DYNAMIC SOCIAL NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20090157693A1
• Filed: 06/18/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bonev
• Original Assignee: Smooth Productions Inc.
• Inventors: PALAHNUK, Samuel Louis
• Granted Patent: US 9,324,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

The system service provider automatically spawns a custom website for any group created using the system. The group may be created from a user interface and a groups lozenge provided by the interface. Messages may be sent between group members using a multi-user chat provided by the custom website. In addition, video and images and other digital media and content may be shared with group members. The website associated with the group stores any messages sent to the group, any multi-user chat between group members, any shared videos or images, and any shared files. As a result, group members may access this information at any time; however, others people beyond the group are unable to access this information.

Claims

1. An automated process implemented in dynamic social network system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication from a user to create a social network;

automatically creating a group with members from a plurality of contacts previously associated with the user and stored in a user database of the system;

automatically spawning a website customized for the group;

providing a dynamic link to each of the plurality of contacts; and

providing access to the custom spawned website in response to activation of the link.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication comprises receiving an input of a group name from a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising automatically creating a group in response to providing an indication of the group name within a group lozenge of the user interface, providing a list of contacts including the plurality of contacts to a people lozenge of the user interface, and receiving an indication from the user interface to add the plurality of contacts to the group name by receiving an indication from a user input device of the user dragging the plurality of contacts from the people lozenge to the group name.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the system automatically associates names of the plurality of contacts to the group name in response to receiving the dragging indication and stores the association within the user database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the dynamic link further comprises creating a message with the dynamic link for a member of the group and providing an indication of the message for a read lozenge of the member.

6. The method claim 1 wherein the spawned website is a custom webpage just for members of the group to facilitate communications and exchange of data between the group members.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein group members who are system users are notified of the creation of the group webpage via a message provided in conjunction with their read lozenge.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the system automatically generates an electronic communication to any group members who are non-system users that includes a dynamic link to access a system server providing the spawned custom group website.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the custom group website as long as the group exists.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises monitoring access of the custom group website to determine whether to maintain an instance of the custom group website and removing the dynamic link after a predetermined period of time without access by any member of the group.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising granting group members access to the custom group website and providing access to digital content associated with the group members via the granted access.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising granting group members access to the custom group website and providing a forum style messaging window for member to engage in a chat session with other members of the group.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising granting group members access to the custom group website and providing access a group calendar via the granted access.

14. A method providing a social matching service for a user of a dynamic social network system;

the method comprising;

automatically creating a group with members from a plurality of contacts previously associated with the user and stored in a user database of the system;

receiving an indication to activate the matching service for the group;

automatically determining a social interest associated with the group from group data and interests of group members;

searching a profile database for all system users to identify all users with a social interest stored their profile that matches the determined group social interest; and

introducing each identified user who is not already a group member.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein identifying user include identify a user within the specified vicinity of a group location.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein introducing includes making an introduction between the identified user and the group member by providing a message to the identified user and one or more group members requesting approval for further contact.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving an affirmative answer from the user and the members and automatically adding the contact information of the user to a people lozenge of each member.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving an affirmative answer from the user and the members and automatically adding the contact information to the list of members in the group.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein automatically determining includes identifying any interests of the members in the group for which a matching service is activated and comparing the identified interests to group to determine if a correlation exists.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a correlation between the group interest and the member interest is determined and the system stores the member interest as the group interest.