Methods and systems for creating monetary accounts for members in a social network

• US 9,189,820 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Sitaram
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Teshome
• Application Number:
  US14/460,323
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 713/169, 705/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods of creating monetary accounts for members in a social network. One aspect of one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving transaction data associated with at least one member of a social network, associating a first member of the social network with a trust factor, associating a second member of the social network with another trust factor, and determining whether to create an account between the first member and second member, based at least in part on the trust factor of the first member and the trust factor of the second member. Another aspect of one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving transaction data from a plurality of members of a social network, wherein each member has an associated trust factor, and resolving the transaction data based at least in part on the trust factors associated with the plurality of members.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for resolving transaction data on a social network, the method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, transaction data associated with a first member and a second member of the social network, the transaction data includes an amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for an activity;

retrieving, with the one or more processors, account information associated with a profile of the second member of the social network, the account information includes data describing transactions between the second member and other members of the social network;

determining, with the one or more processors, whether the first member and the second member have transacted with each other at a prior time;

generating, with the one or more processors, a trust factor associated with the second member based at least on the account information and transactions performed between the first member and the second member at the prior time;

responsive to the trust factor of the second member satisfying a predetermined rating, creating, with the one or more processors, a first monetary account associated with the social network between the first member and the second member, the first monetary account includes payment data associated with the activity for the second member; and

resolving, with the one or more processors, the transaction data including the amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for the activity using the first monetary account.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, with the one or more processors, a first trust factor for the first member based on determining that the first member has transacted with the second member at the prior time; and

wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on the first trust factor and the second trust factor exceeding a threshold.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on a number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on an age of the number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining to create the first monetary account, receiving, with the one or more processors, transaction data that includes how a payment should be divided between the first member and the second member.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining to create the first monetary account, receiving, with the one or more processors, a payment entry associated with the activity from the first member on behalf of the first member and the second member;

determining, with the one or more processors, that the second member owes the first member an owing entry instead of requesting payment; and

storing, with the one or more processors, the owing entry in the first monetary account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activity is a shared activity outside of the social network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first monetary account is created between communities of users and wherein the first member is part of a first community of users and the second member is part of a second community of users.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the social relationship between the first profile and the second profile is a friendship association on the social network.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving transaction data associated with a first member and a second member of a social network, the transaction data includes an amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for an activity;

retrieving account information associated with a profile of the second member of the social network, the account information includes data describing transactions between the second member and other members of the social network;

determining whether the first member and the second member have transacted with each other at a prior time;

generating a trust factor associated with the second member based at least on the account information and transactions performed between the first member and the second member at the prior time;

responsive to the trust factor of the second member satisfying a predetermined rating, creating a first monetary account associated with the social network between the first member and the second member, the first monetary account includes payment data associated with the activity for the second member; and

resolving the transaction data including the amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for the activity using the first monetary account.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to perform operations comprising:

generating a first trust factor for the first member based on determining that the first member has transacted with the second member at the prior time; and

wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on the first trust factor and the second trust factor exceeding a threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on a number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on an age of the number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to perform operations comprising:

responsive to determining to create the first monetary account, receiving transaction data that includes how a payment should be divided between the first member and the second member.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to perform operations comprising:

responsive to determining to create the first monetary account, receiving a payment entry associated with the activity from the first member on behalf of the first member and the second member;

determining that the second member owes the first member an owing entry instead of requesting payment; and

storing the owing entry in the first monetary account.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed causes a computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving transaction data associated with a first member and a second member of a social network, the transaction data includes an amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for an activity;

retrieving account information associated with a profile of the second member of the social network, the account information includes data describing transactions between the second member and other members of the social network;

determining whether the first member and the second member have transacted with each other at a prior time;

generating a trust factor associated with the second member based at least on the account information and transactions performed between the first member and the second member at the prior time;

responsive to the trust factor of the second member satisfying a predetermined rating, creating a first monetary account associated with the social network between the first member and the second member, the first monetary account includes payment data associated with the activity for the second member; and

resolving the transaction data including the amount paid by the first member on behalf of the second member for the activity using the first monetary account.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed further causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

generating a first trust factor for the first member based on determining that the first member has transacted with the second member at the prior time;

wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on the first trust factor and the second trust factor exceeding a threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on a number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining to create the first monetary account between the first member and the second member is further based on an age of the number of second monetary accounts that the first member and the second member each has in association with other members of the social network.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program when executed further causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

responsive to determining to create the first monetary account, receiving transaction data that includes how a payment should be divided between the first member and the second member.