Contextual connection invitations

• US 9,942,335 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Schneider, Michael Patrick, Lewis, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US14/599,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for including information in an invitation from a first to connect with a second user that identifies a context regarding how the first user found the second user. A system can include a request component configured to receive, at a first network source, information identifying a second user that a first user has selected to send an invitation to connect with at the first network source, a context component configured to determine a context regarding selection of the second user by the first user, including where the first user found the information identifying the second user, and a generation component configured to generate an invitation that invites the second user to connect with the first user at the first network source. The invitation comprises first user identification information and context information identifying the context regarding the selection of the second user by the first user.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a hardware processor that, when executing computer-implemented instructions stored in the memory, is configured to;

receive information identifying a second user account associated with a network source that a user of a first user account has selected to send a connection invitation;

determine context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account, wherein the context information includes (i) information indicating that a video item associated with the second user account was presented in connection with the connection invitation and (ii) information associated with the video item;

determine contact information associated with the second user account based on the information identifying the second user account;

generate the connection invitation that connects the second user account with the first user account via the network source, wherein the connection invitation includes information identifying the first user account and the information identifying the video item associated with the second user that was presented to the first user account when the user of the first user account selected to send the connection invitation; and

cause the connection invitation to be sent via the network source to the second user account using the determined contact information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the second user account includes the determined contact information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the context information indicates where the first user identified the second user account and the video item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the video item is associated with second user account based on a comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item, and wherein the connection invitation further includes information relating to the comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to determine contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on a device associated with the second user, and wherein the connection invitation further includes the contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on the device associated with the second user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to determine information relating the first user account with the second user account, including social graph information relating the first user account and the second user account, wherein the connection invitation further includes the social graph information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to prevent the connection invitation from being received by the second user account based on blocking information for the second user account associated with the context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving information identifying a second user account associated with a network source that a user of a first user account has selected to send a connection invitation;

determining context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account, wherein the context information includes (i) information indicating that a video item associated with the second user account was presented in connection with the connection invitation and (ii) information associated with the video item;

generating the connection invitation that connects the second user account with the first user account via the network source, wherein the connection invitation includes information identifying the first user account and the information identifying the video item associated with the second user that was presented to the first user account when the user of the first user account selected to send the connection invitation;

determining contact information associated with the second user account based on the information identifying the second user account; and

causing the connection invitation to be sent via the network source to the second user account using the determined contact information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the information identifying the second user account includes the determined contact information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the context information indicates where the first user identified the second user account and the video item.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the video item is associated with second user account based on a comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item, and wherein the connection invitation further includes information relating to the comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on a device associated with the second user, wherein the connection invitation further includes the contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on the device associated with the second user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining information relating the first user account with the second user account, including social graph information relating the first user account and the second user account, wherein the connection invitation further includes the social graph information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

preventing the connection invitation from being received by the second user account based on blocking information for the second user account associated with the context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, using a hardware processor, information identifying a second user account associated with a network source that a user of a first user account has selected to send a connection invitation;

determining, using the hardware processor, context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account, wherein the context information includes (i) information indicating that a video item associated with the second user account was presented in connection with the connection invitation and (ii) information associated with the video item;

determining, using the hardware processor, contact information associated with the second user account based on the information identifying the second user account;

generating, using the hardware processor, the connection invitation that connects the second user account with the first user account via the network source, wherein the connection invitation includes information identifying the first user account and the information identifying the video item associated with the second user that was presented to the first user account when the user of the first user account selected to send the connection invitation; and

causing, using the hardware processor, the connection invitation to be sent via the network source to the second user account using the determined contact information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information identifying the second user account includes the determined contact information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the context information indicates where the first user identified the second user account and the video item.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video item is associated with second user account based on a comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item, and wherein the connection invitation further includes information relating to the comment provided by the second user at the network source in connection with the video item.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on a device associated with the second user, wherein the connection invitation further includes the contact information for the first user that has been previously stored on the device associated with the second user.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining information relating the first user account with the second user account, including social graph information relating the first user account and the second user account, wherein the connection invitation further includes the social graph information.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

preventing the connection invitation from being received by the second user account based on blocking information for the second user account associated with the context information relating to the selection of the second user account by the user of the first user account.