Collections of linked databases

• US 8,880,521 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3degrees LLC
• Original Assignee: 3degrees LLC
• Inventors: Markus, Michael J., McGuire, Heather A., Kionga-Kamau, Peter M., Smith, Brian N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUELLER, KURT A
• Application Number:
  US11/686,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,791 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/734
• US Class Current: 707/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

This invention is generally directed to one or more methods or systems relating to collections of linked databases. This invention is further directed to methods and systems for conducting social-network analysis. Still further, this invention is generally directed to one or more systems or methods relating to personal communication networks and the analysis of personal-communication-network data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for searching and establishing a social-network path, the method comprising:

receiving a search term from a first person being a search initiator;

conducting a first search for the received search term with an internet or intranet search engine;

receiving results of the first search;

based on the received search results of the first search, conducting a second search of a social network to identify a node in a social network that represents a second person associated with a document listed among the received of the first search;

identifying an existing social-network path in the social network from a node in the social network that represents the search initiator to the identified node;

displaying the identified social-network path-combination with a link that leads directly to the document; and

wherein each link of the social network is identified with a communication context, and wherein said method further includes;

receiving with the search term a communication context associated with the search term; and

limiting the second search to portions of the social network connected to the node by links identified with the communication context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second person is associated with the document by being identified in the document or by being the author of the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is an internet website outside of any database stored on the social network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying members of the search initiator'"'"'s personal communication network; and

limiting the first search to documents that are related to the identified members.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the received search results of the first search to filter out results that do not identify a member of the social network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search encompasses all documents available for searching by the search engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network is a product of an invitation-and-acceptance process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the link that leads directly to the document and viewing the entire document.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is any piece of content.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the search term is entered into an input box displayed to the search initiator.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the social network includes a set of nodes connected by links, the nodes corresponding to members of the social network.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identified path is fully displayed with all of nodes and links of the identified path individually displayed.

9. A method for searching and establishing a social-network path, the method comprising:

receiving a search term and an associated communication context for conducting a search from a first person being a search initiator;

receiving a selection of an anchor database corresponding to a member of the-a social network from the search initiator;

conducting a search for the search term;

receiving results of the search;

filtering the search results of the search using the anchor database, to obtain filtered that include an electronic document associated with a second person linked in the social network to the member, wherein each link of the social network is labeled with a communication context to which the anchor database corresponds;

establishing a social-network path in the social network from the search initiator to the second person, the social-network path established based on the filtered search results, and the social-network path limited to links labeled with the associated communication context;

displaying the filtered results by showing the social-network path in combination with a link that leads directly to the electronic document, wherein the social-network path is fully displayed with all of nodes and links of the social-network path individually displayed; and

wherein each link of the social network is identified with a communication context, and wherein said method further includes;

receiving with the search term a communication context associated with the search term; and

limiting the second search to portions of the social network connected to the node by links identified with the communication context.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic document is related to the anchor database through a similarity correlation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the filtering includes removing results that do not contain information relating to the anchor database.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information relating to the anchor database includes first degree contacts of the anchor database.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the anchor database corresponds to a member of the social network.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a website; and

filtering the results to return results that are associated with the website, and other electronic documents or websites linked to the website.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the search is initiated from an electronic window that displays a social-network profile, wherein the search term has at least a portion of the name of the person represented by the social-network profile.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic document is an internet website outside of any database stored on the social network.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the filtered results are displayed by using a first portion of a visual display screen that shows results of a social network search and using a second portion of the visual display screen that shows results of a website search.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

making a record that the search term and the anchor database were used in combination to perform the search.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using the record to qualify the member as an opinion leader, as most likely to have information on a topic relative to other members of the social network, or as more likely than not to have information on a topic relative to other members of the social network.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the document is any piece of content.

23. The method of claim 9, further including:

receiving the search term from an input box displayed to the search initiator;

wherein the social-network path existed in the social network prior to the establishing;

wherein the social-network path is specific to a context relating to the search term.

26. The method of claim 9, wherein the social network includes a set of nodes connected by links, the nodes corresponding to members of the social network.