# US 2014/0156674 A1 · Method and apparatus for developing a social hierarchy

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- Number: US 2014/0156674 A1
- Document ID: US20140156674A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/692,370
- Filed: 2012-12-03
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03
- Assignees: Motorola Mobility LLC
- Applicants: Motorola Mobility LLC
- Inventors: William P. Alberth, JR.; William K. Morgan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156674A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- G06F 16/22: Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
- G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
- G06Q 10/46: Determination of level of influence of users within social networking services
- H04M 1/27457: Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
- H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for developing a social hierarchy for a user from a plurality of contacts includes, for each contact, tracking communications occurring between the user and the contact; determining, from the tracked communications, a rate of change for communications between the user and the contact; and identifying, based on the rate of change, a position in the social hierarchy for the contact. Another method and apparatus includes tracking communications occurring between the user and a contact in the plurality of contacts, wherein tracking a communication comprises identifying a method of communication and a time the communication occurred; determining, from the tracked communications, that repeated communication attempts were made between the user and the contact; and identifying, based on the repeated communication attempts, a position in the social hierarchy for the contact.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for developing a social hierarchy for a user from a plurality of contacts, the method comprising a device performing, for each contact in the plurality of contacts:
tracking communications occurring between the user and the contact over a first time period;
determining, from the tracked communications, a rate of change for communications between the user and the contact, associated with the first time period; and
identifying, based on the rate of change, a position in the social hierarchy for the contact.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying the user of a change of position in the social hierarchy for a first contact, wherein the notification is performed within a threshold time after the user finishes interacting with the device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the notification is delayed when the device is in the presence of a contact from the plurality of contacts.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein tracking communications comprises identifying times at which communications occurred, the method further comprising determining, from the tracked communications and identified times, that repeated communication attempts were made, within a second time period, between the user and a first contact in the plurality of contacts, wherein identifying the position in the social hierarchy for the first contact is further based on the repeated communication attempts.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 further comprising generating a score for the first contact, wherein identifying the position in the social hierarchy for the first contact is based on comparing the score for the first contact with scores for other contacts, and wherein the score for the first contact is based on at least one of:
a number of repeated communication attempts by the user to the first contact;
a number of repeated communication attempts by the first contact to the user; or
a number of communication methods used for repeated communication attempts between the user and the first contact.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the score for the first contact comprises an average weighted score for the first time period, wherein at least one weight used to the determine the average weighed score is based on the repeated communication attempts between the user and the first contact.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein tracking communications comprises identifying communication methods used to make the repeated communication attempts between the user and the first contact, and wherein the communication methods used to make the repeated communication attempts between the user and the first contact include at least two of:
a phone call;
an e-mail;
a text message;
an instant message;
a video chat; or
an interaction with a social networking site.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein tracking communications comprises identifying times at which communications occurred to determine the rate of change for communications between the user and the contact, and wherein the rate of change for communications between the user and the contact is determined based on at least one of:
a change in frequency of communications between the user and the contact over the first time period; or
how a change in the frequency of communications between the user and the contact fluctuates over the first time period.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising, for each contact in the plurality of contacts, generating a score based on the rate of change for communications between the user and the contact over the first time period, wherein identifying the position in the social hierarchy for the contact is based on the score.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein an increasing frequency of communications results in a higher score relative to a decreasing frequency of communications, and wherein a higher score results in identifying a higher position in the social hierarchy for a contact relative to another contact with a lower score.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 further comprising, for each contact in the plurality of contacts, calculating a numerical value for the rate of change, wherein the score for the contact increases with the numerical value.

### Claim 12

A method for developing a social hierarchy for a user from a plurality of contacts, the method comprising:
tracking communications occurring between the user and a contact in the plurality of contacts over a first time period, wherein tracking each communication comprises identifying a method of communication and a time the communication occurred;
determining, from the tracked communications, that repeated communication attempts were made between the user and the contact within a second time period; and
identifying, based on the repeated communication attempts, a position in the social hierarchy for the contact.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising determining, from the tracked communications, a rate of change for communications between the user and the contact, associated with the first time period, wherein the rate of change is determined based on a change in frequency of communications between the user and the contact over the first time period, and wherein identifying the position in the social hierarchy for the contact is further based on the rate of change.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 further comprising generating a numerical score for the contact based on the rate of change and the repeated communication attempts for the contact.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the numerical score for the contact is based on a weighted average of tracked communications between the user and the contact over the first time period, and wherein the position for the contact in the social hierarchy is identified by:
comparing the numerical score for the contact against numerical scores generated for other contacts in the plurality of contacts; or
comparing the numerical score for the contact against an average of numerical scores generated for two or more contacts in the plurality of contacts.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the repeated communication attempts comprises at least one of:
a series of communication attempts, using multiple communication methods, made by the contact to connect with the user; or
a series of communication attempts, using multiple communication methods, made by the user to connect with the contact.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising generating a numerical score for the contact based on the repeated communication attempts between the user and the contact, and wherein the position in the social hierarchy for the contact is identified based on comparing the numerical score for the contact with numerical scores generated for other contacts in the plurality of contacts.

### Claim 18

An apparatus for identifying a social hierarchy for a user from a plurality of contacts, the apparatus comprising:
a communication interface configured to transmit and receive communications; and
a processing element configured to:
track communications occurring between the user and a contact from the plurality of contacts over a first time period, wherein tracking communications comprises identifying, for each communication, a method used for the communication and a time the communication occurred;
determine, from the tracked communications, a rate of change in the frequency of communications between the user and the contact and that multiple communication attempts were made between the user and the contact within a second time period;
generate, based on the rate of change and the multiple communication attempts, a score for the contact; and
identify, based on the score, a position for the contact in the social hierarchy.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the score for the contact comprises an average weighted score based on tracked communications occurring between the user and the contact over the first time period, wherein one or more weights are based on at least one of:
the rate of change in the frequency of communications between the user and the contact; or
the multiple communication attempts made between the user and the contact.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the position for the contact in the social hierarchy is identified by the processing element being configured to:
comparing the score for the contact against other scores generated for other contacts from the plurality of contacts; or
comparing the score for the contact against an average score generated for a group of contacts from the plurality of contacts.