Method and Computer Program Product for Operating a Relationship Mapping Site

Abstract

Methods and computer program products for facilitating the operation of Internet-based (i.e., online) social networking sites are disclosed. Such methods and computer program products allow people to discover, explore and maintain relationship paths (i.e., links) with any other person in the world by utilizing the fact that every person has one or more “relationship paths” to everyone else through varying degrees of separation. The power of the Internet, via online social networking sites, is leveraged to build a comprehensive database revealing how each person is connected to everyone by designating certain users of the site as “hubs,” “gateways” and/or “connectors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating an Internet-based relationship mapping website, comprising:
 (a) receiving information about a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website;   (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts;   (c) receiving information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons, wherein at least one of said other persons is one of said plurality of hubs;   (d) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs;   (e) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to an individual of interest via said one of said plurality of hubs; and   (f) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users;   wherein individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises:
 storing, in said database, an indication of degree of strength of the relationship between each of said plurality of users and their respective said plurality of contacts.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each link of said relationship path is labeled with an indication of degree of relationship strength. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said indication of degree of relationship strength is a numerical weight. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said indication of degree of relationship strength is one of the following labels: weak; average; and strong. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said indication of degree of relationship strength is based at least in part on a contact source of said link. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said contact source of said link is one of: a CSV file; follower-based social network; and a mutual acceptance-based social network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relationship path consists of less than three links. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each link of said relationship path is labeled with an indication of relationship category. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said indication of relationship category indicates one of: personal; board member; investor; investment partner; club member; limited partner; business partner; non-profit affiliate; relative; friend; co-worker; associate; alumni; and classmate. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information received about each of said plurality of users in step (a) includes at least one of: name; email address; and city of residence; and profession. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each link of said relationship path displayed to said one of said plurality of users is labeled with at least the name, city of residence and profession of the individuals comprising the link. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein information presented with each individual on said relationship path displayed is limited. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where said information presented is limited based on a number of links to said one of said plurality of users. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said information presented is limited to only the name of the individual comprising the link when said number of links to said one of said plurality of users is greater than one. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said relationship path displayed to said one of said plurality of users includes a hyperlink to a designated page corresponding to said at least one of said plurality of hubs. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of hubs is one of: a person who many other people know; a person who many other people seek to know or meet; a prominent business leader; a movie star; a celebrity; an entertainer; a professional athlete; an elected official; and a local community leader. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises:
 determining, for each of said plurality of users, whether their corresponding plurality of contacts stored in said database exceeds a predetermined threshold number.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 utilizing an Internet search engine in order to create said relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said individual of interest.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 searching a third-party social networking site in order to create said relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said individual of interest.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (f) is accomplished via a graphical user interface. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the individuals that comprise said relationship path are not all members of the set consisting of said plurality of users. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information received in step (c) comprises:
 receiving an indication of degree of strength of the relationship between each of said plurality of hubs and said other persons.   
     
     
         24 . A method of operating an Internet-based relationship mapping website for a plurality of users, comprising:
 (a) receiving information about the plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website;   (b) storing in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts and an indication of degree of strength of the relationship between each of said plurality of users and their respective said plurality of contacts;   (c) receiving information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons, wherein at least one of said other persons is one of said plurality of hubs;   (d) assigning an indication of relationship between each of said plurality of hubs and their respective said plurality of relationship paths to other said users of said website and to said users of said social network;   (e) receiving, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs;   (f) searching at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said one of said plurality of hubs and, via said hub, to an individual of interest who is not a user of said website; and   (g) displaying said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users, wherein information presented with each individual on said relationship path displayed is limited based on a number of links to said one of said plurality of users.   
     
     
         25 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium encoded in a computer having control logic stored therein for causing the computer to provide an Internet-based relationship path website, said control logic comprising:
 first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive information about a plurality of users in order to allow each of said plurality of users to access information stored in a database associated with the website;   second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store in said database, for each of said plurality of users, a plurality of contacts;   third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive information about a plurality of hubs, each hub having a plurality of relationship paths to other persons and to at least one of said plurality of users;   fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive, from one of said plurality of users, a search string indicative of one of said plurality of hubs;   fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search at least said database in order to create a relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to an individual of interest via said one of said plurality of hubs; and   sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to display said relationship path to said one of said plurality of users;   wherein individuals shown in said relationship path need not be one of said plurality of users.   
     
     
         26 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein said second computer readable program code means comprises:
 seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to store, in said database, an indication of degree of strength of the relationship between each of said plurality of users and their respective said plurality of contacts.   
     
     
         27 . The computer program product of  claim 26 , wherein a designated page exists for each of said plurality of hubs, said each designated page associated with each of said plurality of hubs contains at least one advertisement related to the information received about the corresponding one of said plurality of hubs. 
     
     
         28 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein each of said plurality of hubs is one of: a person who many other people know; a person who many other people seek to know or meet; a prominent business leader; a movie star; a celebrity; an entertainer; a professional athlete; an elected official; and a local community leader. 
     
     
         29 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein said fifth computer readable program code means comprises:
 seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to utilize an Internet search engine in order to create said relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said individual of interest.   
     
     
         30 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein said fifth computer readable program code means comprises:
 seventh computer readable program code means for causing the computer to search a third-party social networking site in order to create said relationship path from said one of said plurality of users to said individual of interest.