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US 2011/0219089 A1Published application
Social networking system capable of notifying users of profile updates made by their contacts
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBrian D. Robertson, Waren W. Adams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A networked computing system provides various services for assisting users in locating, and establishing contact relationships with, other users. For example, in one embodiment, users can identify other users based on their affiliations with particular schools or other organizations. The system also provides a mechanism for a user to selectively establish contact relationships or connections with other users, and to grant permissions for sharing personal data with such users. The system may also automatically notify users of personal information updates made by their respective contacts.
Claims21
A social networking system, comprising
- a server system that provides functionality for users to register with a service, and to selectively establish contact relationships with other registered users of the service such that each registered user can have one or more contacts defined within the social networking system, the server system additionally providing functionality for each registered user to supply and update personal data for viewing by other users;
- and
- a computer data repository accessed by the server system, said computer data repository configured to store said personal data supplied by the registered users, to store relationship data that specifies said contact relationships established between registered users;
- said server system programmed to use the relationship data to provide a user interface that enables a registered user to view a listing the registered user's contacts and to select a contact from said listing to view at least some of the selected contact's personal data;
- said server system additionally programmed to use the relationship data, in combination with personal data updates submitted by the registered users, to generate notification messages to notify the registered users of personal data updates made by their respective contacts.
2 more elements
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- providing a user interface that provides functionality for users to register with a service, and to selectively establish contact relationships with other registered users of the service such that each registered user can have one or more contacts defined within the service, the user interface additionally providing functionality for each registered user to supply and update personal data for viewing by other users;
- storing relationship data that specifies contact relationships established via the user interface between particular registered users of the service;
- storing personal data of the registered users, said personal data supplied by the registered users via the user interface;
- generating, for a first registered user of the service based on the relationship data, a list of the contacts of the first registered user;
- responding to user selection of a contact from said list by outputting, for display to the first registered user, at least a portion of the personal data of the selected contact;
- and
- generating, for presentation to the first registered user, a notification of personal data updates made by one or more of the contacts of the first registered user;
- said method performed by a network-based computing system that comprises a server.
5 more elements
Non-transitory computer storage that stores executable code that directs a computing system to perform a method that comprises:
- providing a user interface that provides functionality for users to register with a service, and to selectively establish contact relationships with other registered users of the service such that each registered user can have one or more contacts defined within the service, the user interface additionally providing functionality for each registered user to supply and update personal data for viewing by other users;
- storing relationship data that specifies contact relationships established via the user interface between particular registered users of the service;
- storing personal data of the registered users, said personal data supplied by the registered users via the user interface;
- generating, for a first registered user of the service based on the relationship data, a list of the contacts of the first registered user;
- responding to user selection of a contact from said list by outputting, for display to the first registered user, at least a portion of the personal data of the selected contact;
- and
- generating, for presentation to a second registered user, a notification of personal data updates made by one or more of the contacts of the second registered user.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.