Social Network Circles for Contact Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of social networking services face challenges in managing and controlling the visibility of their posts across different social groups, leading to irrelevant or embarrassing content being shared with unintended contacts, and existing solutions either restrict interactions or require self-censorship.
Innovation Solution
Implementing social networking circles that allow users to categorize contacts into groups based on relationships, enabling controlled distribution and visibility of posts, and integrating these circles with telecommunications carriers to offer personalized calling plans and blocking features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If users post to all contacts in a social network, then content reach is maximized, but irrelevant or embarrassing content is shared with unintended contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the contact list into multiple circles (e.g., family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances) allowing users to segment their social network. Each circle can have different post visibility settings, enabling users to control which contacts see which content while maintaining overall network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by allowing different posts to have different visibility scopes within the same social network. Users can specify whether a post is visible to all contacts, specific circles, or individual contacts, creating localized content distribution tailored to different social contexts.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If users manually manage post visibility for each contact, then content control is precise, but user effort and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
By organizing contacts into pre-defined circles (family, friends, colleagues, etc.), the system provides default visibility settings that reduce manual management effort. Users can inherit these defaults while still making selective overrides when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures circle-based visibility settings and default post distributions before users need to manage content. This preliminary organization of social relationships reduces the immediate cognitive load and effort required for content management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing social networks integrate with telecommunications carriers, then personalized calling plans and blocking features are enabled, but data privacy and security concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the circle structure as an intermediary layer between social network data and telecommunications carrier services. Circles serve as a privacy-preserving abstraction that allows carriers to provide personalized services (like calling plans or blocking) based on social context without requiring direct access to detailed user profile data or full contact information.
Solution Approach 2:
The integration provides localized services at the circle level rather than requiring comprehensive data access. Each circle can have its own calling plan or blocking rules, allowing fine-grained service customization while minimizing the data footprint shared with carriers.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for receiving, at a server system of a social network and from a telephone service provider, information identifying members of a preferred calling group for a first user that is associated with the telephone provider. The sever system of the social network identifies the first user as a member of the social network. The server system of the social network identifies one or more of the members of the preferred calling group as being one or more members of the social network. The server system of the social network automatically defines a social network group that includes the one or more members of the preferred calling group who are members of the social network.