Measuring affinity levels via passive and active interactions

• US 9,705,760 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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:
  US14/754,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• 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 measuring of affinity levels via passive and active interactions are provided. A first group of users are selected from a plurality of possible groups of users. Affinity levels are measured among the users of the first group, the affinity levels based at least partially on both passive and active interactions between an electronic device of a first user and electronic devices of users in the first group. The first user is added to the first group based on the affinity levels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting a first group of users from a plurality of possible groups of users;

measuring affinity levels between a first user and each user in the first group , the affinity levels based at least partially on both passive and active interactions between an electronic device of the first user and electronic devices of each of the users in the first group;

adding the first user to the first group based on the affinity levels and affinity levels among users in the first group; and

removing a second user from the first group based on a drop in affinity level between the second user and other users in the first group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the affinity levels are further based on content sent by the first user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the affinity levels are further based on location of the electronic device of the first user when the content was sent and locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups at times when the users in the plurality of possible groups sent content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the affinity levels are further based on a current location of the electronic device of the first user and current locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the passive interactions include the electronic device of the first user left in close proximity to electronic devices of other users in the first group for a period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a passive interaction is weighted by a length of the period of time when using the passive interaction to calculate the affinity level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a physical distance between the electronic device of the first user and the electronic devices of other users in the first group is a factor in calculating the affinity levels.

8. 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;

select a first group of users from a plurality of possible groups of users;

measure affinity levels between a first user and each user in the first group among the, the affinity levels based at least partially on both passive and active interactions between an electronic device of the first user and electronic devices of each of the users in the first group;

add the first user to the first group based on the affinity levels and affinity levels among users in the first group; and

remove a second user from the first group based on a drop in affinity level between the second user and other users in the first group.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the affinity levels are further based on content sent by the first user.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the affinity levels are further based on location of the electronic device of the first user when the content was sent and locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups at times when the users in the plurality of possible groups sent content.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the affinity levels are further based on a current location of the electronic device of the first user and current locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the passive interactions include the electronic device of the first user left in close proximity to electronic devices of other users in the first group for a period of time.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein a length of time the electronic device of the first user is left in close proximity to the electronic devices of other user devices in the first group is a factor in calculating the affinity levels.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein a physical distance between the electronic device of the first user and the electronic devices of other users in the first group is a factor in calculating the affinity levels.

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:

selecting a first group of users from a plurality of possible groups of users;

measuring affinity levels between a first user and each user in the first group , the affinity levels based at least partially on both passive and active interactions between an electronic device of the first user and electronic devices of each of the users in the first group;

adding the first user to the first group based on the affinity levels and affinity levels among users in the first group; and

removing a second user from the first group based on a drop in affinity level between the second user and other users in the first group.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the affinity levels are further based on content sent by the first user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the affinity levels are further based on location of the electronic device of the first user when the content was sent and locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups at times when the users in the plurality of possible groups sent content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the affinity levels are further based on location of the electronic device of the first user when the content was sent and locations of electronic devices of users in the plurality of possible groups at times when the users in the plurality of possible groups sent content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the passive interactions include the electronic device of the first user left in close proximity to electronic devices of other users in the first group for a period of time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein a length of time the electronic device of the first user is left in close proximity to the electronic devices of other user devices in the first group is a factor in calculating the affinity levels.