Facilitating user relationships to organizations in a social graph
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- allowing a user to select a first organization tracked by a system for social networking, wherein the system comprises a social graph including;
a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system;
a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by users of the system;
a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and
a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by users of the system;
using at least one electronic processor, maintaining the social graph comprising;
allowing a plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided nodes and system-provided edges include information gathered by the system;
allowing a plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by users of the system;
disallowing a plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and
disallowing a plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges;
representing the user as a first ghost node of the social graph, wherein the first ghost node and any ghost edges coupled to first ghost node are visible to the user and not to other users;
allowing the user to specify a relationship to the first organization tracked by the system;
coupling in the social graph the first ghost node with the first organization in the social graph based on the relationship specified by the user;
aggregating a list of persons connected to the first organization in the system, wherein each person of the list of persons are not directly coupled to the user in the system;
formatting the list of persons according to a strength of each person in the list of persons with the user; and
displaying the formatted list of persons.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An on-line system utilizing a social graph allows users to establish an account with the system and establish connections to nodes in the system. The social graph uses system-provided nodes that are created and maintained by the system, so that users cannot edit the system-provided nodes. The system aggregates and analyzes the social graph to present information in ways useful to its users. For example, the system generates a listing of persons and information about persons related to an organization.
15 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
allowing a user to select a first organization tracked by a system for social networking, wherein the system comprises a social graph including; a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system; a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by users of the system; a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by users of the system; using at least one electronic processor, maintaining the social graph comprising; allowing a plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided nodes and system-provided edges include information gathered by the system; allowing a plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by users of the system; disallowing a plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and disallowing a plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges; representing the user as a first ghost node of the social graph, wherein the first ghost node and any ghost edges coupled to first ghost node are visible to the user and not to other users; allowing the user to specify a relationship to the first organization tracked by the system; coupling in the social graph the first ghost node with the first organization in the social graph based on the relationship specified by the user; aggregating a list of persons connected to the first organization in the system, wherein each person of the list of persons are not directly coupled to the user in the system; formatting the list of persons according to a strength of each person in the list of persons with the user; and displaying the formatted list of persons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method comprising:
-
allowing a user to select a first organization tracked by a system, wherein the system comprises a social graph including; a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system; a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by users of the system; a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by users of the system; allowing each ghost node and any ghost edge directly coupled to that ghost node to be visible to the user and not to others users of the system; using at least one electronic processor, maintaining the social graph comprising; allowing a plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided nodes and system-provided edges include information gathered by the system; allowing a plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by users of the system; disallowing a plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and disallowing a plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges; representing the user as a first ghost node of the social graph; allowing the user to specify a relationship to the first organization tracked by the system; coupling in the social graph the first ghost node with the first organization in the social graph based on the relationship specified by the user; aggregating a list of persons connected to the first organization in the system wherein each person of the list of persons are not directly coupled to the user in the system; formatting the list of persons according to a strength of each person in the list of persons with the user, wherein the strength of each person in the list of persons with the user is based on a plurality of categories of strength; and displaying the formatted list of persons. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method comprising:
-
allowing a user to select a first organization tracked by a system; aggregating a list of persons connected to the first organization in the system, wherein each person of the list of persons are not directly coupled to the user in the system comprises a social graph including; a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system; a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by users of the system; a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by users of the system; representing the user as a first ghost node, wherein the first ghost node and any ghost edges coupled to first ghost node are visible to the user and not to other users; using at least one electronic processor, maintaining the social graph comprising; allowing a plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided nodes and system-provided edges include information gathered by the system; allowing a plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by users of the system; disallowing a plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and disallowing a plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges; representing the user as a first ghost node of the social graph; allowing the user to specify a relationship to the first organization tracked by the system; coupling in the social graph the first ghost node with the first organization in the social graph based on the relationship specified by the user; sorting the list of persons according to a strength of each person in the list of persons with the user; and displaying the sorted list of persons. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification