Platform for providing a social context to software applications

• US 20090049525A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanghvi, Ruchi, Wang, James, Slee, Mark, D'Angelo, Adam, Cheever, Charlie, Zhuo, Julie, Steinberg, Ari, Morin, Dave, Zamore, Eric, Fetterman, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for providing a social context to software applications. According to one embodiment of the invention, a user of a social network authorizes access by an external software application to information available in the social network. At some time later, the user of the social network uses an application designed by a third-party software developer. The application contacts the social network provider for permission to access the information available in the social network. If access has been authorized, the application incorporates the information from the social network into its interaction with the user, providing a social context to the user'"'"'s interaction with the application.

Claims

1. A method of providing information about users of a social network for use in a software application, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the application for information about a user available from the social network;

verifying that the user whose information is requested has authorized use of the information; and

providing the information available from the social network to the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying comprises confirming that the user whose information is requested has given permission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information about the user of the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises information about a user of the social network other than the user of the application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the other user is related to the user of the application through the social network.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising checking the social network privacy settings of the user of the application that determine whether the user'"'"'s information is available for providing to the user through the application.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising checking the privacy settings of the user of the social network other than the user of the application that determine whether the other user'"'"'s information is available for providing to the user of the application through the application.

8. A system for providing information from a social network for use in a software application, the system comprising:

a user information database configured to store and update information associated with users of the social network and authorization for the use of the information;

an application programming interface configured to receive a request for information stored in the user information database, and to provide information to the application; and

a verification module configured to verify that the requested use of the information is authorized and to provide the information to the application programming interface if authorized.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the verification module is further configured to confirm that the user of the application has given permission.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a privacy settings selections component configured to receive privacy settings from a user that determine whether and under what conditions the user'"'"'s information is available for providing to the application.

11. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium having instructions for providing information about users of a social network for use in a software application, comprising:

receiving a request from the application for information about a user available from the social network;

verifying that the user whose information is requested has authorized use of the information; and

providing the information available from the social network to the application.

12. The computer program of claim 11, wherein verifying comprises confirming that the user whose information is requested has given permission.

13. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the information comprises information about the user of the application.

14. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the information comprises information about a user of the social network other than the user of the application.

15. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the other user is related to the user of the application through the social network.

16. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising checking the social network privacy settings of the user of the application that determine whether the user'"'"'s information is available for providing to the user through the application.

17. The computer program of claim 14, further comprising checking the privacy settings of the user of the social network other than the user of the application that determine whether the other user'"'"'s information is available for providing to the user of the application through the application.