Displaying and navigating implicit and explicit enterprise people relationships

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270666-B2
Application number	US-201615391519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2016
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A network map of an individual's implicit and explicit people relationships across multiple workloads is provided. Relationships between people may be leveraged and ranking for people relationships may be performed based on activities across multiple workloads. People relationships may be displayed in the network map to provide a visual understanding of relationships and connections. Navigation to any person represented in the network map may be enabled, and commonalities in relationships between a navigating user and a given person navigated to in the network map may be exposed. Trending items and activity streams for a person or group of persons may be shown in the network map.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for providing a network map, the method comprising:
collecting activity data for a plurality of individuals and a plurality of electronic documents from a plurality of information sources;
storing, in a graph, a plurality of nodes, comprising:
a first individual as a first node in the graph;
a second individual as a second node in the graph;
an electronic document as a third node in the graph;

evaluating the activity data to identify a plurality of relationships between the plurality of nodes;
automatically establishing a first edge representing a first relationship between the first node and the third node based on an indication that the first individual interacted with the electronic document;
automatically establishing a second edge representing a second relationship between the first node and the second node based on an indication that the second individual interacted with the electronic document, wherein the second relationship is an implicit relationship identified based on the evaluation of the activity data;
weighting the first edge based on a first type of interaction with the electronic document by the first individual and weighting the second edge based on a second type of interaction with the electronic document by the second individual, wherein the first type of interaction is weighted higher than the second type of interaction;
receiving a request to view a network map, wherein the request is associated with the first individual; and
based on receiving the request, causing the first node, the third node, and the first edge to be displayed in a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a third individual as a fourth node in the graph;
establishing a third edge between the first node and the fourth node based on an indication that the first individual is in a relationship with the third individual; and
based on receiving the request, causing the fourth node and the third edge to be displayed in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprises:
based on one of an organizational structure or a project structure, establishing an explicit relationship between the first individual and at least one other individual with whom the first individual interacts or is associated.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
ranking the first edge and the second edge according to the respective weighting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the weighting is based on implicit and explicit signals.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an indication of a selection to view a network map associated with the second individual; and
causing display of the second node, the second edge, and the first node in the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first individual's interaction with the electronic document comprises one of authoring the electronic document, modifying the electronic document, liking the electronic document, or commenting on the electronic document.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically establishing a third edge representing an explicit relationship between the first node and the second node, the explicit relationship comprising one of: a manager relationship, a peer relationship, a directs relationship, a working with relationship, or a we both work with relationship.

9. A system for providing a network map, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the one or more processors operable to:
collect activity data for a plurality of individuals and a plurality of electronic documents from a plurality of information sources;
store, in a graph, a plurality of nodes, comprising:
a first individual as a first node in the graph;
a second individual as a second node in the graph;
an electronic document as a third node in the graph;

evaluate the activity data to identify a plurality of relationships between the plurality of nodes;
automatically establish a first edge representing a first relationship between the first node and the third node based on an indication that the first individual interacted with the electronic document;
automatically establish a second edge representing a second relationship between the first node and the second node based on an indication that the second individual interacted with the electronic document, wherein the second relationship is an implicit relationship identified based on the evaluation of the activity data;
weight the first edge based on a first type of interaction with the electronic document by the first individual and weight the second edge based on a second type of interaction with the electronic document by the second individual, wherein the first type of interaction is weighted higher than the second type of interaction;
receive a request to view a network map associated with a first individual; and
based on receiving the request, cause display of the first node, the third node, and the first edge.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
storing a third individual as a fourth node in the graph; and
establishing a third edge between the first node and the fourth node based on an indication that the first individual is in a relationship with the third individual.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:
calculate a weight for each of the first edge, the second edge and the third edge based on implicit and explicit signals generated through activity on the plurality of information sources;
rank each edge according to the calculated weight; and
cause display of the ranks in a user interface.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:
receive an indication of a selection by a user to view a network map associated with a second individual; and
cause display of the fourth node, the first node and the third edge in a user interface.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first individual's interaction with the electronic document comprises one of authoring the electronic document, modifying the electronic document, liking the electronic document, or commenting on the electronic document.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to:
automatically establish a third edge representing an explicit relationship between the first node and the second node, the explicit relationship comprising one of: a manager relationship, a peer relationship, a directs relationship, a working with relationship, or a we both work with relationship.

15. A method for providing a network map, the method comprising:
collecting activity data for a plurality of individuals and a plurality of electronic documents from a plurality of information sources storing a first individual as a first node in the graph;
storing a second individual as a second node in the graph;
storing an electronic document as a third node in the graph;
evaluating the activity data to identify a plurality of relationships between the nodes;
automatically establishing a first edge representing a first relationship between the first node and the third node based on an indication that the first individual interacted with the electronic document;
automatically establishing a second edge representing a second relationship between the first node and the second node based on an indication that the second individual interacted with the electronic document, wherein the second relationship is an implicit relationship identified based on the evaluation of th

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Shah Viral
• Herstad Berit
• Jassal Vikramjeet Singh
• Kempton Alexander
• Sørensen Ståle
• Rasmussen Sveinar
• Distel Alexander
• Dovedan Zoran
• Dijan Ivan

Classifications

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L41/22 Primary

  comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G06T11/206

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q50/01

  Physics · mapped topic