Systems and methods for integrating information from voice over internet protocol systems and social networking systems

• US 9,203,969 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vonage America LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Vonage Network LLC (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Langos, Geoffrey, Efrati, Tzahi, Sterman, Baruch
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andrews, Hoyet H
• Application Number:
  US13/242,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20120099484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/555 Statistics, e.g. about subscribers but not being call statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods of recommending that two people form a link on a social networking system use information drawn from contact lists or address books that are maintained by a social networking system for the two people. The information drawn from the contact lists is compared to information in a cross-reference database maintained by a telephony system to obtain alternate identifiers for the individuals and businesses listed in the contact lists and address books maintained by the social networking system. If some of these alternate identifiers match between the two people, there is a chance that the two people are acquainted, or at least are acquainted with the same people. In that instance, a recommendation that they form a link on the social networking system is issued to one or both parties.

Claims

1. A method, implemented via at least one information processing apparatus having one or more processors, and for recommending that a first member of a social networking system establish a link with a second member of the social networking system, the method comprising:

reviewing information appearing in a first list maintained for the first member on the social networking system and creating a first list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list;

reviewing information appearing in a second list maintained for the second member on the social networking system to create a second list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list;

consulting an identifier cross-reference database maintained by a telephony system, using the identifiers from the first list, to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list;

consulting the identifier cross-reference database maintained by the telephony system, using the identifiers from the second list, to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list; and

recommending, via the one or more processors, that the first member establish a link with the second member on the social networking system if any of the identifiers on the first list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list match any of the identifiers on the second list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list,

the first member and the second member are recommended to establish a link with each other when the first member and the second member communicate with at least one individual in common between the first member and the second member, the recommendation being made based on a common identifier revealed between the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the identifier cross-reference database, at least in part, using information obtained from records of communications sent from the first and second members and received by the first and second members through the telephony system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers on the first and second lists are telephone numbers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are also telephone numbers.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are a type of identifier other than telephone numbers.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are e-mail addresses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers on the first and second lists are e-mail addresses.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are a type of identifier other than e-mail addresses.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are telephone numbers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are recommended to establish a link with each other when the first and second members have a minimum number of common identifiers revealed between the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list.

11. A system for recommending that a first member of a social networking system establish a link with a second member of the social networking system, comprising:

a reviewing unit that reviews information appearing in a first list maintained for the first member on the social networking system and that creates a first list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list, wherein the reviewing unit also reviews information appearing in a second list maintained for the second member on the social networking system and that creates a second list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list;

a consulting unit that consults an identifier cross-reference database maintained by a telephony system, using the identifiers from the first list, to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list, wherein the consulting unit also consults the identifier cross-reference database using the identifiers from the second list to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list; and

a link recommendation unit that recommends that the first member establish a link with the second member on the social networking system if any of the identifiers on the first list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list match any of the identifiers on the second list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list,

the first member and the second member are recommended to establish a link with each other when the first member and the second member communicate with at least one individual in common between the first member and the second member, the recommendation being made based on a common identifier revealed between the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an identifier cross-reference database that is created, at least in part, using information obtained from records of communications sent by the first and second members and received by the first and second members through the telephony system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifiers on the first and second lists are telephone numbers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are also telephone numbers.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are a type of identifier other than telephone numbers.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are e-mail addresses.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the identifiers on the first and second lists are e-mail addresses.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are a type of identifier other than e-mail addresses.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list are telephone numbers.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executed by a computer of an information processing system, the program, when executed, causing the computer to:

review information appearing in a first list maintained for the first member on the social networking system and creating a first list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list;

review information appearing in a second list maintained for the second member on the social networking system to create a second list of identifiers associated with contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list;

consult an identifier cross-reference database maintained by a telephony system, using the identifiers from the first list, to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list;

consult the identifier cross-reference database maintained by the telephony system, using the identifiers from the second list, to identify additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list; and

recommend that the first member establish a link with the second member on the social networking system if any of the identifiers on the first list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list match any of the identifiers on the second list or any of the additional identifiers associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list,

the first member and the second member are recommended to establish a link with each other when the first member and the second member communicate with at least one individual in common between the first member and the second member, the recommendation being made based on a common identifier revealed between the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the first member'"'"'s list and the additional identifiers that are associated with the contacts appearing in the second member'"'"'s list.