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Methods for searching private social network data

  • US 8,121,999 B2
  • Filed: 01/06/2010
  • Issued: 02/21/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for searching a database that includes private social network data, comprising:

  • providing one or more databases including a plurality of database entries, a first portion of the database entries including private social network data and a second portion including non-social network data that is publicly accessible on the World Wide Web;

    associating a plurality of permission rules with the first portion of database entries, the plurality of permission rules individually defining access rights to a respective subset of the private social network data;

    receiving a keyword search request from a search request user;

    receiving auntication data associated with the user, wherein the auntication data identifies access rights of the user to a subset of the private social network data according to at least one of the permission rules;

    searching the one or more databases or a keyword index thereof using one or more keywords received in the keyword search request and generating a search result comprising a plurality of search result items;

    determining a hierarchy for the search result items;

    displaying at least a portion of the search results items according to the hierarchy;

    and determining whether the user has access rights to a particular subset Of the private social network data and wherein if the user has access rights to particular subset of private social network data, using at least a portion of the particular subset of private social network data in the step of (i) searching the one or more databases, (ii) determining the hierarchy, and/or (iii) displaying the search result items.

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