# US 9,519,937 B2 · System and method for social network access

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- Number: US 9,519,937 B2
- Document ID: US9519937B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/950,108
- Filed: 2013-07-24
- Published: 2014-02-27
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2001-09-30
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Grant James Ryan; Gary Lee Franklin; Julian Malcolm Cone; William Ferguson Stalker; Derick Ian Robinson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519937B2

## CPC

- G06Q 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G06Q 10/1053: Employment or hiring
- G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users
- G06Q 10/48: using social graphs
- G06Q 30/0214: Referral reward systems
- H04L 51/222: using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04M 1/2757: by data transmission, e.g. downloading
- H04M 2203/554: Data synchronization
- H04M 2203/557: Portable profiles
- H04M 2203/6009: Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
- 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
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

A method of forming unique, private, personal, virtual social networks on a social network system that includes a database storing data relating to corresponding user entities. The method includes: a first user entity sending an invitation to a second user entity, recording in the database the second user entity as a direct contact of the first user entity and determining that third user entities, directly connected to the second user entity, are indirect contacts. A unique, personal, social network formed from direct and indirect contacts is thereby created for each user entity. Each user entity is able to control privacy of its data with respect to other user entities depending on the connection factor to that other entity and/or that other entity's attributes. Each user entity is able to take the role of provider or participant in applications where the provider provides an item or service to the participant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A social network system, comprising:
at least one host computer; and
at least one database communicatively coupled to the at least one host computer, the social network system causing the at least one host computer to:
send, over a data network, at least one request associated with a first user of the social network system to at least one other user of the social network system to add a friend, an accepted request to add a friend to result in a second user to be included in a first user's social network as a friend of the first user;
store, in data records of the at least one database, information indicating that the second user is a friend of the first user;
provide the first user searchable access to at least part of the data records stored in the at least one database; and
permit items and services to be shared between friends of the social network system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The social network system of claim 1, wherein services to be shared between friends of the social network system comprise location-based services.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The social network system of claim 2, wherein the location-based services further causing the at least one host computer to determine the location of another user of the social network system via a Global Positioning System (GPS).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The social network system of claim 1, wherein the items to be shared between friends of the social network system comprise one of photographs, art work, literature, music, or any other content to be shared between friends of the social network system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The social network system of claim 1, wherein the second user having at least one friend, the at least one friend of the second user having accepted at least one request associated with the second user to add a friend, the accepted request associated with the second user resulting in a third user to be included in a second user's social network as a friend of the second user, wherein the third user is a friend of a friend to the first user.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The social network system of claim 5, wherein the third user having at least one friend in a third user's social network, the social networks of the first, second, and third users collectively forming a plurality of social networks on the social network system, inter-connected by mutually connected contacts, wherein the second and third users are equivalent to a first user in their own social networks.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The social network system of claim 6, the social network system further causing the at least one host computer to provide the first user with at least partial control of privacy of their own social network with respect to another user seeking access to the data records pertaining to their own social network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The social network system of claim 1, further causing the at least one host computer to store, in data records of the at least one database, information indicating identifying characteristics of the second user, wherein identifying characteristics of the second user comprise a name of the second user and a means of contacting the second user.

### Claim 9

A method performed by a social network system, comprising:
sending, over a data network, at least one request associated with a first user of the social network system to at least one other user of the social network system to add a friend, an accepted request to add a friend to result in a second user to be included in a first user's social network as a friend of the first user;
storing, in data records of the first user of at least one database, information indicating that the second user is a friend of the first user;
providing the first user searchable access to at least part of the data records of the first user stored in the at least one database; and
permitting items and services to be shared between friends of the social network system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein services to be shared between friends of the social network system comprise location-based services.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the location-based services used for determining the location of another user of the social network system via a Global Positioning System (GPS).

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the items to be shared between friends of the social network system comprise one of photographs, art work, literature, music, or any other content to be shared between friends of the social network system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising storing, in the data records of the first user of the at least one database, information indicating identifying characteristics of the second user, wherein identifying characteristics of the second user comprise a name of the second user and a means of contacting the second user.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the second user having at least one friend, the at least one friend of the second user having accepted at least one request associated with the second user to add a friend, the accepted request associated with the second user resulting in a third user to be included in a second user's social network as a friend of the second user, wherein the third user is a friend of a friend to the first user.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the third user having at least one friend in a third user's social network, the social networks of the first, second, and third users collectively forming a plurality of social networks on the social network system, inter-connected by mutually connected contacts, wherein the second and third users are equivalent to a first user in their own social networks.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
providing the first user with at least partial control of privacy of their own social network with respect to another user seeking access to the data records pertaining to their own social network.