System and method for managing connections in an online social network
US7188153B2 · kind B2 · utility
356Cited by
6References
30Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 25, 2006 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 25, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99935
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An online social network collects descriptive data about various individuals and allows those individuals to indicate other individuals with whom they have a personal relationship. The descriptive data and the relationship data are integrated and processed to reveal the series of social relationships connecting any two individuals within a social network. A maximum degree of separation setting is provided and set to at least two. The maximum degree of separation setting limits the amount of searching that is carried out when searching for a connection between two individuals in the social network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.