Facilitation of social interactions

• US 9,491,257 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Kau, Christian B., Kumar, Anuj, Smith, Barton A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhu, Zhimei
• Application Number:
  US13/965,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Embodiments relate to facilitating social interactions. An aspect includes determining that a first communications device is in communicative contact with a second communications device, identifying at least one artifact relating to a user of the first communications device, and searching at least one database for information about a user of the second communications device that is in common with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact. Also, results of the searching are provided as a topic of conversation to the first communications device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating, via a computer processor of a first communications device, a profile for a user of the first communications device, the first communications device having a memory for storing the profile, the generating comprising;

identifying artifacts from interactions of the user, via the first communications device with electronic data sources and users of other communications devices over a network; and

ranking the artifacts by importance as defined by frequency of interactions between the first communications device and the electronic data sources;

determining, via a short-range wireless transceiver of the first communications device, that another communications device is in communicative contact with the first communications device, the determining comprising receiving a communication from the other communications device that includes an identification of a user of the other communications device;

selecting, from the profile in the memory, at least one of the artifacts relating to the user of the first communications device;

searching, over a network using the identifier of the user of the other communications device, at least one database for information about the user of the other communications device that is in common with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact;

prioritizing results of the searching based on a recency of occurrence of each of the results in the database; and

providing a prioritized listing of the results of the searching, as topics of conversation, to the first communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the artifacts from interactions of the user is initiated absent input from the user of the first communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the artifacts includes searching an access-restricted electronic data source for information about the user of the first communications device, the method further comprising:

receiving authorization from the user of the first communications device to search the access-restricted electronic data source;

creating the profile for the user of the first communications device; and

storing retrieved information from the access-restricted electronic data source, including the artifacts, in the profile.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically searching the access-restricted electronic data source for new and changed information about the user of the first communications device; and

updating the profile with results of the periodic searching.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching the database for information about the user of the other communications device that is in common with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact includes:

in response to determining that no information about the user of the other communications device commonly relates with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact;

determining a geographic location of the first communications device and the other communications device; and

searching the database for contextually-relevant information based on the geographic location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communications device and the other communications device are mobile devices, and the searching is performed in response to receiving, from the first communications device, a request for information common to the user of the first communications device and the user of the other communications device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes data from an electronic business card of the user of the other communications device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discontinuing the searching when a number of the results reaches a maximum number set by the user of the first communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, via a graphical user interface on the first communications device, options selectable by the user of the first communications device, the options including;

an option to enter personal information about the user of the first communications device;

an option to permit searching of access-restricted electronic data sources attributed to the user of the first communications device;

an option to permit transmittal of a digital business card of the user of the first communications device to the other communications device upon discovery of the other communications device; and

an option to initiate a query for information about the user of the other communications device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises interaction data of social media accounts of each of the user of the first communications device and the user of the other communications device, the interaction data including wall posts, image captions, and photograph tags,

wherein prioritizing the results of the searching includes assigning a relevance to the interaction data common to both users based on the currency of the interaction data for the social media accounts.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a computer to implement;

generating, via a computer processor of a first communications device, a profile for a user of the first communications device, the first communications device having a memory for storing the profile, the generating comprising;

identifying artifacts from interactions of the user, via the first communications device with electronic data sources and users of other communications devices over a network; and

ranking the artifacts by importance as defined by frequency of interactions between the first communications device and the electronic data sources;

determining, via a short-range wireless transceiver of the first communications device, that another communications device is in communicative contact with the first communications device, the determining comprising receiving a communication from the other communications device that includes an identification of a user of the other communications device;

selecting, from the profile in the memory, at least one of the artifacts relating to the user of the first communications device;

searching, over a network using the identifier of the user of the other communications device, at least one database for information about the user of the other communications device that is in common with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact;

prioritizing results of the searching based on a recency of occurrence of each of the results in the database; and

providing a prioritized listing of the results of the searching, as topics of conversation, to the first communications device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the identifying the artifacts from interactions of the user is initiated absent input from the user of the first communications device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the identifying the artifacts includes searching an access-restricted electronic data source for information about the user of the first communications device, and wherein the program code executable by the computer further implements:

receiving authorization from the user of the first communications device to search the access-restricted electronic data source;

creating the profile for the user of the first communications device; and

storing retrieved information from the access-restricted electronic data source, including the artifacts, in the profile.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program code executable by the computer further implements:

periodically searching the access-restricted electronic data source for new and changed information about the user of the first communications device; and

updating the profile with results of the periodic searching.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the searching the database for information about the user of the other communications device that is in common with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact includes:

in response to determining that no information about the user of the other communications device commonly relates with the user of the first communications device with respect to the artifact;

determining a geographic location of the first communications device and the other communications device; and

searching the database for contextually-relevant information based on the geographic location.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first communications device and the other communications device are mobile devices, and the searching is performed in response to receiving, from the first communications device, a request for information common to the user of the first communications device and the user of the other communications device.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the identification information includes data from an electronic business card of the user of the other communications device.