Social network device memberships and applications

Abstract

A social device including capabilities for participating in a social network group via a social infrastructure. Various functions and resources of the social device are accessible by members of the social network group. Likewise, the social device may be configured to access services and other resources of the social network group. The social device may participate in the social network group through an autonomous, automated or member-triggered process. In one embodiment, the social device functions as a social gateway to communicatively couple a child node and a social network group. The social gateway may comprise a set top box or mobile communication device, and the child node may be a human user that interacts with the social gateway through a user interface. In a further embodiment, the social gateway may concurrently operate as a child device that communicates with a social network group through another social device.

1 . A social device, comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the social network infrastructure supporting a social network group;   processing circuitry operably coupled to the communication interface; and   at least one device resource supported by the processing circuitry,   wherein the processing circuitry is configured to establish a device membership within the social network group, the device membership belonging to the social device separate from a membership in the social network group, if any, of a user or owner of the social device, and   wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to enable access to the at least one device resource via the social network group.   
     
     
         2 . The social device of  claim 1 , the social network group including a second device member, wherein enabling access to the at least one device resource includes enabling the second device member to offer access to the at least one device resource via the social network group. 
     
     
         3 . The social device of  claim 1 , wherein access to the at least one device resource is conditioned upon membership in the social network group. 
     
     
         4 . The social device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is configured to broadcast profile information relating to the social device and the at least one device resource. 
     
     
         5 . The social device of  claim 1 , wherein establishing a device membership within the social network group comprises receiving, via the communication interface, an invitation from the social infrastructure to participate in the social network group. 
     
     
         6 . The social device of  claim 5 , the processing circuitry further configured to autonomously accept the invitation. 
     
     
         7 . The social device of  claim 5 , the processing circuitry further configured to accept the invitation following an indication of acceptance from a user of the social device. 
     
     
         8 . The social device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a user interface coupled to the processing circuitry, the user interface configured to receive input information from a user of the social device, the input information relating to interaction with the social network group.   
     
     
         9 . The social device of  claim 1 , further comprising a member reporting module coupled to the communication interface, the member reporting module maintaining profile information relating to at least one characteristic of the social device, and wherein the communication interface is configured to share the profile information via the social network infrastructure. 
     
     
         10 . The social device of  claim 1 , further comprising a member reporting module coupled to the communication interface, the member reporting module maintaining profile information relating to at least one characteristic of a user associated with the social device, and wherein the communication interface is configured to share the profile information via the social network infrastructure. 
     
     
         11 . The social device of  claim 1 , the communication interface further configured to receive profile information from the social network group, wherein the profile information comprises information relating to characteristics of at least one node associated with the social network group. 
     
     
         12 . The social device of  claim 1 , wherein the social network group is a proximity-based vehicular social network group. 
     
     
         13 . The social device of  claim 1 , wherein the social network group is an appliance social network group. 
     
     
         14 . A social gateway device supporting participation in a social network group, the social gateway device comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to support hierarchical interaction between a social network group and a social device, including determining a device membership of the social device within the social network group, the device membership belonging to the social device separate from a membership in the social network group, if any, of a user of the social device;   an upstream communication interface operably coupled to the processing circuitry and configured to communicate with the social network group; and   a downstream communication interface operably coupled to the processing circuitry, the downstream communication interface configured to communicate with the social device,   the processing circuitry further configured to communicatively couple and support interaction between the social network group and the social device.   
     
     
         15 . The social gateway device of  claim 14 , wherein the social gateway device is a set top box, the social gateway device further comprising:
 a front end coupled to the processing circuitry, the front end configured to receive external media content and convert the media content for consumption by a social device communicatively coupled to the downstream communication interface.   
     
     
         16 . The social gateway device of  claim 14 , wherein the social gateway device is a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The social gateway device of  claim 14 , wherein interaction between the social network group and the social device includes sharing of a resource of the social device with at least one member of the social network group. 
     
     
         18 . The social gateway device of  claim 14  configured as both a parent social device and a child social device, wherein the upstream communication interface is configured to communicate with the social network group through a parent node of the social network group. 
     
     
         19 . A social device supporting participation in a social network group, the social device comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the social network group;   processing circuitry operably coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuitry configured to support interaction with the social network group by establishing a device membership for the social device within the social network group, the device membership belonging to the social device separate from a membership of a user of the social network device; and   a profiling and correlation module operably coupled to the communication interface, the profiling and correlation module configured to compile member profile information relating to at least one member of the social network group,   the communication interface further configured to communicate at least a portion of the compiled member profile information to the social network group.   
     
     
         20 . The social device of  claim 19 , the communication interface further configured to receive data queries from members and non-members of the social network group,
 wherein the profiling and correlation module is further configured to identify correlations between the data queries and the compiled member profile information, and generate responsive data based, at least in part, on the correlations,   wherein the communication interface is further configured to communicate the responsive data.