Systems and methods for communication among collaborating users

• US 8,825,705 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ancestry.com Operations Inc. (Ancestry.com Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ancestry.com Operations Inc. (Ancestry.com Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thayne, Preston, Smeltzer, Mike, Watts, Barry, Fullmer, Tobin, Darais, Danny, Graham, David, Echols, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, SYED HAROON
• Application Number:
  US12/511,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,862 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/708, 707/732, 707/736, 707/999.001, 707/999.003, 707/999.1
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Embodiments relate to methods and systems for building representations of related subjects. The representations may include a plurality of nodes, each being associated with a subject. Users may be able to access records and/or source documents related to a plurality of subjects and add or modify node characteristics based thereon. Users may interact with (e.g., by adding to or modifying) documents, files, and/or records and may also make other changes or additions to nodes in the system. A process may then identify what other users may be interested in such interaction and why. For example, a score may be associated with the interaction and other users based on factors such as whether the users have linked to the document, file or record and/or the node the interaction may apply to. Interacting users, identified users, and interaction details may be stored in a database. Identified users may be notified of the interaction.

Claims

1. A method of building a representation of related individuals, comprising:

providing a database comprising digital records created from non-digital source documents, each digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual;

providing a set of users with access to the database using a computer system;

allowing a first user of the set of users to interact with a first record page via the computer system, wherein the first record page includes at least one digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual other than the first user, the interaction including one or more of;

modifying the first record page based on input from the first user, wherein the modification modifies the genealogical information of the at least one digital record included on the first record page; and

modifying or adding a node having genealogical information in a first set of user-created nodes in an account of the first user based at least partly on identifying information from the first record page;

identifying a subset of the set of users based at least partly on an existing or predicted relationship of the subset of users to the genealogical information in the first record page, wherein identifying a subset of users includes generating a score related to the potential relevance, to each of the set of users, of the interaction at the first record page; and

providing a notification to the subset of users related to the interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the subset further comprises comparing the score to a threshold score.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising relating an account component for each user of the subset to the interaction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the account component for at least some of the subset users comprises a previously defined relationship between the at least some of the subset users and the first record page.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second database comprising the identified subset of users, each user being associated with the interaction;

receiving search queries comprising an identifier for at least one of the subset of users;

searching the database for interactions associated with the at least one user; and

providing search results related to the interactions associated with at least one user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises updating websites associated with the subset of users'"'"' accounts.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interaction steps further include:

modifying a setting of the account of the first user to save data related to the first record page.

8. A system for building a representation of related individuals, comprising:

a storage medium storing a database comprising digital records created from non-digital source documents, each digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual; and

a processor programmed to;

provide a set of users with access to the database using a computer system;

allow a first user of the set of users to interact with a first record page via the computer system, wherein the first record page includes at least one digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual other than the first user, the interaction including one or more of;

modifying the first record page based on input from the first user, wherein the modification modifies the genealogical information of the digital record included on the first record page; and

modifying or adding a node having genealogical information in a first set of user-created nodes in an account of the first user based at least partly on identifying information from the first record page;

identify a subset of the set of users based at least partly on an existing or predicted relationship of the subset of users'"'"' accounts to the first record page, including generating a score related to the potential relevance, to each of the set of users, of the interaction at the first record page; and

provide a notification to the subset of users related to the interaction.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the score to a threshold score.

10. The system of claim 8 the processor is further configured to relate an account component for each user of the subset to the interaction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the account component for at least some of the subset users comprises a previously defined relationship between the at least some of the subset users and the first record page.

12. The system of claim 8, the processor is further configured to:

create a second database comprising the identified subset of users, each user being associated with the interaction;

receive search queries comprising an identifier for at least one of the subset of users;

search the database for interactions associated with the at least one user; and

provide search results related to the interactions associated with at least one user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification comprises updating websites associated with the subset of users'"'"' accounts.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more interaction steps further include:

modifying a setting of the account of the first user to save data related to the first record page.

15. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

providing a database comprising digital records created from non-digital source documents, each digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual;

providing a set of users with access to the database using a computer system;

allowing a first user of the set of users to interact with the first record page via the computer system, wherein the first record page includes at least one digital record including genealogical information relating to an individual other than the first user, the interaction including one or more of;

modifying the first record page based on input from the first user, wherein the modification modifies the genealogical information of the digital record included on the first record page; and

modifying or adding a node having genealogical information in a first set of user-created nodes in an account of the first user based at least partly on identifying information from the first record page;

identifying a subset of the set of users based at least partly on an existing or predicted relationship of the subset of users'"'"' accounts to the first record page, including generating a score related to the potential relevance, to each of the set of users, of the interaction at the first record page; and

providing a notification to the subset of users related to the interaction.

16. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the subset further comprises comparing the score to a threshold score.

17. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises relating an account component for each user of the subset to the interaction.

18. The non-transitory medium of claim 17, wherein the account component for at least some of the subset users comprises a previously defined relationship between the at least some of the subset users and the first record page.

19. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a second database comprising the identified subset of users, each user being associated with the interaction;

receiving search queries comprising an identifier for at least one of the subset of users;

searching the database for interactions associated with the at least one user; and

providing search results related to the interactions associated with at least one user.

20. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the notification comprises updating websites associated with the subset of users'"'"' accounts.

21. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more interaction steps further include:

modifying a setting of the account of the first user to save data related to the first record page.