# US 2013/0159280 A1 · Analyzing and Representing Interpersonal Relations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0159280 A1 - Document ID: US20130159280A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/331,703 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Sap SE - Inventors: Alexey SOSHIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159280A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A computer-implemented method for analyzing and representing interpersonal relations includes: receiving, in a computer system, a user input requesting a representation of interpersonal relations regarding a person; executing, based on the user input and in a relational database, a relational-database query that selects relations involving the person, and that selects other persons involved in any of the selected relations, wherein the relational-database query is performed for each of the selected other persons until a maximum number of steps; and providing the representation of interpersonal relations in response to the user input, the representation indicating at least persons selected by the relational-database query. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for analyzing and representing interpersonal relations, the method comprising: receiving, in a computer system, a user input requesting a representation of interpersonal relations regarding a person; executing, based on the user input and in a relational database, a relational-database query that selects relations involving the person, and that selects other persons involved in any of the selected relations, wherein the relational-database query is performed for each of the selected other persons until a maximum number of steps; and providing the representation of interpersonal relations in response to the user input, the representation indicating at least persons selected by the relational-database query. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the relational-database query comprises: a first join of any relations that specify the person in at least one column; a second join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first join; at least a first left join of relations that specify any of the persons of the second join; and at least a second left join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first left join; wherein the relational-database query continues to perform left joins until the maximum number of steps is reached. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the relational-database query is executed on a relational database that includes a relations table, wherein for each relation the relations table includes a first column for a source of the relation and a second source for a target of the relation, and wherein the relational-database query selects the relation if the first column indicates the person and also if the second column indicates the person. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the user input identifies another person and seeks those of the interpersonal relations regarding the person that involve the identified other person. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the relational-database query is executed in an on-demand system to which a user uploads information about persons and connections, and wherein after receiving the user input the on-demand system provides the representation of interpersonal relations to the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user input specifies the maximum number of steps. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a social graph as the representation of interpersonal relations. ### Claim 8 A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for analyzing and representing interpersonal relations, the method comprising: receiving, in a computer system, a user input requesting a representation of interpersonal relations regarding a person; executing, based on the user input and in a relational database, a relational-database query that selects relations involving the person, and that selects other persons involved in any of the selected relations, wherein the relational-database query is performed for each of the selected other persons until a maximum number of steps; and providing the representation of interpersonal relations in response to the user input, the representation indicating at least persons selected by the relational-database query. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the relational-database query comprises: a first join of any relations that specify the person in at least one column; a second join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first join; at least a first left join of relations that specify any of the persons of the second join; and at least a second left join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first left join; wherein the relational-database query continues to perform left joins until the maximum number of steps is reached. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the relational-database query is executed on a relational database that includes a relations table, wherein for each relation the relations table includes a first column for a source of the relation and a second source for a target of the relation, and wherein the relational-database query selects the relation if the first column indicates the person and also if the second column indicates the person. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the user input identifies another person and seeks those of the interpersonal relations regarding the person that involve the identified other person. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the relational-database query is executed in an on-demand system to which a user uploads information about persons and connections, and wherein after receiving the user input the on-demand system provides the representation of interpersonal relations to the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user input specifies the maximum number of steps. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises generating a social graph as the representation of interpersonal relations. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: one or more processors; and a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for analyzing and representing interpersonal relations, the method comprising: receiving, in a computer system, a user input requesting a representation of interpersonal relations regarding a person; executing, based on the user input and in a relational database, a relational-database query that selects relations involving the person, and that selects other persons involved in any of the selected relations, wherein the relational-database query is performed for each of the selected other persons until a maximum number of steps; and providing the representation of interpersonal relations in response to the user input, the representation indicating at least persons selected by the relational-database query. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the relational-database query comprises: a first join of any relations that specify the person in at least one column; a second join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first join; at least a first left join of relations that specify any of the persons of the second join; and at least a second left join of any persons who are specified in the relations of the first left join; wherein the relational-database query continues to perform left joins until the maximum number of steps is reached. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the relational-database query is executed on a relational database that includes a relations table, wherein for each relation the relations table includes a first column for a source of the relation and a second source for a target of the relation, and wherein the relational-database query selects the relation if the first column indicates the person and also if the second column indicates the person. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the user input identifies another person and seeks those of the interpersonal relations regarding the person that involve the identified other person. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the relational-database query is executed in an on-demand system to which a user uploads information about persons and connections, and wherein after receiving the user input the on-demand system provides the representation of interpersonal relations to the user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises generating a social graph as the representation of interpersonal relations.