Social network site including invitation functionality

• US 9,177,294 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chijiiwa, Ryo, Truong, Vu Hao Thi, Aldrich, William Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Jahangir
• Application Number:
  US11/853,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,975 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A social network site with enhanced user interaction functionality. In one implementation, a method includes receiving an invite request from an inviting user, wherein the invite request comprises identifying information associated with an invited user; generating a new account for the invited user; allowing the inviting user to create and customize a proposed personal page for the invited user; transmitting to the invited user an invitation and a link to the proposed personal page; and conditionally receiving a response from the invited user, wherein the response indicates if the invited user has accepted the personal page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a social network site executing on a computing device, an invite request from an inviting user, wherein the invite request comprises identifying information associated with an invited user;

generating, by the social network site, a new account for the invited user;

allowing the inviting user to create and customize a proposed personal page open to others and a proposed profile in the social network site for the invited user;

transmitting, by the social network site to the invited user, an invitation and a link that is selectable to direct the invited user to the proposed personal page;

receiving, by the social network site, edits from other users in the social network site to the proposed personal page;

modifying, by the social network site, information on the proposed personal page in response to the received edits;

communicating, to the invited user by the social network site, a link to the proposed personal page with the proposed profile, the link providing access to an input by which the invited user can accept or reject the personal page;

displaying, by the social network site, a revision history list of the edits to the proposed personal page, the list comprising an input area by which to accept or reject selective or all of the edits;

updating, by the social network site, the proposed personal page to reflect the edits in response to the user accepting the edits; and

receiving, by the social network site, a response from the invited user, wherein the response indicates if the invited user has accepted the personal page and the proposed profile.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the proposed personal page in response to requests from users associated with the inviting user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the modifying comprises changing user profile information of the invited user.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the modifying comprises adding modules to the proposed personal page.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the proposed personal page in response to requests from other users associated with the inviting user, wherein the other users are contacts of the inviting user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the proposed personal page in response to requests from other users associated with the inviting user, wherein the other users are trusted contacts of the inviting user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing users associated with the inviting user to modify the proposed personal page before the invited user claims the personal page.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a revision history that allows the invited user to selectively drop changes to the personal page made by various users.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising overriding default permission requirements in order to allow the invited user to view the proposed personal page even if the invited user does not currently have a user account with the social network site.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

one or more processors;

logic encoded in one or more storage device for execution and when executed configured to cause the one or more processors to;

receive an invite request from an inviting user for a social network site, wherein the invite request comprises identifying information associated with an invited user;

generate a new account for the invited user;

allow the inviting user to create and customize a proposed personal page open to others and a proposed profile in the social network site for the invited user;

transmit to the invited user an invitation and a link that is selectable to direct the invited user to the proposed personal page;

receive edits from other users in the social network site to the proposed personal page;

modify information on the proposed personal page;

communicate, to the invited user, a link to the proposed personal page with the proposed profile, the link providing access to an input by which the invited user can accept or reject the personal page;

display a revision history list of the edits to the proposed personal page, the list comprising an input area by which to accept or reject selective or all of the edits;

update the proposed personal page to reflect the edits in response to the user accepting the edits; and

receive a response from the invited user, wherein the response indicates if the invited user has accepted the personal page and the proposed profile.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to modify the proposed personal page in response to requests from users associated with the inviting user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein modifications comprise changing user profile information of the invited user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein modifications comprise adding modules to the proposed personal page.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to modify the proposed personal page in response to requests from other users associated with the inviting user, wherein the other users are contacts of the inviting user.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to modify the proposed personal page in response to requests from other users associated with the inviting user, wherein the other users are trusted contacts of the inviting user.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to allow users associated with the inviting user to modify the proposed personal page before the invited user claims the personal page.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to provide a revision history that allows the invited user to selectively drop changes to the personal page made by various users.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the logic is further configured to cause the one or more processors to override default permission requirements in order to allow the invited user to view the proposed personal page even if the invited user does not currently have a user account with the social network site.