Mobile System Locating Friends by Degrees of Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current social network applications lack the capability to efficiently locate people based on degrees of separation and geographic location, failing to provide a comprehensive method for finding individuals with whom users do not have direct connections, such as mutual friends or colleagues.
Innovation Solution
A mobile data processing system identifies degrees of separation from a requestor to search for people within a network data processing system, generating an initial group of individuals based on associations and geographic location, and displays the online portion of this group on a mobile device, utilizing semantic web technologies and resource description framework schema to understand and present relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If social network applications use traditional search methods to find users, then direct connections can be located, but users without direct connections (mutual friends, colleagues) cannot be efficiently found
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the search process into multiple components: (1) identifying degrees of separation parameter, (2) searching network data processing system for associations within specified degrees, (3) filtering by geographic location, and (4) filtering by online status. This segmentation enables comprehensive people finding beyond direct connections while maintaining search efficiency through structured processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds new dimensions to traditional social network search by incorporating (1) degrees of separation as a search parameter, (2) geographic location filtering, and (3) online status filtering. These additional dimensions transform the search capability from simple direct connection finding to comprehensive people locating across multiple criteria.
2Reliability
If the system searches the entire network data processing system for associations, then comprehensive results are obtained, but search time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by (1) pre-identifying the degrees of separation parameter before execution, (2) pre-filtering criteria for geographic location and online status, and (3) structuring the search query with all parameters defined in advance. This preliminary preparation enables efficient execution without compromising result completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by filtering results to show only people within specified degrees of separation, within geographic location boundaries, and who are currently online. This partial filtering approach reduces the result set from the entire network to a manageable, relevant subset while maintaining reliability for the intended purpose.
3Ease of operation
If the system filters people by geographic location and online status, then relevant results are provided, but the complexity of the search system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by integrating multiple filtering capabilities (degrees of separation, geographic location, online status) into a unified search system. The same system architecture handles all filtering operations through consistent data structures and processing logic, making the enhanced functionality manageable despite increased capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, data processing system, and computer program product for locating people. A mobile data processing system identifies a number of degrees of separation from a requestor for use in searching for the people. The mobile data processing system searches a network data processing system for data structures that contain information about associations between the people that are within the number of degrees of separation from the requestor to generate an initial group of people. The mobile network data processing system identifies a group of people from the initial group of people that are within a geographic location based on a location of the mobile data processing system and a portion of the group of people who are online. The mobile data processing system displays the portion of the group of people on a display device for the mobile data processing system.