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 method for searching a social sphere of influence for a particular user in a social network, the method comprising:
 receiving a first search result that identifies a particular target that is connected to the particular user through one or more first users;   storing the first search result;   receiving a second search result that identifies the particular target that is connected to the particular user through one or more second users;   determining whether the particular target is in the first search result;   in response to determining that the particular target is in the first search result, determining whether the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in response to receiving the first search result that identifies the particular target, determining whether an alert identifying the particular target has been sent to a client computer used by the particular user; and 
 in response to determining that the alert has not been sent to the client computer:
 sending the alert to the client computer; 
 causing the client computer to display data, in the alert, that identifies the particular target. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining at least one user that is in the one or more second users, but is not in the one or more second users; 
 sending an alert identifying the particular target and the at least one user to a client computer used by the particular user; 
 causing the client computer to display data, in the alert, that identifies the particular target and the at least one user. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more second users comprises a plurality of users that are different than the one or more first users, and the method further comprising, for each user in the plurality of users, sending an alert identifying the particular target and the user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a connection strength; 
 sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the connection strength. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining a first connection strength between the particular user and the particular target; 
 in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a second connection strength between the particular user and the particular target; 
 determining whether the second connection strength is greater than the first connection strength; 
 in response to determining that the second connection strength is greater than the first connection strength, sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the second connection strength. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein:
 determining the first connection strength between the particular user and the particular target comprises determining the first connection strength based on how many users are in the one or more first users; 
 determining the second connection strength between the particular user and the particular target comprises determining the second connection strength based on how many users are in the one or more second users. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a connection strength between the particular user and the particular target; 
 determining whether the connection strength meets a threshold; 
 in response to determining that the connection strength meets the threshold, sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the connection strength. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising receiving the threshold from a client computer used by the particular user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving one or more search criteria from the particular user; 
 searching a first plurality of records to determine whether any records satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein the first plurality of records corresponds to a first plurality of users; 
 wherein the first search result is received in response to searching the first plurality of records; 
 automatically and not in response to input from the particular user, searching a second plurality of records to determine whether any records satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein the second plurality of records corresponds to a second plurality of users, and the first plurality of users is different than the second plurality of users; and 
 wherein the first search result is received in response to searching the second plurality of records. 
 
     
     
         11 . A computer system for searching a social sphere of influence for a particular user in a social network comprising:
 a storage comprising a first plurality of records, wherein each record corresponds to a user in a first plurality of users;   one or more processors coupled to the storage;   one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:
 receiving one or more search criteria from a client computer used by the particular user; 
 receiving a first search result that identifies a particular target that is connected to the particular user through one or more first users, wherein the first search results are based on the one or more search criteria and the first plurality of records; 
 storing, in the storage, the first search result; 
 updating the first plurality of records to produce a second plurality of records; 
 receiving a second search result that identifies the particular target that is connected to the particular user through one or more second users, wherein the second search results are based on the one or more search criteria and the second plurality of records; 
 determining whether the particular target is in the first search result; 
 in response to determining that the particular target is in the first search result, determining whether the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 in response to receiving the first search result that identifies the particular target, determining, based on data in the storage, whether an alert identifying the particular target has been sent to a client computer used by the particular user; and   in response to determining that the alert has not been sent to the client computer:
 sending the alert to the client computer; 
 causing the client computer to display data, in the alert, that identifies the particular target; 
 storing data, in the storage, indicating that the alert was sent to the particular user. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining at least one user that is in the one or more second users, but is not in the one or more second users;   sending an alert identifying the particular target and the at least one user to a client computer used by the particular user;   causing the client computer to display data, in the alert, that identifies the particular target and the at least one user.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the one or more second users comprises a plurality of users that are different than the one or more first users;   the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, for each user in the plurality of users, sending an alert identifying the particular target and the user.   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a connection strength;   sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the connection strength.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 determining a first connection strength between the particular user and the particular target;   in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a second connection strength between the particular user and the particular target; 
 determining whether the second connection strength is greater than the first connection strength; 
 in response to determining that the second connection strength is greater than the first connection strength, sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the second connection strength. 
   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16  wherein:
 determining the first connection strength between the particular user and the particular target comprises determining the first connection strength based on how many users are in the one or more first users; 
 determining the second connection strength between the particular user and the particular target comprises determining the second connection strength based on how many users are in the one or more second users. 
 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause, in response to determining that the one or more first users are different than the one or more second users:
 determining a connection strength between the particular user and the particular target;   determining whether the connection strength meets a threshold;   in response to determining that the connection strength meets the threshold, sending an alert that identifies the particular target and the connection strength.   
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause receiving the threshold from a client computer used by the particular user. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:
 receiving one or more search criteria from the particular user;   searching a first plurality of records to determine whether any records satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein the first plurality of records corresponds to a first plurality of users;   wherein the first search result is received in response to searching the first plurality of records;   automatically and not in response to input from the particular user, searching a second plurality of records to determine whether any records satisfy the one or more search criteria, wherein the second plurality of records corresponds to a second plurality of users, and the first plurality of users is different than the second plurality of users; and   wherein the first search result is received in response to searching the second plurality of records.