Affinity list generation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing an affinity list for a user comprising:
- obtaining, by a communication terminal comprising a processor, affinity data associated with each of a plurality of communication events wherein each communication event involves the user and at least one contact, wherein one of the plurality of communication events is one of a group consisting of a telephony call, a conference call, an instant message, an email, a social network interaction, a web site visitation, and a virtual world interaction;
generating, by the communication terminal, an affinity list that provides a ranked list of a plurality of contacts based on the affinity data and at least one ranking criterion, comprising;
generating a communication event score for each communication event based on any affinity data for the communication event and the at least one ranking criterion, wherein the communication event score is a function of a weighting associated with one of a nature, a type, a time, or a date of the communication event;
generating contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts based on communication event scores associated with each of the plurality of contacts, wherein at least one of the contact scores for a first contact of the plurality of contacts is based on a plurality of communication event scores associated with a plurality of communication events involving the first contact; and
ranking the plurality of contacts for the affinity list based on the contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts; and
displaying, by the communication terminal, the affinity list to the user.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to analyzing communications involving a given user and determining a ranked list of the most relevant contacts for the user based on the analysis. As subsequent communications are analyzed, the list may be updated in a systematic fashion to provide a dynamic and up-to-date ranking of the most relevant contacts for the user at any given time. By having access to an up-to-date, ranked list of their most relevant contacts, the user can more readily initiate communications with others and avoid searching or sorting through more traditional contact listings.
8 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of providing an affinity list for a user comprising:
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obtaining, by a communication terminal comprising a processor, affinity data associated with each of a plurality of communication events wherein each communication event involves the user and at least one contact, wherein one of the plurality of communication events is one of a group consisting of a telephony call, a conference call, an instant message, an email, a social network interaction, a web site visitation, and a virtual world interaction; generating, by the communication terminal, an affinity list that provides a ranked list of a plurality of contacts based on the affinity data and at least one ranking criterion, comprising; generating a communication event score for each communication event based on any affinity data for the communication event and the at least one ranking criterion, wherein the communication event score is a function of a weighting associated with one of a nature, a type, a time, or a date of the communication event; generating contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts based on communication event scores associated with each of the plurality of contacts, wherein at least one of the contact scores for a first contact of the plurality of contacts is based on a plurality of communication event scores associated with a plurality of communication events involving the first contact; and ranking the plurality of contacts for the affinity list based on the contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts; and displaying, by the communication terminal, the affinity list to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for providing an affinity list for a user comprising:
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at least one communication interface; and a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to; obtain affinity data associated with each of a plurality of communication events wherein each communication event involves the user and at least one contact, wherein one of the plurality of communication events is one of a group consisting of a telephony call, a conference call, an instant message, an email, a social network interaction, a web site visitation, and a virtual world interaction; generate an affinity list that provides a ranked list of a plurality of contacts based on the affinity data and at least one ranking criterion by; generating a communication event score for each communication event based on any affinity data for the communication event and the at least one ranking criterion, wherein the communication event score is a function of a weighting associated with one of a nature, a type, a time, or a date of the communication event; generating contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts based on communication event scores associated with each of the plurality of contacts, wherein at least one of the contact scores for a first contact of the plurality of contacts is based on a plurality of communication event scores associated with a plurality of communication events involving the first contact; and ranking the plurality of contacts for the affinity list based on the contact scores for each of the plurality of contacts; and provide the affinity list to the user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of providing an affinity list for a user, comprising:
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obtaining, by a device comprising a processor, affinity data associated with each of a plurality of communication events wherein each communication event involves the user and at least one of a plurality of contacts, wherein one of the plurality of communication events is one of a group consisting of a telephony call, a conference call, an instant message, an email, a social network interaction, a web site visitation, and a virtual world interaction; generating, by the device, an affinity list that provides a ranked list of one or more of the plurality of contacts ranked based on a contact score derived from the affinity data associated with a corresponding contact from the plurality of contacts and at least one ranking criterion for weighting the communication events from the plurality of communication events associated with the corresponding contact, the weighting based on corresponding communication event scores derived for the plurality of communication events, wherein each communication event score is a function of a weighting associated with one of a nature, a type, a time, or a date of a corresponding communication event, wherein at least one contact score for a first contact of the plurality of contacts is based on a plurality of communication event scores associated with a plurality of communication events involving the first contact; and providing the affinity list to the user. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification