Distributed personal relationship information management system and methods

• US 20020169782A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WhoGlue Incorporated (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: WhoGlue Incorporated (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Wynblatt, Michael, Lehmann, Jens-Michael, Nestler, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

An information management system, method and computer program code and means for facilitating communications between user members of an online network is provided which includes receipt, from a first user of an online network, of an identification of a second user of the online network. An indication of an association level of the second user is also received First information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user is also received from the first user. Only the second information based on the association level is transmitted to the second user.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information between users of an online network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first user, an identification of a second user of an online network and an indication of an association level of the second user;

receiving, from the first user, first information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user; and

transmitting, to the second user, only the second information based on the association level

2. The method of claim 1, said first information having a plurality of association levels.

3. The method of claim 1, said second information having a plurality of association levels.

4. The method of claim 1, said indication of the association level for the second user including a plurality of association levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the association level includes at least one of:

an established association level and a customized association level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said customized association level comprises a further classification established by the first users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a login and password from a third user having an association with the first user and association level corresponding to the first information; and

transmitting the first information to the third user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a login and password from a third user having an association with the first user and association level corresponding to the first information and the second information; and

transmitting the first information and second information to the third user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving profile information from a plurality of users;

receiving a search request from the first user, the search request comprising desired profile information;

filtering the profile information of only users associated with the first user, based on the search request; and

transmitting, to the first user, an indication of at least one associated user matching the search request.

10. The method of claim 10, said search request comprising an expanded search request, the method further comprising:

filtering the profile information of contacts of an associated user; and

if the profile information of at least one of said contacts matches the expanded search request;

providing the associated user with an indication of a matching contact;

requesting an approval from the associated user to provide the matching contact to the first user; and

transmitting an indication of the matching contact to the first user only when approved by the associated user.

11. The method of claim 1, said receiving the first and second information further comprising:

storing the first and second information in an electronic memory.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting is not dependent upon the first user entering an electronic address of the second user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

transmitting to the second user all information from all associated users that corresponds to the association level established by the associated users for the second user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the second information to the second user in at least one of;

a newspaper presentation format and a ré

sumé

presentation format.

15. The method of claim 1, said transmitting further comprising:

calculating an age of the second information, based on a creation date of the second information, wherein said transmitting the second information further comprises;

transmitting the second information to the second user only if the calculated age is less than a predetermined age.

16. The method of claim 1, said online network comprising users that are not associated with the first user.

17. The method of claim 1, said transmitting further comprising:

comparing a user preference filter of the second user to the second information; and

transmitting the second information to the second user if the filter does not reject the second information.

18. The Method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a login identifier and a password uniquely identifying the first user.

19. An apparatus for communicating information between members of an online network, the method comprising:

means for receiving, from a first user, an identification of a second user of an online network and an indication of an association level of the second user;

means for receiving, from the first user, first information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user; and

means for transmitting only the second information to the second user based on the association level.

20. A computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method, performed by a computing device, for communicating information between members of an online network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first user, an identification of a second user of an online network and an indication of an association level of the second user;

receiving, from the first user, first information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user; and

transmitting only the second information to the second user based on the association level.

21. An apparatus for communicating information between members of an online network, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of processing instructions enabling the processor to;

receive, from a first user, an identification of a second user of an online network and an indication of an association level of the second user;

receive, from the first user, first information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user; and

transmit only the second information to the second user based on the association level.

22. A method for communicating information between members of an online network, performed by a user, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a first user to the host server, an identification of a second user of an online network and an indication of an association level of the second user;

transmitting, to the host server, first information having an association level different from the second user and second information having an association level corresponding to the second user, whereby only the second information is transmitted by the host server to the second user based on the association level.

25. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second designations comprise the same association level.

26. The method of claim 26, wherein the first and second designation comprise different association levels.

23. A method for enabling a search of profile information fox an online network, the method comprising:

receiving a search request from a first user for profile information of a plurality of users;

comparing the profile information of at least one associated user of the first user in the online network;

transmitting, to the first user, an indication of at least one matching user if the profile information any of said associated users matches the search request;

filtering the profile information of all contacts of at least one of said associated users; and

if the profile information of at least one of said contacts matches the search request;

providing an associated user having the contact with an indication of the matching contact and the search request;

requesting an approval from the associated user to provide the matching contact to the first user; and

transmitting an indication of the matching contact to the first user only when approved by the associated user.

24. A method for associating users of an online service, comprising:

receiving, from a first user that is a member of an online network, an electronic address of a non-member;

transmitting, to the electronic address, an invitation for the non-member to join the online network and an identification of the first user;

receiving an acceptance of the invitation from the non-member;

establishing the non-member as a second user of the online network, based on the acceptance;

receiving, from the first user, a first designation of an association level for the second user; and

receiving, from the second user, a second designation of an association level for the first user.