Social Network Architecture
A social networking architecture comprises a plurality of nodes (persons) connected to one another by bonds reflecting common interests, the bonds having a strength, a time dimension, a geographic dimension, and an availability (e.g. ad hoc) dimension. Network members are allowed to define flexible interests (e.g. hobbies, professional skills/credentials), with the network revealing a strength of common interest between individual nodes. The temporal and geographic dimensions of the interest allow the network to connect available members having similar interest(s) in a specific location at a given time. An interface engine may allow the social network architecture to leverage relationships from pre-existing social networks and channels of communication.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
causing a network engine to receive an interest from current network user;
causing the network engine to search an interest graph for an interest node corresponding to the interest; and
causing the network engine to return a list comprising other network users arranged based upon a bond strength reflecting a number of interests common between the current user and the other network users.
2 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the interest graph comprises a tree having the interest nodes as root nodes, and having a plurality of person nodes as leaf nodes.
3 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the bond strength reflects a temporal component.
4 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the bond strength reflects a geographic component.
5 . A method as in claim 4 wherein the geographic component is based upon a global positioning system (GPS) signal received from a device of the current network user.
6 . A method as in claim 1 wherein the bond strength reflects a network availability component.
7 . A method as in claim 6 wherein the network availability component is based upon tracked most recent network access by the other network users.
8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying a computer program for performing a method, said method comprising:
causing a network engine to receive an interest from current network user;
causing the network engine to search an interest graph for an interest node corresponding to the interest; and
causing the network engine to return a list comprising other network users arranged based upon a bond strength reflecting a number of interests common between the current user and the other network users.
9 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the interest graph comprises a tree having the interest nodes as root nodes, and having a plurality of person nodes as leaf nodes.
10 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the bond strength reflects a temporal component.
11 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the bond strength reflects a geographic component.
12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 11 wherein the geographic component is based upon a global positioning system (GPS) signal received from a device of the current network user.
13 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 8 wherein the bond strength reflects a network availability component.
14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as in claim 13 wherein the network availability component is based upon tracked most recent network access by the other network users.
15 . A computer system comprising:
one or more processors;
a software program, executable on said computer system, the software program configured to:
cause a network engine to receive an interest from current network user;
cause the network engine to search an interest graph for an interest node corresponding to the interest; and
cause the network engine to return a list comprising other network users arranged based upon a bond strength reflecting a number of interests common between the current user and the other network users.
16 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the interest graph comprises a tree having the interest nodes as root nodes, and having a plurality of person nodes as leaf nodes.
17 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the bond strength reflects a temporal component.
18 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the bond strength reflects a geographic component.
19 . A computer system as in claim 18 wherein the geographic component is based upon a global positioning system (GPS) signal received from a device of the current network user.
20 . A computer system as in claim 15 wherein the bond strength reflects a network availability component.