Searching and reference checking within social networks

• US 9,336,333 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blue, Allen, Tau, Edward, Work, James Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/674,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,375 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758, 707/770
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for identifying a potential reference is disclosed. In one embodiment, a user interface (UI) object (e.g., a one-click reference search button) is provided, for example, on a web page displayed at a user'"'"'s client device. When selected, the UI object causes a reference search query to be generated. The search query identifies the user performing the search, and a target person for whom the user would like a reference. The search query is communicated to, and processed by, a social networking system (e.g., through an API function call). In turn, the social networking system returns information about potential references to the client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a first user interface presented in a first web page, search criteria for a search to be performed, the search to identify members of a social networking system having member profiles that satisfy the search criteria;

using the received search criteria, performing a search of member profiles to identify one or more member profiles that satisfy the search criteria;

causing a second user interface to be presented in a second web page, the second user interface displaying a first set of search results including the one or more member profiles identified as having satisfied the search criteria;

receiving, via the second user interface, user-input representing a selection of a particular member profile presented in the set of search results;

responsive to receiving the user-input, causing a third user interface to be presented in a third web page, the third user interface representing a member profile page for the particular member profile that has been selected from the search results, the third user interface presented in the third web page including a user interface object configured to facilitate an automated search of the social networking system to locate references for the member whose member profile has been selected from the search results and presented via the third web page;

upon detecting selection of the user interface object, automatically performing a second search of the social networking system for individuals within a social network of a searcher that selected the user interface object and whose member profiles indicate employment with an organization at which the member whose member profile has been selected from the search results and presented via the third web page was also employed during a common time period; and

subsequent to performing the second search, causing a fourth user interface to be presented in a fourth web page, the fourth user interface presenting a second set of search results for the second search.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating initiation of an introduction request to be sent on behalf of the searcher to a person who connects the searcher to the member whose member profile has been selected from the search results and presented via the third web page.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is a user-selectable button or hyperlink.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the user interface object is served from a server different from a server hosting the social networking system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, for each result in the set of second search results, along with the name of a respective reference, a second user interface object, wherein the second user interface object, when selected, facilitates a communication mechanism enabling the searcher to request information from the respective reference.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the communication mechanism is an email automatically addressed to the respective reference when the searcher is directly connected with the respective reference in the searcher'"'"'s social network.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the communication mechanism is an email automatically addressed to a person who connects the searcher with the respective reference via a chain of person-to-person connections, as indicated by information in social networking profiles.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the results for the second set of search results are ordered in accordance with criteria established by the searcher.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the fourth user interface as presented in the fourth web page includes a list of previously and/or currently held employment positions of the member whose member profile has been selected from the search results and presented via the third web page, wherein selection of an employment position in the list will modify the presentation of the second set of search results to include as results of the second search only members whose member profile indicates employment with an organization at which the member, whose member profile has been selected from the search results and presented via the third web page, was employed in an employment position identified by the selected employment position, during a common time period.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying a member profile page for a target user within a social network;

receiving, via the member profile page, a request from a requesting user within the social network to search for one or more reference users connected to the requesting user within the social network and having a member profile indicating employment at an organization at which the target member was employed during a common time period;

identifying one or more reference users connected to the requesting user and having a member profile indicating employment at an organization at which the target member was employed during a common time period; and

presenting a result of the request to the requesting user that includes information associated with the identified one or more reference users and a list of previously and/or currently held employment positions of the target user, wherein selection of an employment position in the list will modify the presentation of the one or more identified references to include only those references whose member profile indicates employment with an organization at which the target user was employed in an employment position identified by the selected employment position, during a common time period.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein presenting a result of the request to the requesting user includes presenting information associated with a subset of the identified one or more reference users in response to input received from the requesting user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein receiving, via the profile page, a request from a requesting user within the social network to search for one or more reference users includes receiving the request via a user-selectable button presented via the profile page.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying a member profile page for a target user within a social network;

receiving, via the member profile page, a request from a requesting user within the social network to search for one or more reference users connected to the requesting user within the social network and having a member profile indicating employment at an organization at which the target member was employed during a common time period;

identifying one or more reference users connected to the requesting user who have a member profile indicating employment at an organization at which the target member was employed during a common time period; and

presenting a result of the request to the requesting user that includes information associated with the identified one or more reference users, and a list of previously and/or currently held employment positions of the target user, wherein selection of an employment position in the list will modify the presentation of the one or more identified references to include only those references whose member profile indicates employment with an organization at which the target user was employed in an employment position identified by the selected employment position, during a common time period.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein presenting a result of the request to the requesting user includes presenting information associated with a subset of the identified one or more reference users in response to input received from the requesting user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein receiving, via the profile page, a request from a requesting user within the social network to search for one or more reference users includes receiving the request via a user-selectable button presented via the profile page.