Method and system for inter-social network communications

• US 9,094,359 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsen, Joseph M., Dunn, Zachary James
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US13/692,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Methods and systems for social media cooperation, via allowing inter-social network communications between users of different networks is provided. The inter-social network communications may be facilitated by sending inter-social network communications in a format determined by a protocol that is used by the social networks agreeing to allow inter-social network communications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a host system of a first social network, from a memory system of the host system, information about one or more features available for interacting with other social networks;

sending from the host system to a user system the information about the one or more features, the one or more features allowing a user to send messages to a second social network via the first social network;

receiving at the host system an indication that the user selected the one or more features, the selected one or more features having a source format;

converting at least a portion of the information related to the selected one or more features from the source format into a protocol format capable of being processed by each social network of a group of social networks comprising the first social network and the second social network;

requesting by the host system a validation from the second social network with respect to the protocol format;

receiving at the host system the validation, the validation indicating establishment of communications between the first social network and the second social network according to the protocol format; and

sending from the host system a message to the second social network with the information in the protocol format, the information in the protocol format requesting the second social network to determine tasks to perform in relation to the selected one or more features.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user system at the first social network information related to an intended recipient that is a member of the second social network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing information related to the intended recipient and the second social network in the memory system of the host system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving a message from the user system at the first social network that is intended to be sent to a different social network user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

placing the message into an agreed upon format established by the protocol format for receipt by a destination social network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

establishing communications by the first social network with the second social network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending a query, in the agreed upon format, from the first social network to the second social network to confirm whether the intended recipient is a member of the second social network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an identifier of a target recipient;

sending an identifier of a target social network; and

sending an indication of a type of the message.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending an identifier of a source sender; and

sending an identifier of a source social network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user system to update an interface to the first social network.

11. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configured to cause:

retrieving, by a host system of a first social network, from a memory system, information about one or more features available for interacting with other social networks;

sending from the host system to a user system the information about the one or more features, the one or more features allowing a user to send messages to a second social network, via the first social network;

receiving at the host system an indication that the user selected the one or more features, the selected one or more features having a source format;

converting at least a portion of the information related to the selected one or more features from the source format into a protocol format capable of being processed by each social network of a group of social networks comprising the first social network and the second social network;

requesting by the host system a validation from the second social network with respect to the protocol format;

receiving at the host system the validation, the validation indicating establishment of communications between the first social network and the second social network according to the protocol format; and

sending from the host system a message to the second social network with the information in the protocol format, the information in the protocol format requesting the second social network to determine tasks to perform in relation to the selected one or more features.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, the instructions further configured to cause:

if the second social network is approved, the first social network determining whether the user has an account at the first social network.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, the instructions further configured to cause:

if the user has an account, then the first social network sending an indication to the user system that the request was received.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, the instructions further configured to cause:

receiving at the first social network a communication from the user system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the instructions further configured to cause:

determining, by the first social network whether to accept the request, the determining being based on the communication received from the user system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions further configured to cause:

if the first social network decides not to accept the request, the first social network sending an indicator to the user system that the request was rejected, the indicator being in a format determined by the protocol format.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the instructions further configured to cause:

if the first social network decides to accept the request, the first social network sending an indicator to the user system that the request was accepted, the indicator being in a format determined by the protocol format.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the instructions further configured to cause:

the first social network storing an indicator that the request was accepted in the memory system of the host system.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, the instructions further configured to cause:

if the user does not have an account, then the first social network sending an indication that the user does not have an account to the second social network.

20. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors operable to cause;

retrieving, by a host system of a first social network, from a memory system, information about one or more features available for interacting with other social networks;

sending from the host system to a user system the information about the one or more features, the one or more features allowing a user to send messages to a second social network, via the first social network;

receiving at the host system an indication that the user selected the one or more features, the selected one or more features having a source format;

converting at least a portion of the information related to the selected one or more features from the source format into a protocol format capable of being processed by each social network of a group of social networks comprising the first social network and the second social network;

requesting by the host system a validation from the second social network with respect to the protocol format;

receiving at the host system the validation, the validation indicating establishment of communications between the first social network and the second social network according to the protocol format; and

sending from the host system a message to the second social network with the information in the protocol format, the information in the protocol format requesting the second social network to determine tasks to perform in relation to the selected one or more features.

21. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a host system of a first social network, from a memory system of the host system, information about one or more features available for interacting with other social networks;

sending from the host system to a user system the information about the one or more features, the one or more features allowing a user to send messages to a second social network via the first social network;

receiving at the host system an indication that the user selected the one or more features, the selected one or more features having a source format;

converting at least a portion of the information related to the selected one or more features from the source format into a protocol format capable of being processed by each social network of a group of social networks comprising the first social network and the second social network;

requesting by the host system a validation from the second social network with respect to the protocol format;

receiving at the host system the validation, the validation indicating establishment of communications between the first social network and the second social network according to the protocol format;

sending from the host system a message to the second social network with the information in the protocol format, the information in the protocol format requesting the second social network to determine tasks to perform in relation to the selected one or more features;

parsing the message by the first social network to identify one or more message features;

determining, based on the one or more message features, a recipient user of the first social network; and

posting said message to a communications medium accessible by the recipient user.