Adaptive social and process network systems

Abstract

An adaptive system applied to social network and process network applications is disclosed. These adaptive social networking and tagging systems, and adaptive process network systems, apply algorithms for monitoring user usage behaviors across a plurality of usage behavior categories associated with a computer-based system, and generating recommendations based on inferences on user preferences and interests based, at least in part, on usage behaviors. Additional functions for effectively and efficiently managing social and process networks, such as social network measurement and analysis features, community tagging functions, and process network recombination functions are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An adaptive social network system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store:  a computer-implemented structural aspect comprising a plurality of objects and at least one relationship between a first object and a second object;   a representation of one or more users of the system as one or more objects of the plurality of objects; and    a usage aspect, comprising captured usage behaviors, wherein the usage behaviors are associated with one or more users; and   
 at least one processing device configured to execute: 
 a function to determine an affinity between a first user represented as an a first object and a second user represented as an a second object of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the e plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users; and 
 a function to generate a user accessible social network representation, wherein the social network representation comprises a plurality of users represented as objects and the affinity between the representation of a first user as an the first object and the representation of a second user as an the second object. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , the usage aspect further comprising one or more usage behaviors, wherein each usage behavior is associated with either a user, one or more user communities, or a user and one or more user communities simultaneously, wherein the user comprises a single-member subset of the one or more users and a community of the one or more user communities comprises a multiple-member subset of the one or more users. 
     
     
       3. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , the usage behaviors further comprising private behaviors and non-private behaviors. 
     
     
       4. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , further comprising a privacy control, the privacy control enabling a user of the one or more users to restrict usage behaviors associated with the user from being deemed non-private behaviors. 
     
     
       5. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to determine an the affinity between a the first user represented as an the first object and a the second user represented as an the second object of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users comprises:
 means to apply usage behavior categories, wherein the usage behavior categories are selected from a group consisting of navigation and access patterns, collaborative patterns, direct feedback patterns, subscription patterns, self-profiling patterns, reference patterns, physical location patterns, and usage temporal patterns. 
 
     
     
       6. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to determine an the affinity between a the first user represented as an the first object and a the second user represented as an the second object of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the a plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users comprises:
 a function that infers user preferences from usage behaviors. 
 
     
     
       7. The adaptive social network system of  claim 6 , wherein a the function that infers user preferences from the usage behaviors comprises:
 an algorithm that prioritizes application of usage patterns associated with a plurality of usage behavior categories. 
 
     
     
       8. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to determine an the affinity between a the first user represented as an the first object and a the second user represented as an the second object of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users comprises:
 a compensatory algorithm associated with the detection of apparent insincere system usage behaviors or other inferred “gaming” gaming behaviors by the one or more users. 
 
     
     
       9. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to determine an the affinity between a the first user represented as an the first object and a the second user represented as an the second object of the plurality of objects based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users comprises:
 an algorithm that applies pattern matching of information embodied in the objects of the structural aspect to produce content interpretation patterns, and associates the content interpretation patterns with usage patterns. 
 
     
     
       10. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to generate a the user accessible social network representation, wherein the social network representation comprises a the plurality of users represented as objects and the affinity between the representation of a first user as an the first object and the representation of a second user as an the second object comprises:
 a function to deliver a social network representation to a user. 
 
     
     
       11. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to generate a the user accessible social network representation, wherein the social network representation comprises a the plurality of users represented as objects and the affinity between the representation of a first user as an the first object and the representation of a second user as an the second object comprises:
 a function to deliver a metric associated with a social network representation. 
 
     
     
       12. The adaptive social network system of  claim 1 , wherein a the function to generate a the user accessible social network representation, wherein the social network representation comprises a the plurality of users represented as objects and the affinity between the representation of a first user as an the first object and the representation of a second user as an the second object comprises:
 a function that automatically modifies a structural element, wherein the function that automatically modifies a the structural element is selected from the group consisting of a function to generate a new relationship, a function to modify an existing relationship, a function to delete an the existing relationship, a function to add an a new object, a function to modify an existing object, and a function to delete an the existing object. 
 
     
     
       13. An adaptive social tagging system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store a plurality of aspects including:  a computer-implemented structural aspect comprising a plurality of objects, and at least one relationship between a first object and a second object; and    a usage aspect, comprising captured usage behaviors, wherein the usage behaviors are associated with one or more users and wherein at least one usage behavior is associated with a user tagging an object; and   
 at least one processing device configured to execute a plurality of functions including:  a function to generate an adaptive recommendation for delivery to a the user based, at least in part, on inferring interests from a plurality of the usage behaviors associated with the one or more users, wherein the at least one usage behavior is associated with a the user tagging an object.   
 
     
     
       14. The adaptive social tagging system of  claim 13 , wherein a computer-implemented the structural aspect comprising a the plurality of objects, and the at least one relationship between a the first object and a the second object comprises:
 a fuzzy network structure, wherein the fuzzy network structure comprises including a plurality of objects, wherein two objects of the plurality of objects have one or more relationships types, and one or more relationships associated with each relationship type, each relationship being uni-directional or bi-directional, and each direction of each relationship has an associated relationship indicator, wherein the relationship indicators associated with each direction are not necessarily the a same magnitude. 
 
     
     
       15. The adaptive social tagging system of  claim 13 , the usage aspect further comprising including one or more usage behaviors, wherein each usage behavior is associated with either a the user, one or more user communities, or a the user and one or more user communities simultaneously, wherein the user comprises a single-member subset of the one or more users and a community of the one or more user communities comprises a multiple-member subset of the one or more users. 
     
     
       16. The adaptive social tagging system of  claim 13 , wherein a the function to generate an the adaptive recommendation for delivery to a the user based, at least in part, on inferring interests from a the plurality of the usage behaviors associated with the one or more users, wherein the at least one usage behavior is associated with a the user tagging an object comprises:
 a function to generate an adaptive recommendation in response to a request by a the user. 
 
     
     
       17. The adaptive social tagging system of  claim 13 , wherein a the function to generate an the adaptive recommendation for delivery to a the user based, at least in part, on inferring interests from a the plurality of the usage behaviors associated with the one or more users, wherein the at least one usage behavior is associated with a the user tagging an object comprises:
 a function that automatically modifies a structural element, wherein the function that automatically modifies a the structural element is selected from the group consisting of a function to generate a new relationship, a function to modify an existing relationship, a function to delete an the existing relationship, a function to add an object, a function to modify an the object, and a function to delete an the object. 
 
     
     
       18. An adaptive process network system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store a plurality of aspects including:  a computer-implemented structural aspect comprising a fuzzy network structure, wherein the fuzzy network structure comprises a plurality of objects, wherein two objects of the plurality of objects have one or more relationships types, and one or more relationships associated with each relationship type, each relationship being uni-directional or bi-directional, and each direction of each relationship has an associated relationship indicator, wherein the relationship indicators associated with each direction are not necessarily the of a same magnitude;   a relationship representing a process sequence between a first object and a second object of the plurality of objects; and    a usage aspect, comprising captured usage behaviors, wherein the usage behaviors are associated with one or more users; and   
 at least one processing device configured to execute a plurality of functions including:  a function to enable the one or more users to navigate the process network wherein the navigation function is based, at least in part, on inferring preferences derived from a plurality of the usage behaviors.   
 
     
     
       19. The adaptive process network system of  claim 18 , wherein a the function to enable the one or more users to navigate the process network wherein the navigation function is based, at least in part, on inferring the preferences derived from a the plurality of the usage behaviors comprises:
 a function to generate an adaptive recommendation based, at least in part, on a plurality of usage behaviors associated with the one or more users corresponding to a plurality of usage behavior categories. 
 
     
     
       20. The adaptive process network system of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a function to combine a plurality of process networks. 
 
     
     
       21. An adaptive social network system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store a plurality of aspects including:
 a structural aspect comprising a plurality of objects and a relationship between a first one of the plurality of objects and a second one of the plurality of objects; 
 a representation of users of the adaptive social network system as the plurality of objects; and 
 a usage aspect comprising captured usage behaviors associated with the users; and 
   at least one processing device configured to execute a plurality of functions including:
 a function to determine an affinity between a first one of the users represented as the first one of the plurality of objects and a second one of the users represented as the second one of the plurality of objects, wherein the affinity is based, at least in part, on inferred interests derived from the captured usage behaviors associated with the users; and 
 a function to generate a social network representation accessible by the users, wherein the social network representation comprises the users represented as the plurality of objects and the affinity between the first one of the users represented as the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the users represented as the second one of the plurality of objects.  
   
     
     
       22. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein each of the captured usage behaviors is associated with either one of the users, one or more user communities, or one of the users and one or more user communities simultaneously, wherein each of the users comprises a single-member subset of the users and a community of the one or more user communities comprises a multiple-member subset of the users.  
     
     
       23. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the captured usage behaviors comprise private behaviors and non-private behaviors.  
     
     
       24. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, further comprising a privacy control, wherein the privacy control enables the users to restrict the captured usage behaviors from being deemed non-private behaviors.  
     
     
       25. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to determine an affinity comprises means to apply usage behavior categories, wherein the usage behavior categories are selected from a group consisting of navigation and access patterns, collaborative patterns, direct feedback patterns, subscription pattern self-profiling patterns, reference patterns, physical location patterns, and usage temporal patterns.  
     
     
       26. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to determine an affinity comprises a function that infers preferences of the users from the captured usage behaviors.  
     
     
       27. The adaptive social network system of claim 26, wherein the function that infers preferences of the users from the captured usage behaviors comprises an algorithm that prioritizes application of usage patterns associated with a plurality of usage behavior categories.  
     
     
       28. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to determine an affinity comprises a compensatory algorithm associated with detection of apparent insincere system usage behaviors or other inferred gaming behaviors by the users.  
     
     
       29. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to determine an affinity comprises an algorithm that applies pattern matching of information embodied in the plurality of objects of the computer-implemented structural aspect to produce content interpretation patterns, and associates the content interpretation patterns with usage patterns.  
     
     
       30. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to generate a social network representation comprises a function to deliver the social network representation to the users.  
     
     
       31. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to generate a social network representation comprises a function to deliver a metric associated with the social network representation.  
     
     
       32. The adaptive social network system of claim 21, wherein the function to generate a social network representation comprises a function that automatically modifies a structural element, wherein the function that automatically modifies the structural element is selected from a group consisting of a function to generate a new relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to modify the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to delete the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to add an additional object to the plurality of objects, a function to modify one of the plurality of objects, and a function to delete one of the plurality of objects.  
     
     
       33. An adaptive social tagging system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store:
 a structural aspect comprising a plurality of objects, and a relationship between a first one of the plurality of objects and a second one of the plurality of objects; and 
 a usage aspect comprising captured usage behaviors, wherein the captured usage behaviors are associated with users and wherein at least one of the captured usage behaviors is associated with one of the users tagging one of the plurality of objects; and 
   at least one processing device configured to execute:
 a function to generate an adaptive recommendation for delivery to the users based, at least in part, on inferring interests from the captured usage behaviors associated with the users and the at least one of the captured usage behaviors associated with one of the users tagging one of the plurality of objects.  
   
     
     
       34. The adaptive social tagging system of claim 33, wherein the structural aspect comprises a fuzzy network structure, wherein:
 the fuzzy network structure comprises the plurality of objects;   the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects have one or more relationship types;   the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects is associated with each of the one or more relationship types;   the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects is a uni-directional relationship or a bi-directional relationship; and   the uni-directional relationship and the bi-directional relationship have associated relationship indicators, wherein the associated relationship indicators do not necessarily have a same magnitude.    
     
     
       35. The adaptive social tagging system of claim 33, wherein the captured usage behaviors are associated with either the users, one or more user communities, or the users and one or more user communities simultaneously, wherein each of the users comprises a single-member subset of the users and a community of the one or more user communities comprises a multiple-member subset of the users.  
     
     
       36. The adaptive social tagging system of claim 33, wherein the function to generate the adaptive recommendation comprises a function to generate the adaptive recommendation in response to a request by the users.  
     
     
       37. The adaptive social tagging system of claim 33, wherein the function to generate the adaptive recommendation for delivery to the users based, at least in part, on inferring interests from the captured usage behaviors associated with the users, and the at least one of the captured usage behaviors associated with one of the users tagging one of the plurality of objects comprises:
 a function that automatically modifies a structural element, wherein the function that automatically modifies a structural element is selected from a group consisting of a function to generate a new relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to modify the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to delete the relationship between the first one of the plurality of objects and the second one of the plurality of objects, a function to add an object to the plurality of objects, a function to modify one of the plurality of objects, and a function to delete one of the plurality of objects.    
     
     
       38. An adaptive process network system, comprising:
 at least one storage device configured to store:
 a structural aspect comprising a fuzzy network structure, wherein the fuzzy network structure comprises a plurality of objects, wherein two of the plurality of objects have one or more relationship types, and one or more relationships are associated with each of the relationship types, each of the relationships being a uni-directional or bi-directional direction, and each of the uni-directional or bi-directional direction for each of the relationships has associated relationship indicators, wherein the relationship indicators associated with each of the uni-directional or bi-directional direction are not necessarily a same magnitude, and one of the relationships represents a process sequence between a first one of the plurality of objects and a second one of the plurality of objects; and 
 a usage aspect comprising captured usage behaviors, wherein the captured usage behaviors are associated with one or more users; and 
   at least one processing device configured to execute:
 a navigation function configured to enable the one or more users to navigate the adaptive process network system, wherein the navigation function is based, at least in part, on inferring preferences derived from the captured usage behaviors.  
   
     
     
       39. The adaptive process network system of claim 38, wherein the navigation function comprises a function to generate an adaptive recommendation based, at least in part, on the captured usage behaviors associated with the one or more users and corresponding to a plurality of usage behavior categories.  
     
     
       40. The adaptive process network system of claim 38, further comprising a function to combine the adaptive process network system with other adaptive process network systems.