IP Library Granted Patent US 9,747,372
Granted Patent B2
US 9,747,372 · App. 13/864,815 · Granted Aug 29, 2017

Systems and methods for discovering social accounts

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,747,372
App. No.
13/864,815
Granted
Aug 29, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems allow organizations to discover accounts, subscriptions, properties, sites and other online portals within each distinct social network platform and across disparate social network platforms, publishing platforms and networks that represent, claim to represent or are relevant to their organization and/or brands based on search terms and facilitate the statistical reporting and analysis of activities on the discovered properties.

Claims (46)

1. A method, implemented on at least one computer, for correlating multiple social network properties within each distinct social network platform and across multiple disparate social network platforms, each property related to a single entity, the computer comprising at least one memory storing computer executable instructions and at least one processing unit for executing the instructions stored in the memory, wherein execution of the instructions results in the computer performing the steps of:

submitting one or more search strings to the multiple disparate social network platforms via a plurality of application programming interfaces, wherein each application programming interface is associated with at least one of the respective social network platforms and the one or more search strings are related to the single entity;

receiving, from at least a subset of the social network platforms, in a myriad of differing data formats associated with each respective social network platform, metadata associated with social network properties that match the one or more search strings;

normalizing the metadata such that the metadata may be stored, in a common format, in a database associated with the single entity;

categorizing, using, at least in part, the metadata, the social network properties, wherein metadata at least one of generated on behalf of the single entity and generated by a representative of the single entity can be distinguished from metadata related to, but neither generated on behalf of nor generated by a representative of the single entity;

monitoring for at least one of interesting, incorrect, offensive, and improper content regarding the single entity to identify at least one social network platform corresponding to said content; and

storing one or more of the normalized metadata and categorized social network properties in physical memory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more search strings comprise a plurality of terms.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a probabilistic weighting among the plurality of terms.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a weighting representing a relationship among the plurality of terms.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the weighting comprises a positive correlation among the terms.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the weighting comprises a negative correlation among the terms.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the application programming interfaces are provided by the respective social network platforms.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises a property name.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises user generated content created by users associated with the respective social network property.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises security settings associated with the respective social network property.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises view statistics associated with the respective social network property.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the metadata comprises indications of each entity's interactions with the properties associated with the respective entity's social network properties and updating the one or more search strings based thereon.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more search strings comprise two search strings and the results received in response to each search string are categorized based on a relationship of those properties to the single entity.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a graphical user interface for presenting the metadata.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising running at least one of statistical aggregations and statistical analyses on the categorized social network properties to identify trends.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring step monitors for the at least one of interesting, incorrect, offensive, and improper content corresponding to undesirable metadata related to, but neither generated on behalf of nor generated by a representative of the single entity.

17. A system for correlating multiple social network properties within each distinct social network platform and across multiple disparate social network platforms, each property being associated with a single entity, the system comprising at least one memory storing computer executable instructions and at least one processing unit for executing the instructions stored in the memory, wherein execution of the instructions results in one or more application modules together comprising:

a query module for:

submitting one or more search strings to the multiple disparate social network platforms via a plurality of application programming interfaces, wherein each application programming interface is associated with at least one of the respective social network platforms and each of the one or more search strings is related to the single entity; and

receiving, from at least a subset of the social network platforms, in a myriad of differing data formats associated with each respective social network platform, metadata associated with social network properties that match the one or more search strings;

a categorization module for:

categorizing, using, at least in part, the metadata, the social network properties, wherein metadata at least one of generated on behalf of the single entity and generated by a representative of the single entity can be distinguished from metadata related to, but neither generated on behalf of nor generated by a representative of the single entity; and

a data normalization module for:

normalizing the metadata such that the metadata may be stored, in a common data format, in a database associated with the single entity;

monitoring for at least one of interesting, incorrect, offensive, and improper content regarding the single entity to identify at least one social network platform corresponding to said content and

storing one or more of the normalized metadata and categorized social network properties in physical memory.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein at least one of the one or more search strings comprise a plurality terms.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising providing a probabilistic weighting among the plurality of terms.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising providing a weighting representing a relationship among the plurality of terms.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the weighting comprises a positive correlation among the terms.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the weighting comprises a negative correlation among the terms.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein at least a subset of the application programming interfaces are provided by the respective social network platforms.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the metadata comprises a property name.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the metadata comprises user generated content created by users associated with the respective social network property.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the metadata comprises security settings associated with the respective social network property.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein the metadata comprises view statistics associated with the respective social network property.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein the metadata comprises indications of each entity's interactions with the properties associated with the respective entity's social network properties and updating the one or more search strings based thereon.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the one or more search strings comprise two search strings and the results received in response to each search string are categorized based on a relationship of those properties to the single entity.

30. The system of claim 17 wherein execution of the instructions further results in the display of a graphical user interface for presenting the metadata.

31. The system of claim 17 , wherein the monitoring step monitors for the at least one of interesting, incorrect, offensive, and improper content corresponding to undesirable metadata related to, but neither generated on behalf of nor generated by a representative of the single entity.

Assignments (7)
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 8, 2025
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073889/0677 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS AGENT
To: PROOFPOINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 066865/0648 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057389/0615 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 31, 2021
From: PROOFPOINT, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057389/0642 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 2, 2015
From: SOCIAL IQ NETWORKS, INC.
To: NEXGATE, INC.
Reel/Frame 035805/0624 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2015
From: NEXGATE, INC.
To: PROOFPOINT, INC.
Reel/Frame 035759/0413 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 22, 2013
From: REDMOND, DEVIN; KRUCK, RAY; SUTTON, RICHARD; DORIE, ANTHONY
To: SOCIAL IQ NETWORKS, INC., DBA NEXGATE, INC.
Reel/Frame 031064/0266 →