Method of aggregating business and social networks

US9342833B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC · US

Inventors

• Ashvin J. Mathew · Kirkland, US
• Christopher S. Hargarten · Seattle, US
• Navid Azimi-Garakani · Redmond, US
• Carlos Carvallo · Sammamish, US
• Gerry M. Tierney · Redmond, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 25, 2008
• Grant date: May 17, 2016
• Expiry date: Sep 30, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/10
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating relationships across multiple networks is described. The meta-network includes relationship information describing users, the networks to which such users belong, and the relationships that they have established within such networks. When a relationship is established in a network, it can be used to propagate relationships across any number of networks with the same or different users. The meta-network enhances the users' ability to search for information and manage their relationships across multiple networks. A user can search for other users according to one or more user-specified attributes. One or more users satisfying the user-specified attributes are identified, and a similarity measure may be determined for each of the identified users. A mapping interface is displayed to the user to enable the user to visually compare the identified users having a similarity measure within the displayed range. The mapping interface allows the user to invite one or more of the displayed users to establish a relationship with the user.