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Relationship and security in online social and professional networks and communities

  • US RE47,205 E1
  • Filed: 01/29/2015
  • Issued: 01/15/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for evolving, at a relationship administration system, a defined online existing relationship between a first member and a second member, the online existing relationship defined by a plurality of existing relationship features for use in managing network interaction on a communications network between the first member and the second member, the method comprising the steps of:

  • receiving a new online relationship having new relationship features such that the new relationship features are different from the existing relationship features, the new relationship features being characteristic of the new relationship;

    aggregating the existing relationship features and the new relationship features as aggregate relationship features by combining the existing relationship features and the new relationship features in order to define an aggregate relationship;

    storing the aggregate relationship features in a storage as relationship data in a relationship matrix representing the aggregate relationship defined by the aggregate relationship features, the aggregate relationship features comprising of aggregate first role features of the first member and aggregate second role features of the second member, the aggregate first role features being different from the aggregate second role features in that the aggregate first role features define at least one of message content, or message type as permitted by the first member in a first network message while the aggregate second role features omit or otherwise deny said at least one of the message content or message type from a second network message by the second member; and

    accessing the relationship matrix to obtain the relationship data in order to determine whether a selected network message initiated by the first member for communication over the communications network for receipt by the second member is permitted in view of at least one of the corresponding aggregate relationship features of the aggregate relationship, and either allowing or denying to allow or deny the selected second network message to be communicated over the communications network from the first second member to the second member based on the relationship data, the second message having said at least one of the message content or message type as a presentation on a user interface of the first member;

    wherein said at least one of the corresponding aggregate relationship features of the aggregate relationship is used to define at least one of message type, message content, or and message format of the selected first network message and the second network message.

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