System and method for building social networks based on activity around shared virtual objects

• US 20040088325A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elder, Michael D., Schirmer, Andrew L., Rokosz, Vaughn T., Schultz, Matthew, Jho, Jason Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method for determining a social network. A metrics database stores virtual object indicia including document attributes, activities, and associated persons. A query engine responsive to a user request and the metrics database infers individual connections to the virtual object by individuals executing the activities. A visualization engine visualizes membership in the social network as including these individuals and the activities connecting them. The query engine further collects a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a first shared attribute into an aggregate, and the visualization engine further filters the social network to include only individuals having membership in the aggregate.

Claims

1. Method for building a social network, comprising:

selecting a virtual object;

tracking activity by a plurality of individuals on said virtual object;

inferring individual connections to said virtual object by said individuals; and

defining said social network to include said individuals sharing said connections to said virtual object.

2. The method of claim 1, said virtual object being a document.

3. The method of claim 1, said virtual object being a business process.

4. The method of claim 1, said virtual object being an electronic meeting.

5. The method of claim 1, said virtual object being an on line presence.

6. The method of claim 1, said virtual object being a document, business process, electronic meeting, or on-line presence.

7. The method of claim 2, said inferring including identifying connections to said virtual object by individuals who check-out, check-in, change security, open, edit, link to, forward to, respond to, bookmark, add to a persistent collection, delete, create, review, approve, or reject said document.

8. The method of claim 3, said inferring including identifying connections to said virtual object by individuals who claim, review, approve, reject, delegate, receive delagation, submit request, view history, change status, or conduct other process-specific activities with respect to said business process.

9. The method of claim 4, said inferring including identifying connections to said virtual object by individuals who join, leave, raise hand, make public comment, make private comment, share screen or edit whiteboard with respect to said electronic meeting.

10. The method of claim 5, said inferring including identifying connections to said virtual object by individuals who invite to instant meeting, share screen, share application, send e-mail, or chat with respect to said on-line presence.

11. The method of claim 1, said virtual object including meta-data in said virtual object.

12. The method of claim 11, said meta-data including access control lists, expertise profiles, and shared affinities.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a first shared attribute into an aggregate;

determining membership of said aggregate; and

filtering said social network to include only individuals contained within said membership.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically refreshing said inferring and responsive thereto visualizing said social network as it evolves over time.

15. The method of claim 1, said connections including first order and second order connections.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

visualizing said social network including said individuals and said activities connecting said individuals.

16. A system for building a social network, comprising:

means for selecting a virtual object;

means for tracking activity by a plurality of individuals on said virtual object;

means for inferring individual connections to said virtual object by said individuals; and

means for defining said social network to include said individuals sharing said connections to said virtual object.

17. A system for determining a social network, comprising:

a metrics database for storing virtual object indicia including document attributes, activities, and associated persons;

a query engine responsive to a user request and said metrics database for inferring individual connections to said virtual object by individuals executing said activities; and

a visualization engine for visualizing membership in a social network as including said individuals.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

said query engine further for collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a first shared attribute into an aggregate;

said visualization engine further for filtering said social network to include only individuals having membership in said aggregate.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for defining a social network, said method comprising:

storing virtual object indicia including document attributes, activities, and associated persons in a metrics database;

responsive to a user request and said metrics database, inferring individual connections to said virtual object indicia by individuals executing said activities; and

visualizing membership in a social network as including said individuals.

20. The program storage device of claim 19, said method further comprising

collecting a plurality of documents having non-unique values on a first shared attribute into an aggregate;

and

filtering said social network to include only individuals having membership in said aggregate.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for defining a social network, said method comprising:

selecting a virtual object;

tracking activity by a plurality of individuals on said virtual object;

inferring individual connections to said virtual object by said individuals; and

defining said social network to include said individuals sharing said connections to said virtual object.

22. A computer program product for defining a social network, according to the method comprising:

selecting a virtual object;

tracking activity by a plurality of individuals on said virtual object;

inferring individual connections to said virtual object by said individuals; and

defining said social network to include said individuals sharing said connections to said virtual object.