Human relationships registering system and device for registering human relationships, program for registering human relationships, and medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by computer

• US 8,140,519 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mekiki Company Limited, Mekiki Creates Company Limited (Mekiki Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mekiki Company Limited, Mekiki Creates Company Limited (Mekiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Deguchi, Hikaru, Ninomiya, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US12/916,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2291 User-Defined Types; Storage management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

To provide a human relationships registering system, a method and a server for registering human relationships, a program for registering human relationships, and a medium storing human relationships registering program and readable by a computer, all of which are used to establish wide and close relationships with members having a variety of occupations or engaged in various technical fields and to obtain expert knowledge or information. The human relationships registering system comprises first data processing units 2 and 3 including sections for receiving personal data of a new member, and a second data processing unit including a section for storing the received personal data. The second data processing unit stores the personal data of the new member in correlation to an existing member when the existing member confirms the new member.

Claims

1. An apparatus including a server coupled to a communication network configured to establish and update relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to the communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a database configured to store identification information and relationships of the members;

a data receiver configured to receive, from a first member, identification information of a second member that has a direct relationship with the first member;

a data retriever configured to retrieve from the database, in response to the received identification information of the second member, identification information of direct relationships of the second member; and

a data sender configured to communicate to the first member via the communication network the retrieved identification information of a third member that is directly related to the second member,

wherein

the data receiver is further configured to receive a first search request from the first member that includes identification information of the third member,

the data retriever is further configured, in response to the first search request, to search the database specifically for one or more fourth members directly related to both the first member and the third member, and

the data sender is further configured to communicate to the first member via the communication network the identification information of said one or more fourth members.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the database is further configured to store relationship data indicating a direct relationship between the members.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the data receiver is further configured to receive from the first member target relationship data indicating a direct relationship with the second member, and the data retriever is further configured to retrieve, in response to both the received identification information of the second member and the received target relationship data, identification information of the direct relationships of the second member.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data receiver is further configured to receive identification information of the third member from the first member, and the data retriever is further configured to retrieve from the database, in response to the received identification information of the third member from the first member, identification information of at least one fifth member directly related to the third member but not directly related to the first member, and the data sender is further configured to communicate via the communication network the identification information of the at least one fifth member to the first member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification information of the members includes at least one of a member name, a member identification code, and a member email address.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the received identification information of the second member is included in a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first search request is included in a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification information of the one or more fourth members is displayed separately from identification information of members that do not have a direct relationship with the first member.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification information of each member of the one or more fourth members and the identification information of members that do not have a direct relationship with the first member is displayed in a vertical alignment having the identification information of each member of the one or more fourth members interspersed with the identification information of members that do not have a direct relationship with the first member.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the identification information of the one or more fourth members is displayed in a first region such that the identification information of each of said one or more fourth members is directly adjacent to the identification information of at least another of said one or more fourth members, and

the identification information of members that do not have a direct relationship with the first member is displayed in a vertical alignment in a second region separate from the first region.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the only identification information displayed in response to the first search request is the identification information of the one or more fourth members and the identification information of the third member.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data retriever, in response to receiving a second search request including the identification information of at least two members, searches specifically for identification information of at least a subset of one or more other members having relationship data indicating a direct relationship with the at least two members.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a message communicator configured to communicate via the communication network to the third member a first message indicating that the first member wishes to establish a direct relationship with the third member, and to communicate via the communication network a second message to the first member indicating that the third member has accepted the direct relationship with the first member,

wherein the database is further configured to update the relationships of the first member and the third member to indicate a direct relationship between the first member and the third member once the message communicator communicates the second message.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first message and the second message include protocol emails.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first message and the second message include any electronic communication of information.

16. A method, implemented by an apparatus including a server coupled to a communication network, for establishing and updating relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to the communication network, the method comprising:

storing, at a database, identification information and relationships of the members;

receiving, at a data receiver, from a first member, identification information of a second member that has a direct relationship with the first member;

retrieving, at a data retriever, from the database, in response to the received identification information of the second member, identification information of direct relationships of the second member;

communicating, at a data sender, to the first member via the communication network the retrieved identification information of a third member that is directly related to the second member;

searching the database, in response to receiving a first search request from the first member that includes identification information of the third member, specifically for one or more fourth members directly related to both the first member and the third member; and

communicating, at the data sender, to the first member via the communication network the identification information of said one or more fourth members.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating, at a message communicator via the communication network, to the third member a first message indicating that the first member wishes to establish a direct relationship with the third member;

communicating, at the message communicator via the communication network, a second message to the first member indicating that the third member has accepted the direct relationship with the first member; and

updating, at the database, the relationships of the first member and the third member to indicate a direct relationship between the first member and the third member once the message communicator communicates the second message.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions thereon for establishing and updating relationships between members registered to a relationships registering system coupled to a communication network, that when executed by an apparatus including a server coupled to the communication network cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

storing identification information and relationships of the members;

receiving, from a first member, identification information of a second member that has a direct relationship with the first member;

retrieving, from the database, in response to the received identification information of the second member, identification information of direct relationships of the second member;

communicating to the first member via the communication network the retrieved identification information of a third member that is directly related to the second member;

searching, in response to receiving a first search request from the first member that includes identification information of the first member and the third member, the database specifically for one or more fourth members directly related to both the first member and the third member; and

communicating to the first member via the communication network the identification information of the one or more fourth members.