Computer-implemented method and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020004879-A1
Application number	US-201816021233-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining a crowdsourced association between a first user identifier, and a second user identifier for a user of a service accessible over a network. Service data are searched to identify users of the service having a potential association with the first user identifier. Users of the service are invited in turn to select one of the identified users in relation to the first user identifier. A tier of linkage is determined, from at least two defined tiers, between a user making the selection and the selected user. A vote is recorded, of the determined tier, for the selection. A threshold is assigned to votes according to the tier of linkage so that if the votes of at least one of the defined tiers achieves its assigned threshold, it may be determined whether the first user identifier is associated with the respective second user identifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for determining a crowdsourced association between a first user identifier and a second user identifier, the second user identifier comprising an identifier for a user of a service accessible over a network, the method comprising:
(i) responsive to an event identifying the first user identifier, performing a search of data associated with users of the service to identify one or more users of the service having a potential association with the first user identifier, each of the one or more identified users of the service having a respective second user identifier; (ii) inviting one of a plurality of users of the service to select one of the one or more identified users from (i) in relation to the first user identifier; (iii) responsive to a selection by the said user at (ii), determining a tier of linkage, from at least two defined tiers of linkage, between the said user and the one of the one or more identified users selected by the said user at (ii); (iv) recording a vote, of the tier of linkage determined at (iii), in respect of the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii) in relation to the first user identifier; (v) repeating (ii) to (iv) in respect of different ones of the plurality of users of the service; (vi) assigning a respective threshold to the votes recorded at (iv) according to the tier of linkage of the votes; and (vii) responsive to a number of the votes recorded at (iv) of at least one of the at least two defined tiers of linkage achieving the respective assigned threshold, determining whether the association between the first user identifier and the respective second user identifier is a crowdsourced association.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, at (i), the event comprises receipt by a user of the service of a message including the first user identifier.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the service is a profile-hosting service and (ii) comprises displaying, to the said user, profile data retrieved from the profile-hosting service for each of the one of more identified users from (i).

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, at (iii), the at least two defined tiers of linkage define different levels of linkage, as defined by the service, between the said user and the one of the one or more identified users selected by the said user at (ii).

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein, at (iii), the at least two defined tiers of linkage comprise: a first defined tier of linkage, wherein the said user is directly linked, or linked via at least one other linked user of the service, to the one of the one or more identified users selected by the said user at (ii); and a second defined tier of linkage, wherein the second user is not linked by the service according to the first defined tier with the one of the one or more identified users selected by the said user at (ii).

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein (vi) comprises assigning a larger threshold to the votes recorded at (iv) according to the second defined tier of linkage than a threshold assigned to the votes recorded at (iv) according to the first defined tier of linkage.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at (iv), recording a vote comprises incrementing a respective vote counter of the tier of linkage determined at (iii) in respect of the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii) in relation to the first user identifier.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein, at (iv), the vote counters of each said defined tier of linkage are stored in a directory of crowdsourced associations.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, at (iv), recording a vote comprises storing, in a store reserved for the said user, a record of the vote, a record of the tier of linkage determined for the vote at (iii), and a record of the one of the one or more identified users, having a respective second user identifier, selected by the said user at (ii) in relation to the first user identifier.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vote comprises a positive vote for an association of the first user identifier with the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii) and wherein, at (vii), responsive to a number of the votes recorded at (iv) of at least one of the at least two defined tiers of linkage achieving the respective assigned threshold, determining that the association between the first user identifier and the respective second user identifier is a crowdsourced association.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vote comprises an anti-vote for an association of the first user identifier with the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii) and wherein, at (vii), responsive to a number of the votes recorded at (iv) of at least one of the at least two defined tiers of linkage achieving the respective assigned threshold, determining that the association between the first user identifier and the respective second user identifier is not a crowdsourced association.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vote comprises a positive vote or an anti-vote for an association of the first user identifier with the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii) and wherein:
at (iv), recording a vote comprises incrementing a respective vote or anti-vote counter, according to whether the vote is a positive vote or an anti-vote of the tier of linkage determined at (iii) in respect of the association of the first user identifier with the one of the one or more identified users selected at (ii); and at (vii), responsive to a number of the positive votes recorded at (iv) of at least one of the at least two defined tiers of linkage achieving the respective assigned threshold number of votes in excess of a number of the anti-votes recorded at (iv) of the same said at least one of the at least two defined tiers of linkage, determining that the association between the first user identifier and the respective second user identifier is a crowdsourced association.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first user identifier comprises an e-mail address.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first user identifier comprises a telephone number.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first user identifier comprises an alias assigned for use in accessing the network.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, at (i), the one or more identified users of the service comprise a subset of users registered to access the network.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
(viii) responsive to an event identifying the first user identifier, the first user identifier having a determined crowdsourced association with a second user identifier, using the second user identifier to retrieve data stored in the service in respect of the second user identifier; and (ix) displaying to a user the retrieved data from (viii) in association with the first user identifier.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , comprising:
(x) if the user considers that the retrieved data displayed at (ix) are not associated with the first user identifier, determining a tier of linkage, from the at least two defined tiers of linkage, between the user and the user of the service having the second user identifier; and (xi) recording an anti-vote, of the tier of linkage determined at (x), in respect of the crowdsourced association of the first user identifier with the second user iden

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Elliott Paul
• Garcia Valenzuela Fernando
• Volkov Alexey
• Bergstrand Kjetil Krogvig

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

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

• G06F16/951 Primary

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G07C13/00

  Voting apparatus · CPC title

• G06Q50/01

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30864 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic