communicator via the communication network, a relationship acceptance from the another member indicating acceptance of the first member'"'"'s relationship request, thereby establishing a direct relationship between the first member and the another member;

searching, at a data retriever, the database specifically for one or more introducing members that are directly related to both the first member and a second member;

searching, at the data retriever and after a third member that is already directly related to the first member becomes directly related to at least one fourth member, the database specifically for the at least one fourth member; and

communicating, at a data sender, to the first member via the communication network

at least a portion of the personal attribute information of at least a subset of the one or more introducing members, and

at least a portion of the personal attribute information of the at least one fourth member and also an indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second member is directly related to the first member.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one fourth member is not directly related to the first member.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said data sender communicates said indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member in the form of a relationships diagram.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal attribute information of each member stored in the database includes at least one of an e-mail address and name.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions thereon for establishing and updating relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to a communication network, that when executed by an apparatus including a server coupled to the communication network cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

storing, at a database, personal attribute information of the members and direct relationship data indicating a direct relationship between at least some of the members;

communicating to another member, at a message communicator via the communication network, a relationship request from a first member indicating that the first member wishes to establish a direct relationship with the another member;

communicating to the first member, at the message communicator via the communication network, a relationship acceptance from the another member indicating acceptance of the first member'"'"'s relationship request, thereby establishing a direct relationship between the first member and the another member;

searching, at a data retriever, the database specifically for one or more introducing members that are directly related to both the first member and a second member;

searching, at the data retriever and after a third member that is already directly related to the first member becomes directly related to at least one fourth member, the database specifically for the at least one fourth member; and

communicating, at a data sender, to the first member via the communication network

at least a portion of the personal attribute information of at least a subset of the one or more introducing members, and

at least a portion of the personal attribute information of the at least one fourth member and also an indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second member is directly related to the first member.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one fourth member is not directly related to the first member.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said data sender communicates said indication of the direct relationship established between the third member and the at least one fourth member in the form of a relationships diagram.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said direct relationship data stored in the database includes relationship coefficients.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the personal attribute information of each member stored in the database includes at least one of an e-mail address and name.