Calculating connectivity, social proximity and trust level between web user

• US 8,364,605 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tros Interactive Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tros Interactive Ltd.
• Inventors: SEGAL, Erel, Segal, Erez, ROSENTHAL, Tuvia
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/501,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/319
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A computer implemented system for, and a computer implemented method of calculating indicators to reflect real-life interactions between people, among those are connectivity, social proximity, best paths and trust level. The system comprises a server connected via a communication link to users associated with communication and web based environments and to the web based environments and communication platforms themselves. The server is arranged to receive data relating to users, their profiles, connections and related data in the communication and web based environments as well as large scale data from these environments. The server comprises an application arranged to convert the data into a standard numeric format quantifying the connectivity, the social proximity, the trust level and other indicators to reflect real-life interactions between people. The computer implemented method collects information about the users and their connectivity, and analysis and maps the information as a virtual network spanning a plurality of the web based environments and communication platforms.

Claims

1. A data processing system for calculating connectivity, social proximity and trust level in social networks, the data processing system comprising:

a server comprising an application, a graphical user interface and a database, the server connected via a communication link to a plurality of users operatively associated with a social layer comprising at least one web based social environment, and the server further connected via the communication link to the at least one web based social environments,

wherein the users have profiles, connection and related data in the web based social environments,

wherein the server is arranged to receive data relating to the users, their profiles, connections and related data in the web based social environments as well as large scale data from the web based social environments, and

wherein the application is arranged to convert the data into a standard numeric format quantifying the connectivity, the social proximity and the trust level in the social networks for connected users based upon number of interactions between the connected users, duration of their relationship, and nature of their interactions.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is arranged to allow users to input acquaintance data relating to them and other users.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the application is further arranged to authenticate user identities.

4. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the application is further arranged to rate user credibility in a context of electronic commerce from the calculated measures in respect to other users.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the data is collected from social networking sites, websites, instant messaging applications, chat applications, email applications, mobile applications, MMS, SMS, and TV broadcasting channels.

6. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises an online module arranged to update the data and related calculations substantially immediately after information changes, and an offline module arranged to analyze the data and derived measures.

7. A computer implemented method of calculating connectivity, social proximity and trust level in social networks, the method comprising:

collecting information related to users operatively associated with a social layer comprising at least one web based social environment;

collecting acquaintance data relating to users of the social layer by questioning users for acquaintance data relating to other users;

converting the acquaintance data into a standard numeric format;

calculating measures for connected users of the social layer quantifying the connectivity, the social proximity and the trust level based upon number of interactions between the connected users, the duration of their relationship, and the nature of their interactions;

generating at least one connection graph, a plurality of paths and at least one subjective network relating to the users of the social layer;

adding information to the subjective networks;

calculating measures for non connected users of the social layer;

generating a virtual network spanning a plurality of the web based social environments; and

upon query—

responding to the query by using the subjective networks and caching calculated measures.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising authenticating user identities by crossing the collected information from various sources.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising rating user credibility in a content of electronic commerce from the calculated measures in respect to other users.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the information is collected from social networking sites, websites, instant messaging applications, chat applications, email applications, mobile applications, MMS, SMS, and TV broadcasting channels.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the calculating measures for connected users of the social layer is carried out pair wise.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the collected information comprises measures relating to a single user.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the measures relating to a single user comprise a user'"'"'s social connectivity.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising updating the collected information and related calculations substantially immediately after information changes.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein collecting information related to users comprises collecting communication patterns of users as registered in communication utilities.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising assigning predefined connection strengths to predefined relationships between users in predefined organizations.