Forming content distribution group based on prior communications

• US 8,954,506 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mallet, Vincent, Cheng, Jessica, Fiedel, Noah, Gillum, Eric William, Ramanarayanan, Ganesh, Woods, Nicholas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/034,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 715/800, 706/46, 370/328, 705/27.1, 707/736
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 : Version management

Abstract

Systems and methods for the forming of user device groups are presented. In one example, logical relationship information between a first user and other users are recorded. Communications between the first users and other users are monitored, and content is received from the first user, the content having associated metadata. A first group to add the first user to is determined based on the logical relationship information, the communications, the content, and the metadata.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

recording logical relationship information, the logical relationship information describing logical relationships between a first user and other users, the logical relationship information associated with a social networking site;

monitoring how many communications occur between the first user and the other users;

receiving content from the first user, the content having been generated in the first user device;

receiving metadata from the first user device, the metadata corresponding to the received content, the metadata including information about the first user device when the content was generated;

determining, at a server using at least one processor, a first user group in which to add the first user based on the logical relationship information, the monitored communications, the content, and the metadata, the first user group having a plurality of users;

adding the first user to the first user group; and

transmitting the received content to the plurality of users in the first user group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes information indicating the physical location of the first user device when the content was generated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes environmental information of the first user device when the content was generated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting further comprises storing the content and corresponding metadata as a child data structure of a group data structure associated with the first user group, the group data structure containing other child data structures having content posted by other members of the first user group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical relationship information includes proximity information regarding the first user device at the time the content was generated and other user devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical relationship information includes proximity information regarding the first user device at the time the content was generated and a preset physical location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is generated by a camera on the first user device,

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is generated via character input on the first user device.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

data storage comprising modules including instructions to be executed by the at least one processor, the modules comprising;

an interaction recording module configured to record logical relationship information, the logical relationship information describing logical relationships between a first user and other users, the logical relationship information associated with a social networking site, and to monitor how many communications occur between the first user and the other users;

an interface module configured to receive content from the first user, the content having been generated in the first user device, and to receive metadata from the first user device, the metadata corresponding to the received content, the metadata including information about the first user device when the content was generated;

a group ranker module configured to determine the a first user group to which to add the first user based on the logical relationship information, the monitored communications, the content, and the metadata, the first user group having a plurality of users; and

a push module configured to transmit the received content to the plurality of users in the first user group.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the metadata includes information indicating the physical location of the first user device when the content was generated.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the metadata includes environmental information of the first user device when the content was generated.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the transmitting further comprises storing the content and corresponding metadata as a child data structure of a group data structure associated with the first user group, the group data structure containing other child data structures having content posted by other members of the first user group.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the logical relationship information includes proximity information regarding the first user device at the time the content was generated and other user devices.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the logical relationship information includes proximity information regarding the first user device at the time the content was generated and a preset physical location.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the content is generated by a camera on the first user device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the content is generated via character input on the first user device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

recording logical relationship information, the logical relationship information describing logical relationships between a first user and other users, the logical relationship information associated with a social networking site;

monitoring how many communications occur between the first user and the other users;

receiving content from the first user, the content having been generated in the first user device;

receiving metadata from the first user device, the metadata corresponding to the received content, the metadata including information about the first user device when the content was generated;

determining, at a server using at least one processor, the a first user group in which to add the first user based on the logical relationship information, the monitored communications, the content, and the metadata, the first user group having a plurality of users;

adding the first user to the first user group; and

transmitting the received content to the plurality of users in the first user group.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the metadata includes information indicating the physical location of the first user device when the content was generated.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the metadata includes environmental information of the first user device when the content was generated.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the transmitting further comprises storing the content and corresponding metadata as a child data structure of a group data structure associated with the first user group, the group data structure containing other child data structures having content posted by other members of the first user group.