SEARCHING AND REFERENCE CHECKING WITHIN SOCIAL NETWORKS

• US 20070245245A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blue, Allen, Tau, Edward, Work, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for identifying a potential reference is disclosed. In one embodiment, a user interface (UI) object (e.g., a one-click reference search button) is provided, for example, on a web page displayed at a user'"'"'s client device. When selected, the UI object causes a reference search query to be generated. The search query identifies the user performing the search, and a target person for whom the user would like a reference. The search query is communicated to, and processed by, a social networking system (e.g., through an API function call). In turn, the social networking system returns information about potential references to the client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

upon detecting selection of a user interface object by a user, generating a reference search query to be processed by a social networking system, wherein said reference search query identifies the user and a target person and is designed to return a list of persons who i) are connected to the user via a chain of person-to-person connections defined by the social networking system, and ii) are likely to have a connection to the target person.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each person in the list of persons is a potential reference to provide information about the target person to the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

facilitating initiation of an introduction request to be sent on behalf of the user to a person who connects the user to a selected person from the list of persons, wherein the introduction request requests on behalf of the user an introduction to said selected person.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein persons who are likely to have a connection to the target person are those persons who, according to a user profile, belong to, or previously belonged to, an organization to which the target person belongs, or previously belonged, during an overlapping time period.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, for each person in the list of persons, a brief summary of the person is included along with a link to a detailed profile of the person.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, for each position held by the target person as indicated in the target person'"'"'s profile, the reference search query is further designed to return a count of persons in said list of persons who are likely to have or have had a connection to the target person during the target person'"'"'s tenure in said each position.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein persons who have, or had, a connection to the position held by the target person are persons who, according to a user profile, belong, or belonged to, a department or organization which includes, or included, the position held by the target person.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is a user-selectable button or hyperlink.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the user interface object is served from a server different from the server hosting the social networking system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the user interface object is generated and displayed along with the target person'"'"'s name as part of a listing of search results for a search performed by the user.

11. A user interface object, which, when selected by a user, generates a reference search query to be processed by a social networking system, wherein said reference search query identifies the user and a target person and is designed to return a list of persons who i) are connected to the user via a chain of person-to-person connections defined by the social networking system, and ii) are likely to have a connection to the target person.

12. The user-interface object of claim 11, wherein each person in the list of persons is a potential reference to provide information about the target person to the user.

13. The user interface object of claim 11, wherein persons who are likely to have a connection to the target person are those persons who, according to a user profile, belong to, or previously belonged to, an organization to which the target person belongs, or previously belonged, during an overlapping time period.

14. The user interface object of claim 11, wherein, for each person in the list of persons, a brief summary of the person is included along with a link to a detailed profile of the person.

15. The user interface object of claim 11, wherein, for each position held by the target person as indicated in the target person'"'"'s profile, the reference search query is further designed to return a count of persons who i) are connected to the user via a chain of person-to-person connections defined by the social networking system, and ii) have, or had, a connection to the position held by the target person.

16. The user interface object of claim 15, wherein persons who have, or had, a connection to the position held by the target person are persons who, according to a user profile, belong, or belonged to, a department or organization which includes, or included, the position held by the target person.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

causing a first user interface object to be displayed on a web page, wherein the first user interface object, when selected, causes a reference search query to be generated and communicated to a social networking system, the reference search query including the name of a user and the name of a target person; and

receiving, from the social networking system, the name of at least one potential reference who, based on social networking profiles, has established a direct or indirect connection with the user and currently belongs to, or previously belonged to, a group or organization to which the target person currently belongs, or previously belonged, respectively; and

displaying the name of the at least one potential reference.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying along with the name of the at least one potential reference a second user interface object, which, when selected, facilitates a communication mechanism enabling the user to request information from the potential reference.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the communication mechanism is an email automatically addressed to the potential reference if the user is directly connected with the potential reference.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the communication mechanism is an email automatically addressed to a person who connects the user with the potential reference via a chain of person-to-person connections, as indicated by information in social networking profiles.