Method and computer program product for operating a social networking site
First Claim
1. A method of operating an Internet-based social networking website for a first social network, comprising:
- (a) receiving registration information from a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website;
(b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts;
(c) designating a plurality of hubs from among said plurality of users, wherein each of said plurality of hubs is assigned a designated page within the website, and wherein said plurality of hubs is a subset of said plurality of users, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other users of the first social network and to users of a second, different social network;
(d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of an individual of interest, wherein said search string comprises at least one of;
a first name;
a last name; and
a city;
(e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users via said hub to said individual of interest of one of said first social network and said second, different social network; and
(f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users;
wherein said relationship path includes a link to at least one of said plurality of hubs; and
wherein said individual of interest need not be one of said plurality of users of said first social network.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and computer program products for facilitating the operation of Internet-based (i.e., online) social networking sites are disclosed. Such methods and computer program products allow people to discover, explore and maintain relationship paths (i.e., links) with any other person in the world by utilizing the fact that every person has one or more “relationship paths” to everyone else through varying degrees of separation. The power of the Internet, via online social networking sites, is leveraged to build a comprehensive database revealing how each person is connected to everyone by designating certain users of the site as “hubs,” “gateways” and/or “connectors.”
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of operating an Internet-based social networking website for a first social network, comprising:
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(a) receiving registration information from a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; (c) designating a plurality of hubs from among said plurality of users, wherein each of said plurality of hubs is assigned a designated page within the website, and wherein said plurality of hubs is a subset of said plurality of users, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other users of the first social network and to users of a second, different social network; (d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of an individual of interest, wherein said search string comprises at least one of;
a first name;
a last name; and
a city;(e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users via said hub to said individual of interest of one of said first social network and said second, different social network; and (f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein said relationship path includes a link to at least one of said plurality of hubs; and wherein said individual of interest need not be one of said plurality of users of said first social network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating an Internet-based social networking website for a first social network, comprising:
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(a) receiving registration information from a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; (c) receiving registration information from a plurality of hubs, wherein each of said plurality of hubs is assigned a designated page within the website, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other users of the first social network and to users of a second, different social network; (d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs; (e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said one of said plurality of hubs and, via said hub, to an individual of interest in one of said first social network and said second, different social network; and (f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein the individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users of said first social network. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium encoded in a computer having control logic stored therein for causing the computer to provide an Internet-based social networking website for a first social network, said control logic comprising:
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first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive registration information from a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to designate a plurality of hubs from among said plurality of users, wherein each of said plurality of hubs is assigned a designated page within the website, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other users of the first social network and to users of a second, different social network; fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of an individual of interest, wherein said search string comprises at least one of;
a first name;
a last name; and
a city;fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users via said hub to said individual of interest of one of said first social network and said second, different social network; and sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein said relationship path includes a link to at least one of said plurality of hubs; and wherein said individual of interest need not be one of said plurality of users of said first social network. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium encoded in a computer having control logic stored therein for causing the computer to provide an Internet-based social networking website for a first social network, said control logic comprising:
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first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive registration information from a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website; second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts; third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive registration information from a plurality of hubs, wherein each of said plurality of hubs is assigned a designated page within the website, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other users of the first social network and to users of a second, different social network; fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs; fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said one of said plurality of hubs and, via said hub, to an individual of interest in one of said first social network and said second, different social network; and sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users; wherein the individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users of said first social network. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification