System for Controlled Distribution of User Profiles Over a Network

• US 20100257248A1
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheah, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An information management and distribution system is disclosed. The information management and distribution system facilitates the controlled exchange of contact information over a network. The system can support one or more of creation and design, rolodex, exchange, and update features. In one embodiment, the information management and distribution system can include a networked server system accessible by remote user devices via the network, and at least one database maintained by the networked server system and storing content information and exchange settings of registered users.

Claims

1. A computer system that supports controlled exchange over a network of digital content information pertaining to a plurality of users, the computer system comprising:

a networked server system accessible by remote user devices via the network; and

one or more databases maintained by the networked server system and storing content information and exchange settings of registered users;

the networked server system being programmed, via executable program instructions, to;

(a) receive and store in the one or more databases the content information provided by a first user for association with the first user, the content information comprising profile information about the first user and additional multimedia content of a plurality of data types, the content information comprising multiple data items which each correspond to a different subset of the content information;

(b) receive and store in the one or more databases the exchange settings provided by the first user for specifying access to one or more of the multiple data items of the content information to one or more categories of requesting users so as to define one or more user profiles containing those of the multiple data items specified as being accessible to a particular category of the requesting users;

(c) receive a request from a second user to permit the exchange of content information with the first user;

(d) send an electronic notification of the requested exchange to the first user;

(e) provide an option for the first user to permit the requested exchange of the content information; and

(f) receive permission for the requested exchange from the first user; and

(g) establish the second user as a contact of the first user and provide the first user and the second user access to each of their respective user profiles via the network, wherein the second user is provided access to the particular user profile previously specified by the first user'"'"'s exchange settings for a category of requesting users to which the second user has been associated by the first user.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to provide a selector feature that enables the first user to select the user profile of a particular contact, in response to which the networked server system provides the selected user profile for display in a profile display area of a user interface.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to allow the contacts of the first user to be organized into at least one category.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the networked server system is programmed to apply profile exchange settings received from the first user for each such category.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the at least one category comprises one or more of a friend category, a business associate category and a family member category.

6. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the at least one category includes a user defined custom category, the networked server system configured to allow the first user to associate at least one contact with the custom category.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the at least one category includes at least one system defined category and a user defined custom category, the networked server system configured to allow the first user to associate at least one contact with one or more of the at least one system defined category and the user defined custom category.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to allow the first user to pre-authorize one or more categories of users to access one or more data items of the first user'"'"'s content information without separate approval by the first user of individual exchange requests.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the one or more categories of users includes a category comprising all users of the service such that the first user may specify a particular user profile that is accessible to all users without separate approval by the first user of individual exchange requests.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to provide an option for the first user to provide instructions identifying a category of requesting users with which the second user is to be associated in response to receiving the notification of a requested exchange and to thereby grant the second user access to the particular user profile previously authorized by the first user'"'"'s exchange settings for the identified category of requesting users.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the additional multimedia content includes a plurality of data objects which provide controls for allowing contacts of the first user to interact with the additional content.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data types includes data types corresponding to one or more of graphics, images, audio, video, HTML code, XML code, applications, Applets or http links.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the one or more user profiles contain a plurality of embedded applications or Applets having predefined runtime behaviors.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system provides a portal for a user to initiate an on-line chat with one or more of the user'"'"'s respective contacts.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system provides a portal for a user to compose and send an instant message or email message to one or more of the user'"'"'s respective contacts.

16. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system provides a portal for a user of the system to conduct a video conference with one or more of the user'"'"'s respective contacts.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to allow the first user to change the content information provided by the first user and changes are reflected automatically in the profile information when the user profile of the first user is displayed via a user interface to contacts of the first user.

18. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the networked server system is programmed to dynamically provide additional multimedia content for display along with at least one user profile via a user interface.

19. The computers system of claim 18, wherein the dynamically provided additional multimedia content comprises one or more advertisements.

20. The computers system of claim 18, wherein the dynamically provided additional multimedia content is of a data type corresponding to one or more of graphics, images, audio, video, HTML code, XML code, applications, Applets or http links for display with the at lest one user profile displayed via the user interface.

21. A computer system that supports controlled exchange over a network of digital content information pertaining to a plurality of users, the computer system comprising:

a networked server system accessible by remote user devices via the network; and

at least one database maintained by the networked server system and storing content information and exchange settings of registered users,

wherein the networked server system being programmed, via executable program instructions, to;

(a) receive and store in the at least one database the content information provided by a first user for association with the first user, the content information profiling the first user, the content information comprising multiple data items which each correspond to a different subset of the content information;

(b) receive and store in the at least one database the exchange settings provided by the first user for specifying access to one or more of the multiple data items of the content information to one or more categories of requesting users so as to define one or more user profiles containing those of the multiple data items specified as being accessible to a particular category of the requesting users;

(c) receive a request from a second user to permit the exchange of content information with the first user;

(d) determine whether the first user permits the request exchange of content information as requested by the second user; and

(e) establish the second user as a contact of the first user and provide the first user and the second user access to each of their respective user profiles via the network, wherein the second user is provided access to the particular user profile previously specified by the first user'"'"'s exchange settings for a category of requesting users to which the second user has been associated by the first user.