Determining logical groups without using personal information

• US 9,691,108 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mallet, Vincent, Cheng, Jessica, Fiedel, Noah, Gillum, Eric William, Ramanarayanan, Ganesh, Woods, Nicholas James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US14/754,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 : User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 : Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 : Version management

Abstract

Systems and methods for the forming of user device groups are presented. In one example, logical relationship information describing logical relationships among a plurality of user devices is accessed. Scores for each of a plurality of possible groups are generated based at least partially on the logical relationship information and information about a first user device, but the scores not being based on any personally identifiable information about the first user of the first user device. A first group is selected from the plurality of possible groups based on the scores. Then the first user device is added to the first group.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing logical relationship information describing multiple different one-to-one logical relationships among a plurality of user devices, each one-to-one logical relationship between two devices having been formed via an explicit action requesting formation of the one-to-one logical relationship by users of both of the two devices;

generating scores for each of a plurality of possible groups based at least partially on the logical relationship information and information about a first user device, but the scores not being based on any personally identifiable information about the first user of the first user device;

selecting a first group from the plurality of possible groups based on the scores; and

adding the first user device to the first group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the first user device includes location of the first user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the first user device includes information about gestures made by the first user on the first user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the first user device includes information from one or more sensors on the first user device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include a thermometer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include a gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include a light meter.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include a microphone.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors include a camera.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the explicit action requesting formation of the one-to-one logical relationship by users of both of the two devices is an action by each user of indicating that the other is a friend.

12. A server comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the server to;

access logical relationship information describing multiple different one-to-one logical relationships among a plurality of user devices, each one-to-one logical relationship between two devices having been formed via an explicit action requesting formation of the one-to-one logical relationship by users of both of the two devices;

generate scores for each of a plurality of possible groups based at least partially on the logical relationship information and information about a first user device, but the scores not being based on any personally identifiable information about the first user of the first user device;

select a first group from the plurality of possible groups based on the scores; and

add the first user device to the first group.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the information about the first user device includes location of the first user device.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the information about the first user device includes information about gestures made by the first user on the first user device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing logical relationship information describing multiple different one-to-one logical relationships among a plurality of user devices, each one-to-one logical relationship between two devices having been formed via an explicit action requesting formation of the one-to-one logical relationship by users of both of the two devices;

generating scores for each of a plurality of possible groups based at least partially on the logical relationship information and information about a first user device, but the scores not being based on any personally identifiable information about the first user of the first user device;

selecting a first group from the plurality of possible groups based on the scores; and

adding the first user device to the first group.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the first user device includes location of the first user device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the first user device includes information about gestures made by the first user on the first user device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the first user device includes information from one or more sensors on the first user device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors include a thermometer.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors include a gyroscope.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors include an accelerometer.