Restricting a scope of a post in a social networking service

• US 9,426,231 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Chad Owen, Parley, Thunder, Ho, Ronald, Ellingson, Jeffrey Gordon
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US13/954,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for restricting a scope of a post are provided. In some aspects, a post for a first set of users is received from a first user. An indication of the post is provided to at least a portion of the first set of users. A request to further share the post with a third user is received from a second user within the first set of users. A maximum scope for the post is determined. If the third user is within the maximum scope for the post is determined. The indication of the post is not provided to the third user if the third user is not determined to be within the maximum scope for the post.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a first user, a post for a specified first plurality of users;

providing the post to at least a portion of the first plurality of users;

receiving, from a second user within the first plurality of users, a request to share the post with a specified third user;

determining a maximum scope for the post by;

determining a default maximum scope set by an administrator;

determining whether the default maximum scope has been overridden by the first user via a user input specifying a different maximum scope; and

setting the maximum scope for the post to the different maximum scope when the default maximum scope has been overridden, otherwise setting the maximum scope for the post to the default maximum scope, wherein the maximum scope provides one or more parameters to control sharing of the post without listing specific users;

determining if the third user is within the determined maximum scope for the post; and

foregoing providing the post to the third user if the third user is not determined to be within the maximum scope for the post.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum scope for the post comprises all or a portion of users within a domain.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the domain is fixed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the domain changes over time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum scope is defined based on one or more attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum scope is defined based on a geographic location associated with a user of a social network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic location associated with the user of the social network comprises one or more of a current geographic location, a home geographic location, a work geographic location, or a default geographic location of the user of the social network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum scope is defined based on a time specification, and wherein the time specification comprises at least a start time and an end time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum scope is defined with one or more logical operators.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first plurality of users comprises users that are not within the maximum scope for the post;

providing, to the first user, an indication that the users are not within the maximum scope for the post; and

receiving, from the first user, an indication of intent to broaden the maximum scope to include at least a portion of the users or an indication of intent to forego sharing the post with the users.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a fourth user, a request to view the post;

determining whether the fourth user is within the maximum scope for the post;

if the post has been shared with the fourth user and the fourth user is within the maximum scope for the post;

providing, to the fourth user, the post for display; and

if the post has not been shared with the fourth user or the fourth user is not within the maximum scope for the post;

foregoing providing, to the fourth user, the post for display.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the different maximum scope specified by the user input is less restrictive than the default maximum scope.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the maximum scope for the post comprises:

determining the maximum scope for the post based on an intersection of the default maximum scope and the maximum scope specified in the user input.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, from the first user, an indication of the maximum scope, wherein the maximum scope for the post is determined based on the received indication of the maximum scope; and

verifying that the determined maximum scope for the post is within the default maximum scope set by the administrator.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when implemented by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to implement a method, the method comprising:

providing, for display to a first user, a first graphical user interface element for entering a post for a social networking service;

providing, for display to the first user, a second graphical user interface element for specifying one or more viewing users with which to share the post;

providing, for display to the first user, a third graphical user interface element for selecting a maximum scope for the post, the maximum scope providing one or more parameters to control sharing of the post without listing specific users, wherein the third graphical user interface element indicates a default maximum scope and is configured to receive an input from the first user for selecting a different maximum scope than the default maximum scope;

receiving the post, a selection of the one or more viewing users, and a selection of the maximum scope from the first user via the first, second, and third graphical user interface elements, respectively;

determining whether the maximum scope selected from the third graphical user interface element encompasses each of the one or more viewing users;

when the maximum scope selected from the third graphical user interface element encompasses one or more of the one or more viewing users selected in the second graphical user interface element, sending, to the one or more of the one or more viewing users, the post; and

when the maximum scope selected from the third graphical user interface element does not encompass at least one of the one or more viewing users selected in the second graphical user interface element, providing, for display, an input for modifying the selected maximum scope.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the default maximum scope is selected by an administrator.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the third graphical user interface element comprises one or more selectors for one or more social groups or one or more individual users of the social networking service.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a method, the method comprising;

receiving, from an administrator for plural users of a social networking service, a default maximum scope for posts by the plural users;

receiving, from a first user from among the plural users of the social networking service, a first post for the social networking service and a selection of a first set of users with which to share the post;

determining a maximum scope for the first post by;

determining the default maximum scope set by the administrator;

determining whether the default maximum scope has been overridden by the first user via a user input specifying a different maximum scope; and

setting the maximum scope for the post to the different maximum scope when the default maximum scope has been overridden by the first user, otherwise setting the maximum scope for the post to the default maximum scope, wherein the maximum scope provides one or more parameters to control sharing of the first post without listing specific users;

determining whether the maximum scope encompasses each of the first set of users;

when the maximum scope encompasses one or more of the first set of users, sending the post to each of the one or more of the first set of users; and

when the maximum scope does not encompass at least one user of the first set of users, providing, to the first user, an indication that the at least one user is not included in the maximum scope.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based on settings entered by the administrator, whether the maximum scope is user-modifiable;

if the maximum scope is user-modifiable, providing instructions, to the first user, to modify the maximum scope or the first set of users; and

if the maximum scope is not user-modifiable, providing a notification, to the first user, that the post cannot be shared with the at least one user.