US7167910B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Social mapping of contacts from computer communication information
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 2002-06-04
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Granted: 2007-01-23
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Expires: 2022-06-04
Abstract
Abstract Social information, including computer communication information, is modeled according to a network approach, and users are provided with representations of patterns within their social spaces and graphical interface tools for navigating through the spaces. This can enhance the user's ability to seek out social information and manage their online social relationships. The social mapping includes automatically collecting computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in computer communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user. The computer communication information is filtered according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold. The computer communication information is analyzed to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts. A visualization of a social map based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts is rendered on a computer display screen so that a user can access and navigate information represented in the social map visualization.
Inventors
- 👤 Shelly D. Farnham
- 👤 Andrzej Turski
- 👤 William L. Portnoy
- 👤 David P. Vronay
- 👤 Lili Cheng
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/109; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/535; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer communication information, comprising: software for automatically collecting computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in computer communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; and software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; the visualization of the social map includes a sector view or a graph view to display extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer communication information, comprising: software for automatically collecting computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in computer communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; and software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; the visualization of the social map includes a sector view or a graph view to display extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the computer communication information includes email messages.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The medium of claim 2 in which the computer communication information is obtained from identifiers of who sent and was sent email messages.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the computer communication information includes email distribution list memberships.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each contact is identified in the computer communication information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to whether contacts are directly related with each other in the computer communication information.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to whether the computer communication information is associated with a predefined time period.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to whether contacts are members of an organization or a part of the organization.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts include local similarities between pairs of contacts, each local similarity indicating a proportion of occurrences in the computer contact information in which the pair of contacts occur together.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts include global similarities between pairs of contacts, each global similarity indicating a proportion of occurrences in the computer contact information in which the pair of contacts occur together relative to the greatest number of occurrences in the computer communication information for any contact.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medium of claim 1 further comprising software for clustering the contacts into groups according to the similarities of the contacts and including the groups in the visualization rendered on the computer display screen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the computer communication information is collected dynamically to capture automatically changes over time in the computer communication between the multiple contacts.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
174 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer communication information, comprising: software for automatically collecting computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in email communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; software for clustering the contacts into groups according to the similarities of the contacts; software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts and including the groups in the visualization; and software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map that includes a sector view or a graph view to show extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
174 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer communication information, comprising: software for automatically collecting computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in email communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; software for clustering the contacts into groups according to the similarities of the contacts; software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts and including the groups in the visualization; and software for generating and rendering on a computer display screen a visualization of a social map that includes a sector view or a graph view to show extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each contact is identified in the computer communication information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to whether contacts are directly related with each other in the computer communication information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the filtering of the computer communication information includes filtering according to whether the computer communication information is associated with a predefined time period.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts include local similarities between pairs of contacts, each local similarity indicating a proportion of occurrences in the computer contact information in which the pair of contacts occur together.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
58 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts include global similarities between pairs of contacts, each global similarity indicating a proportion of occurrences in the computer contact information in which the pair of contacts occur together relative to the greatest number of occurrences in the computer communication information for any contact.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the computer communication information is collected dynamically to capture automatically changes over time in the computer communication between the multiple contacts.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
121 words
A social mapping visualization rendered on a computer display, comprising: a social map visualization of plural contacts identified from automatically collected computer communication information, one of the plural contacts being a selected user, wherein the computer communication information is filtered according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; the visualization further including indications of established extents of similarity between plural contacts and social contact information rendered for at least the selected user, the plural contacts are clustered into groups according to similarities of the contacts and are rendered either with a sector view or a graph view to display extents of similarity between the plural contacts.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
121 words
A social mapping visualization rendered on a computer display, comprising: a social map visualization of plural contacts identified from automatically collected computer communication information, one of the plural contacts being a selected user, wherein the computer communication information is filtered according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; the visualization further including indications of established extents of similarity between plural contacts and social contact information rendered for at least the selected user, the plural contacts are clustered into groups according to similarities of the contacts and are rendered either with a sector view or a graph view to display extents of similarity between the plural contacts.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
14 words
The visualization of claim 20 in which the computer communication information includes email messages.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The visualization of claim 20 in which the computer communication information includes email distribution list memberships.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The visualization of claim 20 further comprising a user operable graphical control for selecting the filtering threshold to limit the number of plural contact rendered in the visualization.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
37 words
The visualization of claim 20 further comprising a user operable graphical control for selecting a grouping control to set the extent to which similarities between the contacts cause them to be rendered in clusters in the visualization.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
The visualization of claim 20 further comprising a user operable graphical control for selecting a time period to specify a time period over which the plural contacts are identified from the computer communication information.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The visualization of claim 20 in which the graph view is based upon an attractive spring model and a separate repulsive model component to provide increased separation between dissimilar contacts.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
55 words
The visualization of claim 20 in which the graph view is based upon an attractive spring model and a separate repulsive model component to provide increased separation between dissimilar contacts, and further includes an attractive spring component directed to a display screen focal point to constrain the plural contacts to a predefined display screen area.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
116 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer-tracked communication information, comprising: software for collecting computer-tracked communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer-tracked communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer-tracked communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; and software for generating a social map in either a sector view or a graph view based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
116 words
In a computer readable storage medium, social mapping software for mapping contacts from computer-tracked communication information, comprising: software for collecting computer-tracked communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in communication with each other, one of the multiple contacts being a selected user; software for filtering the computer-tracked communication information according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain the number of contacts associated with the selected user at or below a selected threshold; software for analyzing the computer-tracked communication information to determine extents of similarity between the multiple contacts; and software for generating a social map in either a sector view or a graph view based upon the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medium of claim 28 in which the filtering of the computer-tracked communication information includes filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each contact is identified in the computer-tracked communication information.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
43 words
The medium of claim 28 in which the extents of similarity between the multiple contacts include local similarities between pairs of contacts, each local similarity indicating a proportion of occurrences in the computer contact information in which the pair of contacts occur together.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
15 words
The medium of claim 28 in which the computer-tracked communication information includes computer communication information.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
The medium of claim 28 in which the computer-tracked communication information includes telephonic communication information.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medium of claim 32 in which the telephonic communication information includes telephonic communications to or from a mobile telephone.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medium of claim 28 further comprising software for providing the social map to a telephonic communication device.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
15 words
The medium of claim 34 in which the telephonic communication device is a mobile telephone.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-01-22 | 2010-07-24 | 2011-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-01-22 | 2014-07-24 | 2015-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-01-22 | 2018-07-24 | 2019-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |