Relationship collaboration system

• US 20050065980A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Contact Network Corporation
• Inventors: Yoon, Michael, Hyatt, Geoffrey, Swan, Wilbur
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/901 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures for retrieval from the web G06F16/951
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented

Abstract

A computer implemented method of processing data containing information about relationships between contacts and a community of contact owners, comprises: collecting data including contact information, contact owner information and one or more values related to strength of a relationship between the contact and the contact owner; evaluating the strength of the relationship based on the one or more values; and storing the collected data and evaluated strength in a computer database. A method of keying a database, comprises: building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include a domain name field; and setting the domain name field as a key field; whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to a domain name. A method of keying a database, comprises: building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include an email address field; and setting the email address field as a key field; whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an email address. A method of keying a database, comprising: building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which includes a field holding an identifier uniquely associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking; and setting the field holding the identifier as a key field; whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an identifier. A method of sharing relationship information, comprising: maintaining a database of relationship information records; selecting contact information according to a selection criterion; and returning selected relationship information also complying with restrictions set in a set of hierarchical privacy policies.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of processing data containing information about relationships between contacts or entities and a community of contact owners, comprising:

collecting data including contact information, contact owner information and one or more values related to strength of a relationship between the contact and the contact owner;

evaluating the strength of the relationship based on the one or more values; and

storing the collected data and evaluated strength in a computer database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting unique identifiers from the collected data;

matching the unique identifiers to a taxonomy of valid entities; and

indexing the collected data to unique identifiers corresponding to valid entities.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

extracting information from the collected data by which a valid entity can be distinguished from an invalid entity; and

organizing the extracted information into a set of rules defining a taxonomy which separates valid and invalid entities.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

updating the taxonomy to include and/or exclude additional information extracted from the collected data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising;

filtering the collected data and evaluated strength to exclude from the computer database collected data corresponding to insufficient strength.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein extracting unique identifiers further comprises:

recognizing an identifier associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein extracting unique identifiers further comprises:

recognizing domain names or email addresses as unique identifiers of entities.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting from the one or more values one or more of how long the contact has been stored, how frequently it has been accessed, how recently it has been accessed or modified, whether the contact owner appears to have an identifiable association with the contact or entity, the type of association such as duration, frequency, recency or role, the amount and type of contact data, the pattern and frequency and recency of communication; and

computing on a substantially continuous scale the strength of the relationship relative to other relationships in the collected data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a query for contacts having desired characteristics; and

returning a list of contact owners corresponding to relationships with contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

ordering the returned list of contact owners according to the evaluated strength of relationships to those contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying contact owners corresponding to contacts having the desired characteristics only when the contact owner and contact also meet a privacy policy including one or more policies selected from a list including;

a global policy,

a group policy,

an individual contact owner policy, and

an individual contact policy.

12. The method of claim 11, the list further comprising:

an opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner to opt out of the method as to at least some contact information owned.

13. The method of claim 12, the opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner belonging to the community of contact owners to totally opt out, removing themselves and their contacts and relationships from search results.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

rendering a contact owner anonymous in the returned list; and

providing access to anonymous communication with the anonymous contact owner.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a communication method for contacting a contact owner on the returned list.

16. A method of keying a database, comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include a domain name field; and

setting the domain name field as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to a domain name.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

mapping domain names to business entities.

18. A method of keying a database, comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include an email address field; and

setting the email address field as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an email address.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

mapping email addresses to personal entities.

20. A method of keying a database, comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which includes a field holding an identifier uniquely associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking; and

setting the field holding the identifier as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an identifier.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifier is a domain name corresponding to an entity.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifier is an email address corresponding to an entity.

23. A method of sharing contact information, comprising:

maintaining a database of contact information records;

selecting contact information according to a selection criterion; and

returning selected contact information also complying with restrictions set in a set of hierarchical privacy policies.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

restricting returned contact information to only indicate contact owner.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

masking a contact owner name, who is then only anonymously identified.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

arranging the returned contact owner indications in order of relationship quality.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting a request for an introduction and/or detailed contact information from a user to a contact owner identified in the returned contact information.

28. The method of claim 23, returning selected contact information further comprising:

filtering contact information according to a first privacy policy affecting plural contact owners; and

filtering contact information according to a second privacy policy affecting only one contact owner.

29. The method of claim 28, returning selected contact information further comprising:

filtering contact information according to a third privacy policy which varies by contact or entity.

30. A system for processing data containing information about relationships between contacts or entities and a community of contact owners, comprising:

a data collecting module which collects data including contact information, contact owner information and one or more values related to strength of a relationship between the contact and the contact owner;

a processor executing a process to evaluate the strength of the relationship based on the one or more values; and

a memory storing the collected data and evaluated strength in a computer database.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a module which extracts unique identifiers from the collected data;

a module which matches the unique identifiers to a taxonomy of valid entities; and

a module which indexes the collected data to unique identifiers corresponding to valid entities.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a module which extracts information from the collected data by which a valid entity can be distinguished from an invalid entity; and

a module which organizes the extracted information into a set of rules defining a taxonomy which separates valid and invalid entities.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

a module which updates the taxonomy to include and/or exclude additional information extracted from the collected data.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising;

a module which filters the collected data and evaluated strength to exclude from the computer database collected data corresponding to insufficient strength.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the module which extracts unique identifiers further comprises:

a sub-module which recognizes an identifier associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the module which extracts unique identifiers further comprises:

a sub-module which recognizes domain names or email addresses as unique identifiers of entities.

37. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a module which extracts from the one or more values one or more of how long the contact has been stored, how frequently it has been accessed, how recently it has been accessed or modified, whether the contact owner appears to have an identifiable association with the contact or entity, the type of association such as duration, frequency, recency or role, the amount and type of contact data, the pattern and frequency and recency of communication; and

a module which computes on a substantially continuous scale the strength of the relationship relative to other relationships in the collected data.

38. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

a user interface which receives a query for contacts having desired characteristics; and

a user interface which returns a list of contact owners corresponding to relationships with contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a module which orders the returned list of contact owners according to the evaluated strength of relationships to those contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

40. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a module which identifies contact owners corresponding to contacts having the desired characteristics only when the contact owner and contact also meet a privacy policy including one or more policies selected from a list including;

a global policy,

a group policy,

an individual contact owner policy, and

an individual contact policy.

41. The system of claim 40, the list further comprising:

an opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner to opt out of the method as to at least some contact information owned.

42. The system of claim 41, the opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner belonging to the community of contact owners to totally opt out, removing themselves and their contacts and relationships from search results.

43. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a module which renders a contact owner anonymous in the returned list; and

a module which provides access to anonymous communication with the anonymous contact owner.

44. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a module which provides a communication method for contacting a contact owner on the returned list.

45. A database structure stored in a memory, the database structure including a key, the database structure comprising:

a plurality of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include a domain name field; and

the domain name field is a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to a domain name.

46. The structure of claim 45, further comprising:

a correspondence of domain names to business entities.

47. A database structure stored in a memory, the database structure including a key, the database structure comprising:

a plurality of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include an email address field; and

the email address field is a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an email address.

48. The structure of claim 47, further comprising:

a correspondence of email addresses to personal entities.

49. A database structure stored in a memory, the database structure including a key, the database structure comprising:

a plurality of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which includes a field holding an identifier uniquely associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking; and

the field holding the identifier is a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an identifier.

50. The structure of claim 49, wherein the identifier is a domain name corresponding to an entity.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the identifier is an email address corresponding to an entity.

52. A system for sharing contact information, comprising:

a database of contact information records stored in a memory;

a processor which selects contact information according to a selection criterion; and

a user interface which returns selected contact information also complying with restrictions set in a set of hierarchical privacy policies.

53. The system of claim 52, further comprising:

a module which restricts returned contact information to only indicate contact owner.

54. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a user interface which masks a contact owner name, who is then only anonymously identified.

55. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a user interface which arranges the returned contact owner indications in order of relationship quality.

56. The system of claim 53, further comprising:

a user interface which transmits a request for an introduction and/or detailed contact information from a user to a contact owner identified in the returned contact information.

57. The system of claim 52, the user interface which returns selected contact information further comprising:

a module which filters contact information according to a first privacy policy affecting plural contact owners; and

a module which filters contact information according to a second privacy policy affecting only one contact owner.

58. The system of claim 57, the user interface which returns selected contact information further comprising:

a module which filters contact information according to a third privacy policy which varies by contact or entity.

59. A computer software product including:

a machine readable medium carrying instructions for carrying out a method of processing data containing information about relationships between contacts or entities and a community of contact owners, comprising;

collecting data including contact information, contact owner information and one or more values related to strength of a relationship between the contact and the contact owner;

evaluating the strength of the relationship based on the one or more values; and

storing the collected data and evaluated strength in a computer database.

60. The product of claim 59, the method further comprising:

extracting unique identifiers from the collected data;

matching the unique identifiers to a taxonomy of valid entities; and

indexing the collected data to unique identifiers corresponding to valid entities.

61. The product of claim 60, the method further comprising:

extracting information from the collected data by which a valid entity can be distinguished from an invalid entity; and

organizing the extracted information into a set of rules defining a taxonomy which separates valid and invalid entities.

62. The product of claim 61, the method further comprising:

updating the taxonomy to include and/or exclude additional information extracted from the collected data.

63. The product of claim 62, the method further comprising;

filtering the collected data and evaluated strength to exclude from the computer database collected data corresponding to insufficient strength.

64. The product of claim 60, wherein extracting unique identifiers further comprises:

recognizing an identifier associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking.

65. The product of claim 64, wherein extracting unique identifiers further comprises:

recognizing domain names or email addresses as unique identifiers of entities.

66. The product of claim 59, the method further comprising:

extracting from the one or more values one or more of how long the contact has been stored, how frequently it has been accessed, how recently it has been accessed or modified, whether the contact owner appears to have an identifiable association with the contact or entity, the type of association such as duration, frequency, recency or role, the amount and type of contact data, the pattern and frequency and recency of communication; and

computing on a substantially continuous scale the strength of the relationship relative to other relationships in the collected data.

67. The product of claim 59, the method further comprising:

receiving a query for contacts having desired characteristics; and

returning a list of contact owners corresponding to relationships with contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

68. The product of claim 67, the method further comprising:

ordering the returned list of contact owners according to the evaluated strength of relationships to those contacts or entities having the desired characteristics.

69. The product of claim 67, the method further comprising:

identifying contact owners corresponding to contacts having the desired characteristics only when the contact owner and contact also meet a privacy policy including one or more policies selected from a list including;

a global policy,

a group policy,

an individual contact owner policy, and

an individual contact policy.

70. The product of claim 69, the list further comprising:

an opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner to opt out of the method as to at least some contact information owned.

71. The product of claim 70, the opt-out privacy policy permitting a contact owner belonging to the community of contact owners to totally opt out, removing themselves and their contacts and relationships from search results.

72. The product of claim 67, the method further comprising:

rendering a contact owner anonymous in the returned list; and

providing access to anonymous communication with the anonymous contact owner.

73. The product of claim 67, the method further comprising:

providing a communication method for contacting a contact owner on the returned list.

74. A computer software product including a keyed database manipulated by instructions carried on a machine readable medium, the instructions comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include a domain name field; and

setting the domain name field as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to a domain name.

75. The product of claim 74, the method further comprising:

mapping domain names to business entities.

76. A computer software product including a keyed database manipulated by instructions carried on a machine readable medium, the instructions comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which include an email address field; and

setting the email address field as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an email address.

77. The product of claim 76, the method further comprising:

mapping email addresses to personal entities.

78. A computer software product including a keyed database manipulated by instructions carried on a machine readable medium, the instructions comprising:

building a database of records, each containing information about an entity, and each of which includes a field holding an identifier uniquely associated with an entity by a convention of computer networking; and

setting the field holding the identifier as a key field;

whereby a record for an entity is found by reference to an identifier.

79. The product of claim 78, wherein the identifier is a domain name corresponding to an entity.

80. The product of claim 78, wherein the identifier is an email address corresponding to an entity.

81. A computer software product including:

a machine readable medium carrying instructions for carrying out a method of sharing contact information, comprising;

maintaining a database of contact information records;

selecting contact information according to a selection criterion; and

returning selected contact information also complying with restrictions set in a set of hierarchical privacy policies.

82. The product of claim 81, the method further comprising:

restricting returned contact information to only indicate contact owner.

83. The product of claim 82, the method further comprising:

masking a contact owner name, who is then only anonymously identified.

84. The product of claim 82, the method further comprising:

arranging the returned contact owner indications in order of relationship quality.

85. The product of claim 82, the method further comprising:

transmitting a request for an introduction and/or detailed contact information from a user to a contact owner identified in the returned contact information.

86. The product of claim 81, returning selected contact information further comprising:

filtering contact information according to a first privacy policy affecting plural contact owners; and

filtering contact information according to a second privacy policy affecting only one contact owner.

87. The product of claim 86, returning selected contact information further comprising:

filtering contact information according to a third privacy policy which varies by contact or entity.