Social network routing

Abstract

An Ad Hoc social networking environment enables information and device access management between social networking groups and social networking members with or without access restrictions and anonymity. Contact and access information can be exchanged and updated on the fly without requiring users to notify other contacts or contacting devices and can support underlying contact information changes, enable extemporaneous termination or modification of contact access, enable temporary access, and the like. Ad Hoc social networking can utilize unique identifiers, proxy elements, or the like to support various levels of membership anonymity and Ad Hoc social networking. Proxy elements enable SNET tear down or dissolution by retracting the proxy service from a member. Storing social group contact information in shared databases can enable sharing and updating of contact information without the need to inform affected contacts. Some social networks can include various specialized devices and related services.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A social network (SNET) infrastructure comprising:
 a social server configured to store contact information of at least one SNET member who is also a member of an SNET group, the at least one member having contact information designated as anonymous with respect to nonmembers of the SNET group;   the social server configured to support communications between a first device associated with the members of the SNET group and a second device associated with a nonmember of the SNET group; and   a proxy supporting varying levels of readdressing based on social networking group membership, wherein:
 data transfers from the first device to the second device use direct packet routing; and 
 data transfers from the second device to the first device flow through the proxy. 
   
     
     
         2 . The SNET infrastructure of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a contact database hosted by the SNET group, the contact database configured to permit individual members of the SNET group to designate some or all of the contact information associated with the individual members of the SNET group as at least partially anonymous.   
     
     
         3 . The SNET infrastructure of  claim 2 , the contact database further comprising:
 a data structure configured to store anonymity information specifying conditions under which the some or all of the contact information is to remain anonymous.   
     
     
         4 . The SNET infrastructure of  claim 1 , the proxy element further configured to:
 monitor packet flow; and   perform middleman readdressing in accordance with the anonymity information.   
     
     
         5 . The SNET infrastructure of  claim 1 , the proxy element further configured to:
 provide substitute contact information to the second device.   
     
     
         6 . A Social Network (SNET) device supporting communications between an anonymous
 first device and a public second device, the SNET server comprising:   interface circuitry configured to receive a first request from the anonymous first device, the first request associated with routing a first SNET communication to a public second device;   processing circuitry configured to provide to route the first SNET communication to the public second device using direct packet routing;   the interface circuitry further configured to receive a second request from the public second device, the second request associated with routing a second SNET communication to the anonymous first device; and   the processing circuitry further configured to route the second SNET communication to the anonymous first device using substitute addressing.   
     
     
         7 . The SNET device of  claim 6 , the processing circuitry further configured to:
 monitor communications; and   perform middleman readdressing.   
     
     
         8 . The SNET device of  claim 6 , the interface circuitry further configured to:
 obtain information from a database configured to store actual contact information of an SNET group member associated with the anonymous first device, wherein:
 at least part of the actual contact information is designated as anonymous with respect to the public second device; and 
 and the at least part of the actual contact information is designated as non-anonymous with respect to at least one other device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The SNET device of  claim 8 , the database configured to:
 store anonymity information specifying conditions under which the at least part of the actual contact information is to remain anonymous.   
     
     
         10 . The SNET device of  claim 9 , the processing circuitry further configured to support varying levels of anonymity based on the anonymity information. 
     
     
         11 . The SNET device of  claim 10 , the processing circuitry further configured to:
 transmit, to the public second device, substitute contact information in place of the actual contact information.   
     
     
         12 . The SNET device of  claim 9 , the processing circuitry further configured to:
 transmit substitute contact information in place of the actual contact information to at least a third device associated with at least one other SNET group member.   
     
     
         13 . A method for use in routing communications in a Social Network (SNET) infrastructure, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an SNET social device, a first request from an anonymous first device, the first request including a request associated with routing a first SNET communication to a public second device;   routing the first SNET communication to the public second device using direct packet routing;   receiving, at the SNET social device, a second request from the public second device, the second request associated with routing a second SNET communication to the anonymous first device; and   routing the second SNET communication to the anonymous first device using substitute addressing.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 monitoring communications packets; and   performing middleman readdressing.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 obtaining information from a database configured to store actual contact information of
 an SNET group member associated with the anonymous first device, wherein: 
 at least part of the actual contact information is designated as anonymous with respect to the public second device; and 
 and the at least part of the actual contact information is designated as non-anonymous with respect to at least one other device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the database is configured to:
 store anonymity information specifying conditions under which the at least part of the actual contact information is to remain anonymous.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing varying levels of anonymity based on the anonymity information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting, to the public second device, substitute contact information in place of the actual contact information.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting substitute contact information in place of the actual contact information to at least a third device associated with at least one other SNET group member.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein substitute addressing includes providing a network address of the SNET social device in place of a network address of the anonymous first device.