IP Library Granted Patent US 9,373,145
Granted Patent B2
US 9,373,145 · App. 13/502,088 · Granted Jun 21, 2016

Social network reports

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,373,145
App. No.
13/502,088
Granted
Jun 21, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Technology is disclosed for generating social networking reports. In various embodiments, the technology receives an identity of a user wherein the identity is associated with a first online social network and does not include a password; collects first information about the user from the first online social network; generates a first report based on the collected first information; and transmits the generated first report.

Claims (58)

1. A method performed by a computing device having a processor and memory, comprising:

receiving, by the processor, an identity of a user,

wherein the identity is associated with a user account of a first online social network and does not include a password, and

wherein the identity is a user name specified by the user;

receiving a request to collect the user's information that is accessible to other members of one or more of the user's network groups in the first online social network,

wherein each of the one or more of the user's network groups is designated as a friend group or a business associate group;

collecting first information from the requested user's information,

wherein the first information about the user is accessible to a first service account, and

wherein accessibility of the information accessible to the first service account is determined based on a relationship between the user account and the first service account, and the relationship is established by adding the first service account to the one or more of the user's network groups in the first online social network;

generating a first report based on the collected first information by:

associating the collected first information with the friend group or the business associate group based on the user's designation, and

indicating the collected information, relating to the user, that is available to the other members in the friend group or the business group in the first online social network; and

providing the generated first report.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a service account that is associated with the first online social network and employing the selected service account to log into the first online social network.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selected service account is a member of a user group that the user has previously identified.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, an identity of the user wherein the identity is associated with a second online social network and does not include a password;

collecting second information about the user from the second online social network,

wherein the second information includes information accessible to a second service account, and

wherein the accessibility of the information accessible to the second service account is determined based on a relationship between the user account and the second service account, and the relationship is established by adding the second service account to a second social network group that the user has in the second online social network;

generating a second report based on the collected first and second information; and

providing the generated second report.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing an account previously added by the user to a social network group to collect the first information.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

transmitting a request to collect online social network information, about a user, that is accessible to other members of one or more of the user's network groups from at least one online social network based on an identity without providing a password,

wherein each of the one or more of the user's network groups is designated as a friend group or a business associate group, and

wherein the identity is a user name specified by the user; and

receiving a report including the collected social network information from the requested information about the user,

wherein the social network information is accessible to a first service account,

wherein accessibility of the information accessible to the first service account is determined based on a relationship between the user and the first service account, and the relationship is established by adding the first service account to the one or more of the user's network groups in the at least one online social network, and

wherein the received report includes an indication of information, relating to the user, that is available to the other members of the friend group or the business associate group in the at least one online social network.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 6 , wherein the request is transmitted to a service operated at a server.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 7 , further comprising adding an account of the service to the online social network without providing privileges for the account.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 , wherein the request includes an identification of an online social network group and the received report includes information available to the online social network group but not to a different online social network group.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 , further comprising employing a user identifier to log into the online social network,

wherein the user identifier has previously been added by the user about whom the report is generated to the online social network group but not to the different online social network group.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor and memory;

a social network collection tool configured to:

receive a request to collect a user's information that is accessible to other members of one or more of the user's network groups in at least one or more online social network services,

wherein each of the one or more of the user's network groups is designated as a friend group or a business associate group, and

collect information relating to the user from the requested user's information based on an identity without a password for authenticating the user,

wherein the identity is a user name specified by the user,

wherein the collected information, about the user, is accessible to a first service account, and

wherein accessibility of the information accessible to the first service account is determined based on a relationship between the user and the first service account, and the relationship is established by adding the first service account to the one or more of the user's network groups in the at least one or more online social network services; and

a component configured to receive a request to produce a report from a Web browser,

wherein the Web browser is not configured with an add-in for any of the one or more online social network services, and

wherein the component is further configured to produce the report in response to the received request by:

associating the collected information with the friend group or the business associate group based on the user's designation, and

indicating the collected information, relating to the user, that is available to the other members of the friend group or the business associate group in the at least one or more online social network services.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein no server component affiliated with either the social network collection tool or the component configured to receive the request employs a password on behalf of the user to collect the information from the one or more online social network services.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the request includes an indication of an online social network group and the produced report includes information available to other members of the online social network group.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a database for storing identifiers associated with the user at the one or more online social network services.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the database identifies a uniform resource locator for at least one of the one or more online social network services.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the database includes at least one row for at least one of the one or more online social network services.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the database does not include a password for at least one of the one or more online social network services.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the database does not include passwords for any of the one or more online social network services.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, RECORDED ON JANUARY 29, 2019 AT REEL 048373 FRAME 0217 Recorded Sep 22, 2025
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 072936/0464 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2020
From: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: CRAVE LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 052570/0027 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2020
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 051404/0769 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2019
From: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 048373/0217 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2012
From: UR, SHMUEL
To: SHMUEL UR INNOVATION LTD.
Reel/Frame 028065/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2012
From: SHMUEL UR INNOVATION LTD.
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 028065/0339 →