User interface for displaying user affinity graphically

• US 9,071,509 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• 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): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US13/887,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

In an example embodiment, logical relationship information describing logical relationships between a first user and other users is recorded, the logical relationship information associated with a social networking service. Then affinity levels for each of the logical relationships between the first user and the other users are calculated. One or more of the logical relationships between the first user and one or more of the other users are displayed in a user interface, wherein the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships is represented graphically in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

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

measuring affinity levels for each of the logical relationships between the first user and the other users, wherein each affinity level indicates a connection strength of a connection between the first user and another user; and

displaying one or more of the logical relationships between the first user and one or more of the other users in a user interface, wherein the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships is represented graphically in the user interface, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a brightness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the brighter the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level and wherein the graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships is a photograph of each of the other users logically connected to the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering color content of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the higher the color content of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering sharpness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the sharper the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a size of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the larger the size of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical relationships are displayed as photos in a ribbon, each photo representing a member of a logical group.

6. 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 measure affinity levels for each of the logical relationships between the first user and the other users, wherein each affinity level indicates a connection strength of a connection between the first user and another user; and

an interface module configured to display one or more of the logical relationships between the first user and one or more of the other users in a user interface, wherein the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships is represented graphically in the user interface, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a brightness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the brighter the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level and wherein the graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships is a photograph of each of the other users logically connected to the first user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering color content of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that higher the color content of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering sharpness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the sharper the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a size of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the larger the size of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the logical relationships are displayed as photos in a ribbon, each photo representing a member of a logical group.

11. 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;

measuring affinity levels for each of the logical relationships between the first user and the other users, wherein each affinity level indicates a connection strength of a connection between the first user and another user; and

displaying one or more of the logical relationships between the first user and one or more of the other users in a user interface, wherein the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships is represented graphically in the user interface, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a brightness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the brighter the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level and wherein the graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships is a photograph of each of the other users logically connected to the first user.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering color content of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that higher the color content of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering sharpness of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the sharper the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein representing graphically the affinity level for each of the one or more logical relationships includes altering a size of a graphical element representing each of the one or more logical relationships such that the larger the size of the graphical element, the stronger the affinity level.