Identifying and employing social network relationships
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first network controlled by a first entity, comprising:
- ascertaining an identity of the first user with reference to a first data source associated with the first network and under control of the first entity, and at least one external data source outside of the first network and not under control of the first entity, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other networks, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source;
accessing the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the external data sources;
identifying a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user with reference to the first data source, the at least one external data source, and the identity of the first user, a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source;
aggregating vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first network and the one or more other networks, wherein aggregating vitality events includes aggregating the vitality events from inside the first network and inside the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks, thereby aggregating the vitality events for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts across the multiple social networks;
wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first network and the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for detecting social relationships across multiple networks and/or communication channels. These social relationships may then be utilized in a wide variety of ways to support and enhance a broad range of user services.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first network controlled by a first entity, comprising:
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ascertaining an identity of the first user with reference to a first data source associated with the first network and under control of the first entity, and at least one external data source outside of the first network and not under control of the first entity, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other networks, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source; accessing the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the external data sources; identifying a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user with reference to the first data source, the at least one external data source, and the identity of the first user, a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source; aggregating vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first network and the one or more other networks, wherein aggregating vitality events includes aggregating the vitality events from inside the first network and inside the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks, thereby aggregating the vitality events for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts across the multiple social networks; wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first network and the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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12. A system for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first network controlled by a first entity, comprising at least one computing device configured to:
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ascertaining an identity of the first user with reference to a first data source associated with the first network and under control of the first entity, and at least one external data source outside of the first network and not under control of the first entity, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other networks, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks contexts are each associated with a different network of which the first user is a member, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source; access the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the external data sources; identify a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user with reference to the first data source, the at least one external data source, and the identity of the first user, a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source; and aggregating vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first network and the one or more other networks, wherein aggregating vitality events includes aggregating the vitality events from inside the first network and inside the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks, thereby aggregating the vitality events for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts across the multiple social networks; wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first network and the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (26, 39, 40)
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13. A computer program product for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first network controlled by a first entity, comprising at least one computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein configured to cause at least one computing device to:
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ascertain an identity of the first user with reference to a first data source associated with the first network and under control of the first entity, and at least one external data source outside of the first network and not under control of the first entity, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other networks, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source; access the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the external data sources; identify a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user with reference to the first data source, the at least one external data source, and the identity of the first user, a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source; and aggregate vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first network and the one or more other networks, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks, thereby aggregating the vitality events for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts across the multiple social networks; wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first network and the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts.
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14. A computer-implemented method for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first network controlled by a first entity, comprising presenting to the first user a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user, the plurality of contacts having been determined with reference to a first data source associated with the first network and under control of the first entity, at least one external data source outside of the first network and not under control of the first entity, and an identity of the first user, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source, the identity having been determined with reference to the first data source and the at least one external data source,
a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source, wherein the plurality of contacts is presented in accordance with a relevancy measure associated with each of the contacts which represents a relevance of the relationship between the first user and the associated contact, the relevancy measure for each contact having been determined with reference to one or more of the first data source or the at least one external data source, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other networks, the method further comprising presenting to the first user aggregations of vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first network and the one or more other networks, the aggregations having been determined at least in part by accessing the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, wherein the first user is a member of the first network and the one or more other networks, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the multiple social networks; wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first network and the one or more other networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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34. A system for identifying social relationships for a first user operating in a first social network controlled by a first entity, comprising:
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means for ascertaining an identity of the first user with reference to a first data source associated with the first social network and under control of the first entity, and at least one external data source outside of the first social network and not under control of the first entity, wherein the at least one external data source are within one or more other social networks, wherein each external data source employs a permissioning model for controlling access to information associated with the external data source; means for accessing the information associated with the at least one external data source according to the corresponding permissioning model, thereby aggregating the permissioning models associated with the external data sources; means for identifying a plurality of contacts having a relationship with the first user with reference to the first data source, the at least one external data source, and the identity of the first user, a first subset of the contacts not being identifiable from the first data source; and means for aggregating vitality events from inside multiple social networks for particular ones of the plurality of contacts, the multiple social networks including the first social network and the one or more other social networks, wherein the vitality events indicate the nature and/or content of online activities inside the first social network and the one or more other social networks for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts; wherein the first user is a member of the first social network and the other social networks, thereby aggregating the vitality events for the particular ones of the plurality of contacts across the multiple social networks. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification