COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN INDIVIDUAL TIMELINE OF A USER OF A SOCIAL NETWORK, COMPUTER SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM THEREOF
The present disclosure relates in general to social networks run in a computer environment and relates in particular to methods and systems for displaying an individual timeline of a registered user (member) of a social network in accordance with selectable, pre-selectable or adjustable settings for individual users. The method and system according to the present application provides a user a persistent way to track social moments with content and people, including tracking the past and future of a user's time (e.g., activities and events). At a glance, the user can see not only the moment, but also the associated people or content and its significance, in a graphical representation referred to as a “timeline.”
1 . A computer-implemented method for displaying an individual timeline of a user of a social network, the method comprising:
maintaining in a computer system for a user of the social network, data on individual preferences and/or interests of the user and the significance of each preference and/or interest to the user;
obtaining input data including data on events and/or entries;
attributing a time-tag to the events and/or entries of the input data; and
displaying at least one selected event and/or entry of the input data in the individual timeline of the user,
wherein the timeline is a graphical representation of events and/or entries that are of interest to the user and are displayed in their chronological order, and
wherein the graphical representation of each selected event and/or entry displayed in the timeline is dependent on the individual preferences and/or interests of the user.
2 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the computer system further maintains a plurality of relationships among members of the social network, each relationship comprising a connection between at least two members of the social network and being associated with a relationship significance; and
the graphical representation of each selected event and/or entry displayed in the individual timeline is dependent on the relationship significance of at least one member of the social network connected to said user.
3 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the computer system further maintains a community significance that is attributed to members of a community of the social network and represents a global significance of events and/or entries; and
the graphical representation of each selected event and/or entry is displayed depending on the community significance.
4 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the community significance is dynamically adjusted; and
a difference between the present graphical representation of a selected event and/or entry and a previous graphical representation of the selected event and/or entry is displayed.
5 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a scale of the individual timeline, or of at least one subsection of the timeline, is varied in accordance with a user command.
6 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation of the selected event and/or entry comprises a two-dimensional or three-dimensional geometrical object and visual information about the selected events and/or entries.
7 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation is configured to establish a connection to a website or resource containing information.
8 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the connection is established to an information page or website, a page or website of the event or entry, a page or website of the creator of the event or entry, or to a link specified by the creator of the event or entry or by the user.
9 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of obtaining input data comprises at least one of:
monitoring and analyzing the user's interaction with an electronic device;
receiving and analyzing data provided by an external database, external service provider, or a data feed from a source external to the social network; and
monitoring and analyzing the user interactions of at least one other user of the social network.
10 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of monitoring and analyzing the user interactions of at least one other user of the social network comprises:
monitoring and analyzing the user interactions of at least one member of the social network who is connected to the user via the settings of the user's profile or of a friend's profile.
11 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of monitoring and analyzing the user interaction of at least one other user of the social network comprises:
monitoring and analyzing the user interaction of all members of the social network or of all members of the social network having identical or similar preferences and/or interests; and
displaying the at least one selected event and/or entry in the individual timeline of the user, wherein said displaying includes:
displaying a candidate event and/or entry in a different manner or style;
prompting or waiting for an interaction of the user with the candidate event and/or entry confirming that the candidate event and/or entry shall be displayed in a standard manner or style; and
displaying the candidate event and/or entry in the standard manner or style to thereby enter the event and/or entry in the individual timeline of the user.
12 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying said at least one selected one of the events and/or entries of the input data in the individual timeline of the user further comprises:
displaying at least one other event and/or entry, which is not a selected one of the events and/or entries of the input data, in a different manner or style in the individual timeline of the user.
13 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
prompting the user to perform a search for an event matching at least one search criterion, among the events and/or entries displayed in the individual timeline of the user;
performing a search for an event and/or entry matching the at least one search criterion among the events and/or entries displayed in the individual timeline of the user in accordance with a response of the user in response to the step of prompting; and
highlighting or selecting one or more events and/or entries displayed in the individual timeline of the user matching to the at least one search criterion of the response by the user.
14 . The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the step of prompting the user to perform a search for an event and/or entry matching at least one search criterion comprises at least one of:
prompting the user to enter the at least one search criterion; or
prompting the user to enable an access to at least one search criterion pre-defined by the user and stored in the computer system.
15 . A computer system configured to operate a social network comprising a plurality of members, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method for displaying an individual timeline of a user of the social network, by:
maintaining in the computer system, for a user of the social network, data on individual preferences and/or interests of the user and the significance of each preference and/or interest to the user;
obtaining input data including data on events and/or entries;
attributing a time-tag to the events and/or entries of the input data; and
displaying at least one selected event and/or entry of the input data in the individual timeline of the user,
wherein the timeline is a graphical representation of events and/or entries that are of interest to the user and are displayed in their chronological order, and
wherein the graphical representation of each selected event and/or entry displayed in the timeline is dependent on the individual preferences and/or interests of the user.
16 . A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to:
maintain in a computer system, for a user of a social network, data on individual preferences and/or interests of the user and the significance of each preference and/or interest to the user;
obtain input data including data on events and/or entries;
attribute a time-tag to the events and/or entries of the input data; and
display at least one selected event and/or entry of the input data in an individual timeline of the user,
wherein the timeline is a graphical representation of events and/or entries that are of interest to the user and are displayed in their chronological order, and
wherein the graphical representation of each selected event and/or entry displayed in the timeline is dependent on the individual preferences and/or interests of the user.