Methods and apparatus for targeting communications using social network metrics

• US 9,442,988 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lawler, Brian, Loh, Elliot, Martino, Paul J., Pincus, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): KHAJURIA, SHRIPAL K
• Application Number:
  US14/504,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method for a computer system includes receiving a first user communication, determining a first group of users, determining a target number of users, determining whether the first group of users includes the target number of users, and if not, providing the communication to the first group of users, determining a hierarchal mapping of groups of users in response to user memberships, determining a second group of users from the hierarchal mapping, determining a plurality of social network relationship factors for the second group of users with respect to the first user, and providing the communication to at least a subset of users in the second group of users in response to the first plurality of social network relationship factors.

Claims

1. A method of filtering electronic communications based on a trust-metric, the method comprising:

receiving , over a network on a server using an interface communicatively coupled to the network, an electronic communication directed to a first user, the electronic communication sent by a second user, and the first and second users belonging to a social network operated on a system remote from the server;

accessing a trust-metric associated with the second user, the trust-metric based at least in part on information obtained from the social network; and

determining, based at least in part on the trust-metric, whether to transmit the electronic communication to the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to transmit the electronic communication includes determining that the trust-metric exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the trust-metric includes accessing a trust-metric specific to the social relationship between the first user and the second user on the social network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the trust-metric includes a measure of the social distance between the first user and the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether to transmit the electronic communication is further based on a reliability factor associated with the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining whether to transmit the electronic communication includes combining the trust-metric and the reliability factor using a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor determines the relative importance of the trust-metric versus the reliability factor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the reliability factor is a measure of one or more of the following:

characteristics associated with a quality of service in which the second user was involved;

data reflective of participation in a network forum in which the second user was involved; and

data reflective of a delivery of goods by the second user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein calculation of the second user'"'"'s reliability factor includes aggregating ratings from other users in the social network of the second user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein calculation of the second user'"'"'s reliability factor includes aggregating feedback associated with the second user extracted from a site external to the social network.

10. A system comprising:

a network interface;

a memory device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device, wherein the processor, the memory device, and the network interface cooperate such that the system performs operations comprising;

receiving , over a network on a server using an interface communicatively coupled to the network, an electronic communication directed to a first user, the electronic communication sent by a second user, and the first and second users belonging to a social network operated on a system remote from the server;

accessing a trust-metric associated with the second user, the trust-metric based at least in part on information obtained from the social network; and

determining, based at least in part on the trust-metric, whether to transmit the electronic communication to the first user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether to transmit the electronic communication includes determining that the trust-metric exceeds a pre-defined threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein accessing the trust-metric includes accessing a trust-metric specific to the social relationship between the first user and the second user on the social network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the trust-metric includes a measure of the social distance between the first user and the second user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining whether to transmit the electronic communication is further based on a reliability factor associated with the second user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the determining whether to transmit the electronic communication includes combining the trust-metric and the reliability factor using a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor determines the relative importance of the trust-metric versus the reliability factor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the reliability factor is a measure of one or more of the following:

characteristics associated with a quality of service in which the second user was involved;

data reflective of participation in a network forum in which the second user was involved; and

data reflective of a delivery of goods by the second user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions for filtering electronic communications based on a trust-metric that, when executed on a computing device including one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receive, over a network using an interface communicatively coupled to the network, an electronic communication directed to a first user, the electronic communication sent by a second user, and the first and second users belonging to a social network operated on a system remote from the computing device;

access a trust-metric associated with the second user, the trust-metric based at least in part on information obtained from the social network; and

determine, based at least in part on the trust-metric, whether to transmit the electronic communication to the first user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause the computing device to determine whether to transmit the electronic communication include instructions to determine whether to transmit based additionally on a reliability factor associated with the second user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions that cause the computing device to determine whether to transmit the electronic communication include instructions to combine the trust-metric and the reliability factor using a weighting factor, wherein the weighting factor determines the relative importance of the trust-metric versus the reliability factor.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the reliability factor is a measure of one or more of the following:

characteristics associated with a quality of service in which the second user was involved;

data reflective of participation in a network forum in which the second user was involved; and

data reflective of a delivery of goods by the second user.