Social network creation and interaction

• US 9,641,899 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Japan A., Kassam, Shafiq
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/412,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A computing device may establish a connection with a user device and retrieve address book information corresponding to the user device. The address book information may include contact information corresponding to one or more individuals. The computing device may identify social network users corresponding to the address book information. Each social network user may include a subscriber to a particular network service. The computing device may create a social network based on the social network users identified.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a set top box, an identifier of a user device;

establishing, by the set top box, a connection with the user device using the received identifier;

retrieving, by the set top box, address book information from the user device via the connection,

where the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals;

retrieving, by the set top box, social network information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers of social network services;

comparing, by the set top box, the retrieved social network information to the retrieved address book information;

identifying, by the set top box and based on the comparing, one or more social network subscribers corresponding to the address book information,

where each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service, and

wherein each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, is an individual of the one or more individuals corresponding to contact information included in the address book information;

creating a social network based on identifying the one or more social network subscribers, wherein each member of the social network is a social network subscriber of the one or more identified social network subscribers;

synchronizing a social network application corresponding to the set top box with a social network application corresponding to the user device;

detecting social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device; and

displaying, based on the detecting, the social network activity via the social network application corresponding to the set top box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a social network invitation to each social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers,

where creating the social network is based on responses from the one or more social network subscribers.

3. The method of claim 1, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

4. The method of claim 1, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

5. The method of claim 1, where creating the social network comprises creating an association between a user profile corresponding to a user of the user device and a user profile corresponding to a social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers.

6. The method of claim 1, where:

the set top box is connected to a video display device,

the user device comprises a mobile device, and

establishing the connection with the user device comprises establishing a secure connection between the set top box and the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, where synchronizing the social network application and implementing the social network activity comprises mirroring a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box and a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the social network has been created,

establishing another connection with the user device;

identifying updated address book information corresponding to the user device, where the updated address book information comprises changes to the address book information;

identifying additional social network subscribers corresponding to the updated address book information,

where each additional social network subscriber, of the additional social network subscribers, comprises a subscriber to the particular network service,

communicating social network invitations to each additional social network subscriber; and

updating the social network based on responses corresponding to each social network invitation.

9. A set top box, comprising:

a memory to store one or more instructions; and

a processor to execute the one or more instructions, to;

receive an identifier of a user device;

establish a connection with the user device using the received identifier;

retrieve address book information from the user device via the connection, wherein the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals;

retrieve social network information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers to social network services;

compare the retrieved social network information to the retrieved address book information;

identify, based on the comparing, one or more social network subscribers corresponding to the address book information, wherein each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service, and wherein each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, is an individual of the one or more individuals corresponding to contact information included in the address book information;

create a social network based on the one or more identified social network subscribers, wherein each member of the social network is a social network subscriber of the one or more identified social network subscribers;

synchronize a social network application, associated with the social network, corresponding to the set top box with a social network application corresponding to the user device;

detect social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device; and

display the social network activity with the social network application corresponding to the user device,

where, to synchronize the social network application and implement the social network activity, the processor is to;

update a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box to be consistent with a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

10. The set top box of claim 9, where the processor is further to:

communicate a social network invitation to each social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers,

where the social network is based on responses to the social network invitation from the one or more social network subscribers.

11. The set top box of claim 9, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

12. The set top box of claim 9, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

13. The set top box of claim 9, further comprising:

after the social network has been created,

establishing another connection with the user device;

identifying updated address book information corresponding to the user device, where the updated address book information comprises changes to the address book information;

identifying an additional social network subscriber corresponding to the updated address book information,

where the additional social network subscriber comprises a subscriber to the particular network service;

communicating a social network invitation to the additional social network

subscriber; and

updating the social network based on a response corresponding to the social network invitation.

14. The set top box of claim 9, wherein, when creating the social network, the processor is further to:

create an association between a user profile corresponding to a user of the user device and a user profile corresponding to a social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a set top box, cause the processor to;

receive an identifier of a user device,

establish a connection with the user device using the received identifier,

retrieve address book information from the user device via the connection,

where the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals,

retrieve social network information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers of social network services;

compare the retrieved social network information to the retrieved address book information;

identify one or more social network subscribers corresponding to the address book information,

where each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service, and

wherein each social network subscriber, of the one or more social network subscribers, is an individual of the one or more individuals corresponding to contact information included in the address book information,

communicate a social network invitation to each social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers,

create a social network based on responses to the social network invitation from the one or more social network subscribers, wherein each member of the social network is a social network subscriber of the one or more social network subscribers,

where the social network comprises associations between a user profile corresponding to a user of the user device and a user profile corresponding to a social network subscriber,

synchronize a social network application corresponding to the set top box with a social network application corresponding to the user device,

detect social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device, and

display the social network activity via the social network application corresponding to the set top box.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15,

where, to synchronize the social network application and implement the social network activity, the processor is to:

update a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box to be consistent with a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, where the one or more instructions cause the processor further to:

establish another connection with the user device,

identify updated address book information corresponding to the user device, where the updated address book information comprises a change to the address book information,

identify an additional social network subscriber corresponding to the updated address book information,

where the additional social network subscriber comprises a subscriber to the particular network service,

communicate a social network invitation to the additional social network subscriber, and

update the social network based on a response corresponding to the social network invitation.