Social Processing Member Offering Fixed and Intelligent Services

Abstract

A social networking system offers a variety of fixed and intelligent services and social device resources participating as members in a social network (SNET) group. Such members may include, for example, social billing and payment services, digital assistants and artificial intelligence functions, robotic control and training services, media content storage and playback services, data backup services, services that support distributed processes such as distributed research projects, networking elements such as network attached storage (NAS), firewalls, proxies, etc. In various embodiments, such services and resources may become available upon being selectively docked or otherwise associated (e.g., through docking of a supporting device) with a SNET group by a human member or third party via a docked user device. Selection of available services may be supported through a visual menu provided by a member device or support service.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for allocating resources in a social network circle supported by a social network infrastructure having membership management functionality, the method comprising:
 detecting, by the social network infrastructure, a social device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social network circle;   offering an invitation to the social device to participate in the social network circle;   receiving an acceptance of the invitation from the social device;   automatically docking the social device with the social network circle to establish membership therein, membership of the social device within the social network circle separate from membership of a corresponding user of the social device;   establishing access rights for the social device resource of the social device;   identifying a request, from a second member of the social network circle, for access to the social device resource; and   in response to the request, permitting access to the social device resource of the social device in accordance with the access rights.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein docking of the social device with the social network circle includes establishing operational control of the social device resource by the social network infrastructure. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein establishing access rights for the social device resource includes establishing a plurality of levels of access rights, and wherein permitting access to the social device resource includes selecting one of the plurality of levels of access rights. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining profile information associated with the second member of the social network circle, wherein selecting one of the plurality of levels of access rights is based, at least in part, upon the profile information.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 identifying a second request for access to the social device resource by a third member of the social network circle or an authorized non-member of the social network circle;   establishing a relative priority between the first and second requests; and   responding to the relatively lower priority request by permitting constrained access to the social resource.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein constrained access to the social device resource comprises suspension of access pending resolution of the higher priority request for access to the social device resource. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , the social network hosting infrastructure having resource allocation management functionality, wherein permitting access to the social device resource is performed by the resource allocation management functionality. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , the social device resource selected from the group consisting of:
 social device user profile information;   social device configuration information;   social device status information;   social media content; and   social device data.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , the social device resource selected from the group consisting of:
 processing capabilities;   allocable communication bandwidth;   storage resources accessible via the social device;   services; and   attached device resources.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein detecting a social device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social network circle includes determining a location of the social device, and wherein offering an invitation to the social device to participate in the social network circle includes automatically offering the invitation when the social device is within a proximity threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , the social device resource comprising a first social device resource and a second social device resource, wherein establishing access rights comprises establishing distinct access rights for the first social device resource and the second social device resource. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the access rights are established, at least in part, via a user interface associated with the social device resource. 
     
     
         14 . Device circuitry for interacting with a social network infrastructure, the social network infrastructure hosting a social network circle, the device circuitry comprising:
 interface circuitry operable to communicatively couple with the social network infrastructure; and   processing circuitry coupled to the interface circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to:
 support interaction with the social network infrastructure via the interface circuitry, 
 detect a social device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social network circle; 
 offer an invitation to the social device to participate in the social network circle; 
 receive an acceptance of the invitation from the social device; 
 automatically dock the social device with the social network circle to establish membership therein, membership of the social device within the social network circle separate from membership of a corresponding user of the social device; 
 establish access rights for the social device resource of the social device; 
 identify a request, from a second member of the social network circle, for access to the social device resource; and 
 in response to the request, permit interaction with the social device resource of the social device in accordance with the access rights. 
   
     
     
         15 . The device circuitry of  claim 14 , the processing circuitry further operable to support allocation of a social resource between multiple members of the social network circle, the allocation in accordance with the access rights. 
     
     
         16 . The device circuitry of  claim 15 , allocation of a social resource comprising arbitration of requests for access to the social resource. 
     
     
         17 . The device circuitry of  claim 14 , the access rights comprising at least a first level of access rights and a second level of access rights. 
     
     
         18 . The device circuitry of  claim 17 , the first level of access rights applicable to specified members of the social network circle, the second level of access rights applicable to non-members of the social network circle. 
     
     
         19 . A social network infrastructure used with a plurality of devices, the social network infrastructure comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to implement:   a membership management module that manages membership related to at least one social group, the social group including a plurality of devices, the membership management module establishing memberships for the plurality of devices that are separate from memberships of users of the plurality of devices;   a docking module that manages docking of devices to the social group; and   a resource allocation management module, wherein the membership management module, the docking module and the resource allocation management module are operable to:
 detect a device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social group; 
 offer an invitation to the device to participate in the social group; 
 receive an acceptance of the invitation from the device; 
 automatically dock the device with the social group to establish membership therein; 
 establish access rights for the social device resource of the device; 
 identify a request, from a second member of the social group, for access to the social device resource; and 
 in response to the request, enable interaction with the social device resource in accordance with the access rights. 
   
     
     
         20 . The social network infrastructure of  claim 19 , wherein detecting a device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social group includes detecting an attempt by the device to associate with an access point, and wherein offering an invitation to the device to participate in the social group includes automatically offering the invitation to the device upon detecting the attempt by the device to associate with the access point. 
     
     
         21 . The social network infrastructure of  claim 19 , wherein detecting a device having a social device resource capable of being shared with members of the social group includes determining a location of the device, and wherein offering an invitation to the social device to participate in the social group includes automatically offering the invitation when the device is within a proximity threshold.