System and method for creating personal connection alerts

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and systems for providing personal connection alerts. The user desires to have a personal connection with a target person. An indicator for a target is provided by the user. The indicator is often the name of the target, but can also be a picture of the target, or other information. A record for the target is created based on the received indicator. The target record is stored. A variety of additional information regarding the target may be obtained from external or internal sources and also stored in the target record. Then the target record is periodically compared with the user's social sphere of influence, which comprises the user's primary and secondary connections. The comparison includes at least comparing the target with the user's secondary connections. When the target record matches at least one of the user's secondary connections, an alert is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system for finding one or more targets for a particular user comprising:
 a storage comprising:
 a set of connection data that indicates that the particular user has joined one or more communities that include a first community; 
 a first set of community data that indicates that a first plurality of users are members of the first community, wherein the first community includes one or more first users who are not primary connections of the particular user; 
   one or more processors;   one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving, from the particular user using a client computer, a search that specifies one or more search criteria, and 
 in response to receiving the search:
 identifying, from the storage, the set of connection data that is associated with the particular user; 
 based on the set of connection data, identifying the first community that the particular user has joined; 
 based on the first community, identifying, within the first set of community data from the storage, the first plurality of users; 
 determining, based on comparing the one or more search criteria with a first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users, that one or more first records in the first plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, and 
 in response to determining that that one or more first records in the first plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, sending, to the client computer, a notification identifying at least a first target that corresponds to a first record in the one or more first records. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first target is in the one or more first users that are not primary connections of the particular user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first target is not a primary connection of the particular user;   the first target is a primary connection of a user in the first plurality of users that are members of the first community; and   the user in the first plurality of users is not a primary connection of the particular user.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage and the one or more processors are part of a first social network; and   the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 providing, to a remote system, first information regarding a user in the plurality of users that are members of the first community; 
 receiving, from the remote system as a response to providing the first information to the remote system, a set of information regarding the first target and storing the set of information in the first record; 
 comparing the one or more search criteria to the set of information in the first record as at least part of comparing the one or more search criteria with the first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users, comprises; and 
 determining that the set of information in the first record satisfies the one or more search criteria as at least part of determining that the one or more first records in the first plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria. 
   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more communities are a plurality of communities and the set of connection data indicates that the particular user has joined a community of the plurality of communities; and   the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 storing a second set of community data that indicates that a second plurality of users are members of the second community, wherein the second community includes one or more second users who are not primary connections of the particular user; 
 in further response to receiving the search:
 identifying the second community that the particular user has joined based on the set of connection data; 
 identifying within the second set of community data, the second plurality of users based on the second community; 
 comparing the one or more search criteria with a second plurality of records that are associated with the second plurality of users; 
 
 in response to determining that the one or more second records in the second plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, sending the notification to the client computer identifying at least a second target that corresponds to a second record in the one or more second records. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the first target is different than the second target, and the second target is a member of the second community, but is not a primary connection of the particular user. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, automatically and not in response to input from the particular user:
 comparing the one or more search criteria with the first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users;   determining that a new record in the plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, wherein the new record was not in the one or more first records;   sending a new notification to the client computer identifying at least a new target that corresponds to the new record.   
     
     
         8 . A method for finding one or more targets for a particular user, the method comprising:
 storing a set of connection data that indicates the particular user has joined one or more communities, wherein the one or more communities include a first community;   storing a first set of community data that indicates that a first plurality of users are members of the first community, wherein the first community includes one or more first users who are not primary connections of the particular user;   receiving, from the particular user, a search that specifies one or more search criteria;   in response to receiving the search:
 identifying the set of connection data that is associated with the particular user; 
 based on the set of connection data, identifying the first community that the particular user has joined; 
 based on the first community, identifying, within the first set of community data, the first plurality of users; 
 comparing the one or more search criteria with a first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users; 
   in response to determining that one or more first records in the first plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, sending a notification to a client computer identifying at least a first target that corresponds to a first record in the one or more first records;   wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first target is in the one or more first users that are not primary connections of the particular user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first target is not a primary connection of the particular user;   the first target is a primary connection of a user in the first plurality of users that are members of the first community; and   the user in the first plurality of users is not a primary connection of the particular user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 providing, to a remote system, first information regarding a user in the plurality of users that are members of the first community; 
 after providing the first information to the remote system, receiving, from the remote system, as a response to providing the first information, a set of information regarding the first target and storing the set of information in the first record; 
 wherein comparing the one or more search criteria with the first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users, comprises comparing the one or more search criteria to the set of information in the first record; 
 wherein determining that the one or more first records in the first plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria comprises determining that the set of information in the first record satisfies the one or more search criteria. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more communities are a plurality of communities and the set of connection data indicates that the particular user has joined a community of the plurality of communities, and the method further comprising:
 storing a second set of community data that indicates that a second plurality of users are members of the second community, wherein the second community includes one or more second users who are not primary connections of the particular user;   in further response to receiving the search:
 based on the set of connection data, identifying the second community that the particular user has joined; 
 based on the second community, identifying within the second set of community data, the second plurality of users; 
 comparing the one or more search criteria with a second plurality of records that are associated with the second plurality of users; 
   in response to determining that the one or more second records in the second plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, sending the notification to the client computer identifying at least a second target that corresponds to a second record in the one or more second records.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first target is different than the second target, and the second target is a member of the second community, but is not a primary connection of the particular user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising, automatically and not in response to input from the particular user:
 comparing the one or more search criteria with the first plurality of records that are associated with the first plurality of users; 
 determining that a new record in the plurality of records satisfies the one or more search criteria, wherein the new record was not in the one or more first records; 
 sending a new notification to the client computer identifying at least a new target that corresponds to the new record. 
 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving one or more indicators for one or more targets associated with a user;   providing, to a remote system, first information regarding one or more primary connections of the user;   after providing the first information to the remote system, receiving, from the remote system, as a response to providing the first information, second information regarding one or more secondary connections of the user;   comparing a target record with the second information regarding the one or more secondary connections of the user; and   determining the target record matches at least one of the one or more secondary connections of the user;   in response to determining the target record matches at least one of the one or more secondary connections of the user, causing to display data in the target record to the user;   wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising providing an introduction alert to the user indicating that a personal connection exists between the user and the at least one of the one or more secondary connections of the user. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising causing to display data identifying a particular secondary connection of the one or more secondary connections of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the particular secondary connection is a primary connection for a particular primary connection of the one or more primary connections of the user, further comprising:
 determining a common primary connection between the user and the at least one of the one or more secondary connections of the user;   indicating to the user that the user is connected with the at least one or more secondary connections through the common primary connection by at least causing to display data that identifies the common primary connection and is in a primary record that corresponds to the common primary connection.