Method and system for connecting users based on a measure of correlation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10990417-B2
Application number	US-201213599976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2012
Priority date	Aug 30, 2012
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for connecting users based on a measure of correlation. The method involves receiving a first activity data element associated with a first user, where the first activity data element includes activity information related to a first software application, receiving a second activity data element associated with a second user, where the second activity data element includes activity information related to the first software application, and determining, via a processing unit, a measure of correlation between the first and second activity data elements. The method further involves determining, based on the measure of correlation between the first and second activity data elements, that a connection between the first user and the second user should be facilitated, and facilitating a connection between the first user and the second user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a connection between users, the method comprising:
receiving a first activity data element associated with a first user, wherein the first activity data element comprises activity information associated with a first software application, and the first activity data element includes one or more characteristics of at least a first document that have been modified by the first user via the first software application;
receiving a second activity data element associated with a second user, wherein the second activity data element comprises activity information associated with the first software application, and the second activity data element includes one or more characteristics of at least one of the first document or a second document that have been modified by the second user via the first software application;
determining, via a processing unit, that a connection between the first user and the second user should be facilitated in response to determining, based on a measure of correlation, that the one or more characteristics of the at least the first document that have been modified by the first user are correlated with the one or more characteristics of the at least one of the first document or the second document that have been modified by the second user, wherein the measure of correlation is determined by comparing at least one of contextual information included in the first and second activity data elements or one or more types of commands issued by the first and second users; and
in response, facilitating a connection between the first user and the second user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the activity information associated with the first software application comprises one or more types of commands issued by the first and second users.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the activity information associated with the first software application comprises contextual information associated with the first software application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the contextual information comprises a type of document modified by the first and second users, a sequence of commands issued by the first and second users, or a parameter set by the first and second users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the first and second activity data elements in a database; and
querying the database to identify activity information associated with the first software application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the measure of correlation in a database; and
querying the database to identify the measure of correlation.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a query from the first user; and
providing a listing of one or more other users based on another measure of correlation between the first activity data element and one or more other activity data elements.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the query specifies a type of command issued by the first user or contextual information associated with the first software application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third activity data element associated with a third user, the third activity data element comprising activity information associated with a second software application;
receiving a fourth activity data element associated with a fourth user, the fourth activity data element comprising activity information associated with the second software application;
determining one or more measures of correlation between the first, second, third, and fourth activity data elements;
based on the one or more measures of correlation, determining that a connection between the third user and the fourth user should be facilitated; and
facilitating a connection between the third user and the fourth user.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to facilitate a connection between users, by performing the steps of:
receiving a first activity data element associated with a first user, wherein the first activity data element comprises activity information associated with a first software application, and the first activity data element includes one or more characteristics of at least a first document that have been modified by the first user via the first software application;
receiving a second activity data element associated with a second user, wherein the second activity data element comprises activity information associated with the first software application, and the second activity data element includes one or more characteristics of at least one of the first document or a second document that have been modified by the second user via the first software application;
determining that a connection between the first user and the second user should be facilitated in response to determining, based on a measure of correlation, that the one or more characteristics of the at least the first document that have been modified by the first user are correlated with the one or more characteristics of the at least one of the first document and the second document that have been modified by the second user, wherein the measure of correlation is determined by comparing at least one of contextual information included in the first and second activity data elements or one or more types of commands issued by the first and second users; and
in response, facilitating a connection between the first user and the second user.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the activity information associated with the first software application comprises one or more types of commands issued by the first and second users.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the activity information associated with the first software application comprises contextual information associated with the first software application.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 12 , wherein the contextual information comprises a type of document modified by the first and second users, a sequence of commands issued by the first and second users, or a parameter set by the first and second users.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 10 , further comprising:
storing the first and second activity data elements in a database; and
querying the database to identify activity information associated with the first software application.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 10 , further comprising:
storing the measure of correlation in a database; and
querying the database to identify the measure of correlation.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a query from the first user; and
providing a listing of one or more other users based on another measure of correlation between the first activity data element and one or more other activity data elements.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16 , wherein the query specifies a type of command issued by the first user or contextual information associated with the first software applicat

Assignees

• Zhao Ling Zhi
• Lu Fu Guo
• Mei Fan
• Ruskin Leslie Scott
• Sun Yi
• Yang Zhi Gang
• Wang Xiao Bing
• Wu Qiang
• Li xuan yi
• Autodesk Inc

Inventors

• Zhao Ling Zhi
• Lu Fu Guo
• Mei Fan
• Ruskin Leslie Scott
• Sun Yi
• Yang Zhi Gang
• Wang Xiao Bing
• Wu Qiang
• Li xuan yi

Classifications

• G06F15/163

  Interprocessor communication · CPC title

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title