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US 9,961,162 B2Granted
Disambiguating online identities
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsPatrick Kinsel, Matthew Graham Dyor, Stefan David Weitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are technologies pertaining to disambiguating identities/accounts over a plurality of online services. Public data streams pertaining to accounts of different online services are analyzed, and a determination is made that the accounts are owned by a same user. A searchable profile is generated for the user that comprises data that indicates that the user represented by the profile owns the accounts. The profile is claimable by the user such that the user is enabled to customize contents of the profile.
Claims20
A computer-executable method, comprising:
- comparing first content of a first public data stream with second content of a second public data stream, the first public data stream being for a first account of a first online service, the first content comprises messages set forth by an owner of the first account by way of the first online service, wherein the messages are posted to the first public data stream, the second public data stream being for a second account of a second online service, the second content comprises second messages set forth by an owner of the second account by way of the second online service, wherein the second messages are posted to the second public data stream;
- identifying that a same user is both the owner of the first account and the owner of the second account based upon the comparing of the first content with the second content and further based upon times when the messages and the second messages were posted to the first public data stream and the second public data stream, respectively;
- responsive to identifying that the same user is both the owner of the first account and the owner of the second account, generating a profile that indicates that the first account and the second account are owned by the same user;
- receiving a query;
- and
- responsive to receiving the query, outputting a plurality of search results pertaining to the query, the plurality of search results comprising the profile.
3 more elements
A computing apparatus, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- and
- memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising:
- determining that first messages in a first public data feed and second messages in a second public data feed are the same, the first public data feed corresponding to a first account of a first online service, the second public data feed corresponding to a second account of a second online service, the first messages posted to the first public data feed by way of the first online service, the second messages posted to the second public data feed by way of the second online service;
- determining that the first messages were posted at the same times as second messages;
- determining that a particular user is an owner of both the first account and the second account based upon the first messages and the second messages being the same and further based upon the first messages and the second messages being posted at the same times;
- responsive to determining that the particular user is the owner of both the first account and the second account, generating a profile that indicates that the particular user is the owner of both the first account and the second account;
- and
- outputting search results responsive to receiving a query, the search results comprising the profile.
6 more elements
A computing device comprising a computer-readable memory, the computer-readable memory comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
- receiving a first public data stream of a first account of a first online service, the first public data stream comprising a plurality of messages posted to the first public data stream at respective times;
- receiving a second public data stream of a second account of a second online service, the second public data stream comprising the plurality of messages posted to the second public data stream at the same respective times as the plurality of message were posted to the first public data stream;
- determining that the plurality of messages were posted to the first public data stream and the second public data stream at the same respective times;
- responsive to determining that the plurality of messages were posted to the first public data stream and the second public data stream at the same respective times, determining that a single user owns both the first account and the second account;
- and
- responsive to determining that the single user owns both the first account and the second account, generating a profile that indicates that the single user owns both the first account and the second account.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.