Systems and methods for enabling users of social-networking applications to interact using virtual personas

• US 9,321,969 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Newstadt, Keith, Gibson, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Houlihan, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/645,258
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/08 with moving catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/086 Characterised by the catalyst used
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for enabling users of social-networking applications to interact using virtual personas may include (1) creating a social-networking identity associated with a user of a social-networking application, (2) creating a plurality of virtual personas that represent different real-life roles of the user as part of the user'"'"'s social-networking identity, (3) receiving a request to perform at least one networking action that implicates at least one of the user'"'"'s virtual personas, and then (4) directing the social-networking application to perform the networking action such that the networking action implicates the user'"'"'s virtual persona without implicating the user'"'"'s entire social-networking identity. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling users of social-networking applications to interact using virtual personas, at least a portion of the method being performed by at least one physical computing device comprising at least one hardware processor, the method comprising:

creating, by the physical computing device, a social-networking identity associated with a user of a social-networking application;

creating, by the physical computing device and as part of the user'"'"'s social-networking identity, a plurality of virtual personas that represent different real-life roles of the user, the plurality of virtual personas comprising;

a first virtual persona of the user;

a second virtual persona of the user;

after creating the user'"'"'s virtual personas, receiving a request at the physical computing device to establish a social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and another user of the social-networking application;

in response to receiving the request, directing the social-networking application by the physical computing device to establish the social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the second virtual persona and the other user;

defining, by the physical computing device and based at least in part on input from the user of the social-networking application, a first geo-location associated with the first virtual persona and a second geo-location associated with the second virtual persona;

upon defining the first and second geo-locations;

enabling the user to share, under the first virtual persona, at least one content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location;

preventing the user from sharing, under the second virtual persona, the content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location due at least in part to the first geo-location being associated with the first virtual persona and not being associated with the second virtual persona;

associating at least one photograph previously shared via the social-networking application with the first virtual persona by;

enabling the user to assume the first virtual persona within the social-networking application;

after the user has assumed the first virtual persona;

identifying a tag request submitted by the user to tag the user in the photograph previously shared via the social-networking application;

ensuring that the user'"'"'s tag in the photograph is associated with the first virtual persona and not associated with the second virtual persona due at least in part to the user having assumed the first virtual persona prior to submitting the tag request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of virtual personas comprise virtual personas that represent at least one of:

the user'"'"'s role as an employee;

the user'"'"'s role as a professional;

the user'"'"'s role as a colleague;

the user'"'"'s role as a relative;

the user'"'"'s role as a parent;

the user'"'"'s role as a child;

the user'"'"'s role as a friend;

the user'"'"'s role as an acquaintance;

the user'"'"'s role as a church member;

the user'"'"'s role as a student;

the user'"'"'s role as a job seeker;

the user'"'"'s role as a romantic-relationship seeker;

the user'"'"'s role as an online social-group moderator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the user'"'"'s virtual personas comprises defining at least one of the user'"'"'s virtual personas by:

identifying a set of content instances associated with the user'"'"'s social-networking identity;

associating at least one of the content instances with the one of the user'"'"'s virtual personas.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, upon establishing the social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and the other user:

providing the other user with access to at least one content instance associated with the first virtual persona;

denying the other user access to at least one other content instance associated with the user'"'"'s social-networking identity but not associated with the first virtual persona.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to establish the social-networking relationship comprises at least one of:

receiving the request to establish the social-networking relationship from the user of the social-networking application;

receiving the request to establish the social-networking relationship from the other user of the social-networking application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the request to establish the social-networking relationship from the other user of the social-networking application comprises:

in response to receiving the other user'"'"'s request, transmitting a request to obtain the user'"'"'s consent to establish the social-networking relationship;

after transmitting the request to obtain the user'"'"'s consent, obtaining the user'"'"'s consent to establish the social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s entire social-networking identity and the other user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the request to establish the social-networking relationship from the user of the social-networking application comprises:

analyzing the user'"'"'s request to establish the social-networking relationship;

determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the user'"'"'s request, that the user has selected the first virtual persona to be associated with the other user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises:

obtaining the other user'"'"'s consent to establish the social-networking relationship;

in response to obtaining the other user'"'"'s consent, directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises establishing the social-networking relationship such that the social-networking relationship implicates the first virtual persona without implicating the second virtual persona.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the creating, receiving, and directing steps are performed by a plug-in that interfaces with the social-networking application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises transmitting, to at least one other user of the social-networking application, a message that includes a link to at least one content instance associated with the first virtual persona.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises transmitting a message that includes at least one content instance associated with the first virtual persona to the other user of the social-networking application.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises sharing, with the other user of the social-networking application, at least one content instance associated with the first virtual persona.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking application comprises associating at least one content instance previously shared via the social-networking application with the first virtual persona.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first virtual persona comprises a virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a romantic-relationship seeker;

receiving a request to establish the social-networking relationship comprises receiving a request to establish a social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a romantic-relationship seeker and the other user of the social-networking application;

directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship comprises directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a romantic-relationship seeker and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a business professional and the other user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first virtual persona comprises a virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a business professional;

receiving a request to establish the social-networking relationship comprises receiving a request to establish a social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a business professional and the other user of the social-networking application;

directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship comprises directing the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a business professional and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the user'"'"'s virtual persona that represents the user'"'"'s role as a romantic-relationship seeker and the other user.

17. A system for enabling users of social-networking applications to interact using virtual personas, the system comprising:

a creator module, stored in memory, that;

creates a social-networking identity associated with a user of a social-networking application;

creates, as part of the user'"'"'s social-networking identity, a plurality of virtual personas that represent different real-life roles of the user, the plurality of virtual personas comprising;

a first virtual persona of the user;

a second virtual persona of the user;

a receiver module, stored in memory, that receives, after creating the user'"'"'s virtual personas, a request to establish a social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and another user of the social-networking application;

a director module, stored in memory, that directs, in response to the request, the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the second virtual persona and the other user;

wherein the creator module defines, based at least in part on input from the user of the social-networking application, a first geo-location associated with the first virtual persona and a second geo-location associated with the second virtual persona such that the social-networking application;

enables the user to share, under the first virtual persona, at least one content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location;

prevents the user from sharing, under the second virtual persona, the content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location due at least in part to the first geo-location being associated with the first virtual persona and not being associated with the second virtual persona;

wherein the director module;

directs the social-networking application to associate at least one photograph previously shared via the social-networking application with the first virtual persona by;

enabling the user to assume the first virtual persona within the social-networking application;

after the user has assumed the first virtual persona;

identifying a tag request submitted by the user to tag the user in the photograph previously shared via the social-networking application;

ensuring that the user'"'"'s tag in the photograph is associated with the first virtual persona and not associated with the second virtual persona due at least in part to the user having assumed the first virtual persona prior to submitting the tag request;

at least one hardware processor that executes the creator module, the receiver module, and the director module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the creator module:

identifies a set of content instances associated with the user'"'"'s social-networking identity;

associates at least one of the content instances with the first virtual persona.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one hardware processor of at least one physical computing device, cause the physical computing device to:

create a social-networking identity associated with a user of a social-networking application;

create, as part of the user'"'"'s social-networking identity, a plurality of virtual personas that represent different real-life roles of the user, the plurality of virtual personas comprising;

a first virtual persona of the user;

a second virtual persona of the user;

receive, after creating the user'"'"'s virtual personas, a request to establish a social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and another user of the social-networking application;

direct, in response to receiving the request, the social-networking application to establish the social-networking relationship between the first virtual persona and the other user without establishing a social-networking relationship between the second virtual persona and the other user;

define, based at least in part on input from the user of the social-networking application, a first geo-location associated with the first virtual persona and a second geo-location associated with the second virtual persona;

upon defining the first and second geo-locations;

enables the user to share, under the first virtual persona, at least one content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location;

prevents the user from sharing, under the second virtual persona, the content instance that identifies the user'"'"'s location while the user is located at the first geo-location due at least in part to the first geo-location being associated with the first virtual persona and not being associated with the second virtual persona;

directs the social-networking application to associate at least one photograph previously shared via the social-networking application with the first virtual persona by;

enabling the user to assume the first virtual persona within the social-networking application;

after the user has assumed the first virtual persona;

identifying a tag request submitted by the user to tag the user in the photograph previously shared via the social-networking application;

ensuring that the user'"'"'s tag in the photograph is associated with the first virtual persona and not associated with the second virtual persona due at least in part to the user having assumed the first virtual persona prior to submitting the tag request.