U.S. patent application number 12/328116 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-10 for methods, apparatuses, and computer program products in social services.
This patent application is currently assigned to Nokia Corporation. Invention is credited to Juha Henrik Arrasvuori, Jaakko Tapani Lehikoinen, Thomas Daniel Olsson, Hannu Jaakko Kustaa Toivola.
Application Number | 20100144440 12/328116 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42231704 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100144440 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arrasvuori; Juha Henrik ; et
al. |
June 10, 2010 |
METHODS, APPARATUSES, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS IN SOCIAL
SERVICES
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided
for providing user identity management in social services. An
apparatus may include a processor configured to monitor a first
user's behavior on a social service. The processor may be further
configured to generate a first user behavior model representative
of the first user's behavior over a period of time on the social
service based at least in part upon the first user's monitored
behavior. The processor may additionally be configured to provide
the first user guidance about the first user's behavior based at
least in part upon the first user behavior model. Corresponding
methods and computer program products are also provided.
Inventors: |
Arrasvuori; Juha Henrik;
(Tampere, FI) ; Lehikoinen; Jaakko Tapani;
(Hameenkyro, FI) ; Olsson; Thomas Daniel;
(Tampere, FI) ; Toivola; Hannu Jaakko Kustaa;
(Tampere, FI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DITTHAVONG MORI & STEINER, P.C.
918 Prince Street
Alexandria
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
Nokia Corporation
|
Family ID: |
42231704 |
Appl. No.: |
12/328116 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 ;
463/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2300/572 20130101;
A63F 2300/535 20130101; A63F 2300/5546 20130101; A63F 13/12
20130101; H04H 60/33 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/42 ;
463/1 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: monitoring a first user's behavior on a
social service; generating, with a processor, a first user behavior
model representative of the first user's behavior over a period of
time on the social service based at least in part upon the first
user's monitored behavior; and providing the first user guidance
about the first user's behavior based at least in part upon the
first user behavior model.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: comparing
behavior of the first user over a first period of time to the first
user behavior model to determine whether the first user's recent
behavior over the first period of time deviates from the first
user's behavior over a longer period of time; and wherein providing
the first user guidance comprises notifying the first user when the
first user's behavior over the first period of time deviates from
the first user's behavior over the longer period of time.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: comparing the
first user behavior model to a community behavior model
representative of an aggregate community behavior for a plurality
of users of the social service based at least in part upon an
aggregation of the behavior of the plurality of users of the social
service to determine whether the first user's behavior deviates
from the community behavior; and wherein providing the first user
guidance comprises providing the first user guidance based at least
in part upon the comparison between the first user's behavior and
the community behavior.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first user
guidance comprises providing the first user guidance about an
action in which the first user is engaging on the social service to
enable the first user to maintain a consistent identity on the
social service based at least in part upon the first user behavior
model.
5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: maintaining
at least one of a second behavior model representative of a second
user's behavior on the social service or a third behavior model
representative of an aggregate community behavior for a plurality
of users of the social service based at least in part upon an
aggregation of the behavior of the plurality of users of the social
service; and providing the first user with advice on how to behave
in a social interaction on the social service based at least in
part upon at least one of the second behavior model or the third
behavior model.
6. A computer program product comprising at least one
computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program
instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program
instructions comprising: a program instruction for monitoring a
first user's behavior on a social service; a program instruction
for generating a first user behavior model representative of the
first user's behavior over a period of time on the social service
based at least in part upon the first user's monitored behavior;
and a program instruction for providing the first user guidance
about the first user's behavior based at least in part upon the
first user behavior model.
7. A computer program product according to claim 6, further
comprising: a program instruction for comparing behavior of the
first user over a first period of time to the first user behavior
model to determine whether the first user's behavior over the first
period of time deviates from the first user's average behavior over
a longer period of time; and wherein the program instruction for
providing the first user guidance comprises instructions for
notifying the first user when the first user's behavior over the
first period of time deviates from the first user's behavior over
the longer period of time.
8. A computer program product according to claim 6, further
comprising: a program instruction for comparing the first user
behavior model to a community behavior model representative of an
aggregate community behavior for a plurality of users of the social
service based at least in part upon an aggregation of the behavior
of the plurality of users of the social service to determine
whether the first user's behavior deviates from the community
behavior; and wherein the program instruction for providing the
first user guidance comprises instructions for providing the first
user guidance based at least in part upon the comparison between
the first user's behavior and the community behavior.
9. A computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the
program instruction for providing the first user guidance comprises
instructions for providing the first user guidance about an action
in which the first user is engaging on the social service to enable
the first user to maintain a consistent identity on the social
service based at least in part upon the first user behavior
model.
10. A computer program product according to claim 6, further
comprising: a program instruction for maintaining at least one of a
second behavior model representative of a second user's behavior on
the social service or a third behavior model representative of an
aggregate community behavior for a plurality of users of the social
service based at least in part upon an aggregation of the behavior
of the plurality of users of the social service; and a program
instruction for providing the first user with advice on how to
behave in a social interaction on the social service based at least
in part upon at least one of the second behavior model or the third
behavior model.
11. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to: monitor a
first user's behavior on a social service; generate a first user
behavior model representative of the first user's behavior on the
social service based at least in part upon the first user's
monitored behavior; and provide the first user guidance about the
first user's behavior based at least in part upon the first user
behavior model.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
configured to monitor a first user's behavior by monitoring at
least one of content of a user profile for the first user on the
social service, the first user's interaction with other users of
the social service, content of messages exchanged between the first
user and other users of the social service, content of postings
made by the first user to a bulletin board on the social service,
content of postings to a bulletin board on the social service read
by the first user, content of data uploaded to the social service
by the first user, content of data accessed by the first user while
using the social service, or activities engaged in by the first
user on the social service.
13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
further configured to: compare behavior of the first user over a
first period of time to the first user behavior model to determine
whether the first user's behavior over the first period of time
deviates from the first user's behavior over a longer period of
time; and wherein the processor is configured to provide the first
user guidance by notifying the first user when the first user's
behavior over the first period of time deviates from the first
user's behavior over the longer period of time.
14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
further configured to: compare the first user behavior model to a
community behavior model representative of an aggregate community
behavior for a plurality of users of the social service based at
least in part upon an aggregation of the behavior of the plurality
of users of the social service to determine whether the first
user's behavior deviates from the community behavior; and wherein
the processor is configured to provide the first user guidance by
providing the first user guidance based at least in part upon the
comparison between the first user's behavior and the community
behavior.
15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
configured to provide the first user guidance by providing the
first user guidance about how other users of the social service
perceive the first user.
16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
configured to provide the first user guidance by providing the
first user guidance about an action in which the first user is
engaging on the social service to enable the first user to maintain
a consistent identity on the social service based at least in part
upon the first user behavior model.
17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
configured to provide the first user guidance about the first
user's behavior by providing the first user guidance when the first
user's behavior risks disclosing an identity of the first user.
18. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
further configured to: mine information provided to the social
service by a second user of the social service to identify
information provided about the first user; determine whether any of
the information provided about the first user is false based at
least in part upon the first user behavior model; and notify the
first user of the presence of false information about the first
user on the social service.
19. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
further configured to: maintain at least one of a second behavior
model representative of a second user's behavior on the social
service or a third behavior model representative of an aggregate
community behavior for a plurality of users of the social service
based at least in part upon an aggregation of the behavior of the
plurality of users of the social service; and provide the first
user with advice on how to behave in a social interaction on the
social service based at least in part upon at least one of the
second behavior model or the third behavior model.
20. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is
further configured to: monitor a second user's behavior on the
social service; generate a second user behavior model
representative of the second user's behavior on the social service
based at least in part upon the second user's monitored behavior;
generate a bot configured to simulate the second user based at
least in part upon the second user behavior model; and provide the
first user a simulated interaction with the second user using the
bot.
21. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the social service
comprises a multi-player gaming service, and wherein the processor
is further configured to: monitor a second user's behavior on the
multi-player gaming service; generate a second user behavior model
representative of the second user's behavior on the multi-player
gaming service based at least in part upon the second user's
monitored behavior; compare a recent action of the second user to
the second user behavior model to determine a predicted future
action of the second user; and provide the first user with advice
based at least in part upon the predicted future action of the
second user.
Description
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to
communication technology and, more particularly, relate to methods,
apparatuses, and computer program products in social services.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous
expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks,
television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an
unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand.
Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related
consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of
information transfer.
[0003] Current and future networking technologies as well as
evolved computing devices making use of networking technologies
continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience
to users. In particular, this evolution in computing devices and
networking technologies has lead to the development and widespread
use of social services. Social services are online services that
are accessed and used by a community of users who socially interact
with each other through use of the social service. Example social
services include social networking services, online multiplayer
game services, and community message forums and discussion
groups.
[0004] A user of a social service may interact with other users of
the social service using a virtual world identity that may
approximate the user's real world identity or may be an alternative
identity differing to some degree from the user's real world
identity. The user's virtual world behavior is formed through the
aggregate behavior of the user on the social service. Other users
of the social service may form a perception of the user based at
least in part upon the user's virtual world identity.
[0005] In an optimum scenario, a user's virtual world identity and
thus the perception that other users of a social service have of
the user is in line with the virtual world identity that the user
intends to project. However, often users project a virtual world
identity differing to at least some extent from the desired virtual
world identity. Unfortunately, with existing services, it is
difficult for a user to discern his own virtual world identity,
much less, to discern the perception that other users have of his
virtual world identity as existing services do not provide a means
to externalize a user's virtual world identity so that the user may
understand the effects of his behavior on a social service.
[0006] Further, given the prevalence of social services today, many
users utilize multiple social services and may, either
intentionally or unintentionally, project a different virtual world
identity in each social service. Keeping track of the different
virtual world identities presented by a user in each of the social
services in which the user participates so that a user may present
a consistent virtual world identity within each social service or
even across multiple social services is difficult since services do
not do not provide a means to externalize a user's virtual world
identity so that the user may understand the effects of his
behavior on a social service.
[0007] Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide methods,
apparatuses, and computer program products for providing user
identity management in social services.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A method, apparatus, and computer program product are
therefore provided for providing user identity management in social
services. In this regard, a method, apparatus, and computer program
product are provided that may provide several advantages to a user
of a social service. Embodiments of the invention model behavior of
one or more users of a social service. At least some embodiments
provide for externalization of user behavior such that a user may
review his virtual world identity and how other users of the social
service perceive him. In this regard, embodiments of the invention
provide social service users the ability to keeping track of a
virtual world identity presented by the user so that a user may
present a consistent virtual world identity within a social
service. Embodiments of the invention further provide advice to a
user on how to behave in a social service so that the user may
conform his behavior to the community behavioral norm for the
social service.
[0009] In a first exemplary embodiment, a method is provided, which
may include monitoring a first user's behavior on a social service.
The method may further include generating a first user behavior
model representative of the first user's behavior over a period of
time on the social service based at least in part upon the first
user's monitored behavior. The method may additionally include
providing the first user guidance about the first user's behavior
based at least in part upon the first user behavior model.
[0010] In at least some embodiments, monitoring a first user's
behavior comprises monitoring at least one of content of a user
profile for the first user on the social service, the first user's
interaction with other users of the social service, content of
messages exchanged between the first user and other users of the
social service, content of postings made by the first user to a
bulletin board on the social service, content of postings to a
bulletin board on the social service read by the first user,
content of data uploaded to the social service by the first user,
content of data accessed by the first user while using the social
service, or activities engaged in by the first user on the social
service.
[0011] In at least some embodiments, providing the first user
guidance about the first user's behavior comprises providing the
first user guidance when the first user's behavior risks disclosing
an identity of the first user.
[0012] In one embodiment, the method further comprises monitoring a
second user's behavior on the social service. The method
additionally comprises generating a second user behavior model
representative of the second user's behavior on the social service
based at least in part upon the second user's monitored behavior.
The method also comprises generating a bot configured to simulate
the second user based at least in part upon the second user
behavior model. The method further comprises providing the first
user a simulated interaction with the second user using the
bot.
[0013] In one embodiment, the method further comprises mining
information provided to the social service by a second user of the
social service to identify information provided about the first
user. The method also comprises determining whether any of the
information provided about the first user is false based at least
in part upon the first user behavior model. The method additionally
comprises notifying the first user of the presence of false
information about the first user on the social service.
[0014] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product
is provided. The computer program product includes at least one
computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program
instructions stored therein. The computer-readable program
instructions may include a plurality of program instructions.
Although in this summary, the program instructions are ordered, it
will be appreciated that this summary is provided merely for
purposes of example and the ordering is merely to facilitate
summarizing the computer program product. The example ordering in
no way limits the implementation of the associated computer program
instructions. The first program instruction is for monitoring a
first user's behavior on a social service. The second program
instruction is for generating a first user behavior model
representative of the first user's behavior over a period of time
on the social service based at least in part upon the first user's
monitored behavior. The third program instruction is for providing
the first user guidance about the first user's behavior based at
least in part upon the first user behavior model.
[0015] In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is provided,
which may include a processor configured to monitor a first user's
behavior on a social service. The processor may be further
configured to generate a first user behavior model representative
of the first user's behavior over a period of time on the social
service based at least in part upon the first user's monitored
behavior. The processor may additionally be configured to provide
the first user guidance about the first user's behavior based at
least in part upon the first user behavior model.
[0016] In another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is provided,
which may include means for monitoring a first user's behavior on a
social service. The apparatus may additionally include means for
generating a first user behavior model representative of the first
user's behavior over a period of time on the social service based
at least in part upon the first user's monitored behavior. The
apparatus may further include means for providing the first user
guidance about the first user's behavior based at least in part
upon the first user behavior model.
[0017] The above summary is provided merely for purposes of
summarizing some example embodiments of the invention so as to
provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above described
example embodiments are merely examples and should not be construed
to narrow the scope or spirit of the invention in any way. It will
be appreciated that the scope of the invention encompasses many
potential embodiments, some of which will be further described
below, in addition to those here summarized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0018] Having thus described embodiments of the invention in
general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying
drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and
wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for providing user identity
management in social services according to an exemplary embodiment
of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile terminal
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a system for providing
a plurality of services, including social service identity
management, to computing devices according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a flowchart according to an exemplary method for
providing user identity management in social services according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 5 is a flowchart according to an exemplary method for
providing a user with guidance on the user's behavior in a social
service according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be
described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention
are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different
forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set
forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like
reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
[0025] As used herein, a "social service" refers to a service that
is accessed over a network and used by a community of users who
socially interact with each other through use of the social
service. Example social services include social networking
services, online multiplayer game services, community message
forums and discussion groups, and/or the like. In this regard, in
an exemplary embodiment, a social service comprises a "social
online service."
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 for
providing user identity management in social services according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As used herein,
"exemplary" merely means an example and as such represents one
example embodiment for the invention and should not be construed to
narrow the scope or spirit of the invention in any way. It will be
appreciated that the scope of the invention encompasses many
potential embodiments in addition to those illustrated and
described herein. As such, while FIG. 1 illustrates one example of
a configuration of a system for providing user identity management
in social services, numerous other configurations may also be used
to implement embodiments of the present invention.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 1, in at least some embodiments, the
system 100 includes a user device 102, identity management
apparatus 104, and social service provider 106 configured to
communicate over a network 108. The network 108 may comprise a
wireline network, wireless network, or some combination thereof,
and in an exemplary embodiment comprises or is otherwise embodied
as the internet. The user device 102 may be embodied as a server,
desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile terminal, mobile
computer, mobile phone, mobile communication device, game device,
digital camera/camcorder, audio/video player, television device,
radio receiver, digital video recorder, positioning device, any
combination thereof, and/or the like configured to access a social
service, such as from a social service provider 106. In an
exemplary embodiment, the user device 102 is embodied as a mobile
terminal, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2
[0028] In this regard, FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a
mobile terminal 10 representative of one embodiment of a user
device 102 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
It should be understood, however, that the mobile terminal
illustrated and hereinafter described is merely illustrative of one
type of user device 102 that may benefit from embodiments of the
present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the
scope of the present invention. While several embodiments of the
electronic device are illustrated and will be hereinafter described
for purposes of example, other types of electronic devices, such as
mobile telephones, mobile computers, portable digital assistants
(PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, desktop computers, gaming
devices, televisions, and other types of electronic systems, may
employ embodiments of the present invention.
[0029] As shown, the mobile terminal 10 may include an antenna 12
(or multiple antennas 12) in communication with a transmitter 14
and a receiver 16. The mobile terminal may also include a
controller 20 or other processor(s) that provides signals to and
receives signals from the transmitter and receiver, respectively.
These signals may include signaling information in accordance with
an air interface standard of an applicable cellular system, and/or
any number of different wireless networking techniques, comprising
but not limited to Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), wireless local access
network (WLAN) techniques such as Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and/or the like. In addition,
these signals may include speech data, user generated data, user
requested data, and/or the like. In this regard, the mobile
terminal may be capable of operating with one or more air interface
standards, communication protocols, modulation types, access types,
and/or the like. More particularly, the mobile terminal may be
capable of operating in accordance with various first generation
(1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, third-generation (3G)
communication protocols, fourth-generation (4G) communication
protocols, and/or the like. For example, the mobile terminal may be
capable of operating in accordance with 2G wireless communication
protocols IS-136 (Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)), Global
System for Mobile communications (GSM), IS-95 (Code Division
Multiple Access (CDMA)), and/or the like. Also, for example, the
mobile terminal may be capable of operating in accordance with 2.5G
wireless communication protocols General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), and/or the like.
Further, for example, the mobile terminal may be capable of
operating in accordance with 3G wireless communication protocols
such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code
Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Wideband Code Division
Multiple Access (WCDMA), Time Division-Synchronous Code Division
Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), and/or the like. The mobile terminal
may be additionally capable of operating in accordance with 3.9G
wireless communication protocols such as Long Term Evolution (LTE)
or Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)
and/or the like. Additionally, for example, the mobile terminal may
be capable of operating in accordance with fourth-generation (4G)
wireless communication protocols and/or the like as well as similar
wireless communication protocols that may be developed in the
future.
[0030] Some Narrow-band Advanced Mobile Phone System (NAMPS), as
well as Total Access Communication System (TACS), mobile terminals
may also benefit from embodiments of this invention, as should dual
or higher mode phones (e.g., digital/analog or TDMA/CDMA/analog
phones). Additionally, the mobile terminal 10 may be capable of
operating according to Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) protocols.
[0031] It is understood that the controller 20 may comprise
circuitry for implementing audio/video and logic functions of the
mobile terminal 10. For example, the controller 20 may comprise a
digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, an
analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, and/or
the like. Control and signal processing functions of the mobile
terminal may be allocated between these devices according to their
respective capabilities. The controller may additionally comprise
an internal voice coder (VC) 20a, an internal data modem (DM) 20b,
and/or the like. Further, the controller may comprise functionality
to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in
memory. For example, the controller 20 may be capable of operating
a connectivity program, such as a web browser. The connectivity
program may allow the mobile terminal 10 to transmit and receive
web content, such as location-based content, according to a
protocol, such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), hypertext
transfer protocol (HTTP), and/or the like. The mobile terminal 10
may be capable of using a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP) to transmit and receive web content across the
internet or other networks.
[0032] The mobile terminal 10 may also comprise a user interface
including, for example, an earphone or speaker 24, a ringer 22, a
microphone 26, a display 28, a user input interface, and/or the
like, which may be operationally coupled to the controller 20. As
used herein, "operationally coupled" may include any number or
combination of intervening elements (including no intervening
elements) such that operationally coupled connections may be direct
or indirect and in some instances may merely encompass a functional
relationship between components. Although not shown, the mobile
terminal may comprise a battery for powering various circuits
related to the mobile terminal, for example, a circuit to provide
mechanical vibration as a detectable output. The user input
interface may comprise devices allowing the mobile terminal to
receive data, such as a keypad 30, a touch display (not shown), a
joystick (not shown), and/or other input device. In embodiments
including a keypad, the keypad may comprise numeric (0-9) and
related keys (#, *), and/or other keys for operating the mobile
terminal.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 10 may also include
one or more means for sharing and/or obtaining data. For example,
the mobile terminal may comprise a short-range radio frequency (RF)
transceiver and/or interrogator 64 so data may be shared with
and/or obtained from electronic devices in accordance with RF
techniques. The mobile terminal may comprise other short-range
transceivers, such as, for example, an infrared (IR) transceiver
66, a Bluetooth.TM. (BT) transceiver 68 operating using
Bluetooth.TM. brand wireless technology developed by the
Bluetooth.TM. Special Interest Group, a wireless universal serial
bus (USB) transceiver 70 and/or the like. The Bluetooth.TM.
transceiver 68 may be capable of operating according to ultra-low
power Bluetooth.TM. technology (e.g., Wibree.TM.) radio standards.
In this regard, the mobile terminal 10 and, in particular, the
short-range transceiver may be capable of transmitting data to
and/or receiving data from electronic devices within a proximity of
the mobile terminal, such as within 10 meters, for example.
Although not shown, the mobile terminal may be capable of
transmitting and/or receiving data from electronic devices
according to various wireless networking techniques, including
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), WLAN techniques such as IEEE 802.11
techniques, and/or the like.
[0034] The mobile terminal 10 may comprise memory, such as a
subscriber identity module (SIM) 38, a removable user identity
module (R-UIM), and/or the like, which may store information
elements related to a mobile subscriber. In addition to the SIM,
the mobile terminal may comprise other removable and/or fixed
memory. The mobile terminal 10 may include volatile memory 40
and/or non-volatile memory 42. For example, volatile memory 40 may
include Random Access Memory (RAM) including dynamic and/or static
RAM, on-chip or off-chip cache memory, and/or the like.
Non-volatile memory 42, which may be embedded and/or removable, may
include, for example, read-only memory, flash memory, magnetic
storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disk drives, magnetic
tape, etc.), optical disc drives and/or media, non-volatile random
access memory (NVRAM), and/or the like. Like volatile memory 40
non-volatile memory 42 may include a cache area for temporary
storage of data. The memories may store one or more software
programs, instructions, pieces of information, data, and/or the
like which may be used by the mobile terminal for performing
functions of the mobile terminal. For example, the memories may
comprise an identifier, such as an international mobile equipment
identification (IMEI) code, capable of uniquely identifying the
mobile terminal 10.
[0035] Returning to FIG. 1, the user device 102 is not limited to
being embodied as a mobile terminal 10 and as previously described,
may be embodied as any computing device, mobile or fixed. The
identity management apparatus 104 may be embodied as any computing
device or plurality of computing devices configured to provide
identity management services to users of the system 100 as will be
described further herein. The social service provider 106 may be
embodied as any computing device or plurality of computing devices
configured to provide a social service to a user device 102 and in
at least one embodiment is embodied as a server. Although
illustrated in FIG. 1 as a separate apparatus, the identity
management apparatus 104 is, in some embodiments, at least
partially embodied on the user device 102 and/or the social service
provider 106. In some embodiments, the identity management
apparatus 104 and thus functionality attributed thereto is
distributed amongst one or more computing devices of the system
100. Although only a single user device 102, identity management
apparatus 104, and social service provider 106 are illustrated in
FIG. 1, the system 100 may comprise a plurality of user devices
102, identity management apparatuses 104, and/or social service
providers 106.
[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, the user device 102 includes
various means, such as a processor 110, memory 112, communication
interface 114, user interface 116, and service access unit 118 for
performing various functions herein described. These means of the
user device 102 as described herein may be embodied as, for
example, hardware elements (e.g., a suitably programmed processor,
combinational logic circuit, and/or the like), computer code (e.g.,
software or firmware) embodied on a computer-readable medium (e.g.
memory 112) that is executable by a suitably configured processing
device (e.g., the processor 110), or some combination thereof. The
processor 110 may, for example, be embodied as various means
including a microprocessor, a coprocessor, a controller, or various
other processing elements including integrated circuits such as,
for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or
FPGA (field programmable gate array). In embodiments wherein the
user device 102 is embodied as a mobile terminal 10, the processor
110 may be embodied as or otherwise comprise the controller 20. In
an exemplary embodiment, the processor 110 is configured to execute
instructions stored in the memory 112 or otherwise accessible to
the processor 110. Although illustrated in FIG. 1 as a single
processor, in some embodiments the processor 110 comprises a
plurality of processors.
[0037] The memory 112 may include, for example, volatile and/or
non-volatile memory. The memory 112 may be configured to store
information, data, applications, instructions, or the like for
enabling the user device 102 to carry out various functions in
accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For
example, the memory 112 may be configured to buffer input data for
processing by the processor 110. Additionally or alternatively, the
memory 112 may be configured to store instructions for execution by
the processor 110. The memory 112 may comprise one or more
databases that store information in the form of static and/or
dynamic information. In this regard, the memory 112 may store, for
example, social service usage information for a user of the user
device 102. This stored information may be stored and/or used by
the service access unit 118 during the course of performing its
functionalities. Additionally or alternatively, stored social
service usage information may be stored and/or accessed by the
identity management apparatus 104 and/or the social service
provider 106.
[0038] The communication interface 114 may be embodied as any
device or means embodied in hardware, software, firmware, or a
combination thereof that is configured to receive and/or transmit
data from/to a remote device, such as the identity management
apparatus 104, social service provider 106, and/or other user
devices 102 over the network 108. In at least one embodiment, the
communication interface 114 is at least partially embodied as or
otherwise controlled by the processor 110. The communication
interface 114 may include, for example, an antenna, a transmitter,
a receiver, a transceiver and/or supporting hardware or software
for enabling communications with other entities of the system 100.
The communication interface 114 may be configured to receive and/or
transmit data using any protocol that may be used for
communications between computing devices of the system 100. In at
least some embodiments, the communication interface 114 is in
communication with the memory 112, user interface 116, and/or
service access unit 118, such as via a bus.
[0039] In at least some embodiments, the user interface 116 is in
communication with the processor 110 to receive an indication of a
user input and/or to provide an audible, visual, mechanical, or
other output to the user. As such, the user interface 116 may
include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a display, a
touch screen display, a microphone, a speaker, and/or other
input/output mechanisms. The user interface 116 may be configured
to provide means for interacting with a social service provided by
the social service provider 106. In at least some embodiments, the
user interface 116 is in communication with the memory 112,
communication interface 116, and/or service access unit 118, such
as via a bus.
[0040] The service access unit 118 may be embodied as various
means, such as hardware, software, firmware, or some combination
thereof and, in one embodiment, is embodied as or otherwise
controlled by the processor 110. In embodiments where the service
access unit 118 is embodied separately from the processor 110,
service access unit 118 may be in communication with the processor
110. The service access unit 118 is configured to provide means for
a user of the user device 102 to access and use to a social
service. In one example embodiment, the service access unit 118
comprises a web browser. In some embodiments, the service access
unit 118 comprises a standalone application that may be specific to
a particular social service, such as, for example, a gaming
application.
[0041] Referring now to the identity management apparatus 104,
embodiments of the identity management apparatus 104 include
various means, such as a processor 120, memory 122, communication
interface 124, behavior modeling unit 126, and identity services
unit 128 for performing the various functions herein described.
These means of the identity management apparatus 104 as described
herein may be embodied as, for example, hardware elements (e.g., a
suitably programmed processor, combinational logic circuit, and/or
the like), computer code (e.g., software or firmware) embodied on a
computer-readable medium (e.g. memory 122) that is executable by a
suitably configured processing device (e.g., the processor 120), or
some combination thereof. The processor 120 may, for example, be
embodied as various means including a microprocessor, a
coprocessor, a controller, or various other processing elements
including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC
(application specific integrated circuit) or FPGA (field
programmable gate array). In an exemplary embodiment, the processor
120 is configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 122
or otherwise accessible to the processor 120. Although illustrated
in FIG. 1 as a single processor, in some embodiments, the processor
120 comprises a plurality of processors, which may operate
cooperatively, such as in parallel. In embodiments wherein the
processor 120 is embodied as a plurality of processors, the
plurality of processors may be embodied in a single computing
device or in a plurality of computing devices operating
cooperatively to implement the identity management apparatus
104.
[0042] The memory 122 may include, for example, volatile and/or
non-volatile memory. The memory 122 may be configured to store
information, data, applications, instructions, or the like. For
example, the memory 122 may be configured to buffer input data for
processing by the processor 120. Additionally or alternatively, the
memory 122 may be configured to store instructions for execution by
the processor 120. The memory 122 may comprise one or more
databases that store information in the form of static and/or
dynamic information. In this regard, the memory 122 may store, for
example, social service user information, behavior models for
individual users and/or a plurality of users of a social service,
and/or the like. This stored information may be stored and/or used
by the behavior modeling unit 126 and identity services unit 128
during the course of performing their respective
functionalities.
[0043] The communication interface 124 may be embodied as any
device or means embodied in hardware, software, firmware, or a
combination thereof that is configured to receive and/or transmit
data from/to a remote device, such as a user device 102 and/or a
social service provider 106 over the network 108. In one
embodiment, the communication interface 124 is at least partially
embodied as or otherwise controlled by the processor 120. The
communication interface 124 may include, for example, an antenna, a
transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver and/or supporting hardware
or software for enabling communications with other entities of the
system 100. The communication interface 124 may be configured to
receive and/or transmit data using any protocol that may be used
for communications between computing devices of the system 100. In
at least some embodiments, the communication interface 124 is in
communication with the memory 122, behavior modeling unit 126,
and/or identity services unit 128, such as via a bus.
[0044] The behavior modeling unit 126 may be embodied as various
means, such as hardware, software, firmware, or some combination
thereof and, in one embodiment, is embodied as or otherwise
controlled by the processor 120. In embodiments wherein the
behavior modeling unit 126 is embodied separately from the
processor 120, the behavior modeling unit 126 may be in
communication with the processor 120. The behavior modeling unit
126 is configured in at least some embodiments to model a user's
behavior and/or the user's virtual world identity on a social
service provided by a social service provider 106 to generate a
user behavior model. Further, in at least some embodiments, the
behavior modeling unit 126 is configured to model the aggregate
behavior of a plurality of users of a social service provided by a
social service provider 106 to generate a behavior model
representative of an aggregate community behavior for the social
service.
[0045] The identity services unit 128 may be embodied as various
means, such as hardware, software, firmware, or some combination
thereof and, in one embodiment, is embodied as or otherwise
controlled by the processor 120. In embodiments wherein the
identity services unit 128 is embodied separately from the
processor 120, the identity services unit 128 may be in
communication with the processor 120. The identity services unit
128 is configured in at least some embodiments to provide a user
with identity management services, such as, for example, guidance
about a user's behavior on a social service based at least in part
upon a behavior model generated by the behavior modeling unit
126.
[0046] In at least some embodiments, the behavior modeling unit 126
is configured to monitor behavior of one or more users on a social
service provided by the social service provider 106. In some
embodiments, the behavior modeling unit 126 is configured to
monitor behavior of one or more users on a plurality of social
services provided by one or more social service providers 106. In
this regard, the behavior modeling unit 126 may monitor various
aspects of a user's behavior on a social service. In some
embodiments, the behavior modeling unit 126 monitors one or more of
a length of a user's membership in and/or use of a social service,
a frequency with which a user uses a social service, a user's
activities on the social service, contents of a user's profile
page, content shared by the user on the social service, content
accessed by the user on the social service, the user's interaction
with other users of the social service, whether the user is an
initiator or participator in activities on the social service,
privacy settings for a user, and/or the like. The behavior modeling
unit 126 may monitor content of messages exchanged between a user
and other users of a social service. Additionally or alternatively,
the behavior modeling unit 126 may monitor content of postings made
by a user to a bulletin board and/or content of postings to a
bulletin board read by the user. The behavior modeling unit 126 may
monitor a quantity and/or content of files (e.g., music files,
video files, and/or the like) and/or other data uploaded to a
social service by a user. The behavior modeling unit 126 may
further monitor a quantity and/or content of files and/or other
data accessed through a social service by a user of the social
service. In some embodiments, the behavior modeling unit 126 may be
configured to monitor user behavior constantly, such that the
behavior modeling unit 126 monitors user activities on the social
service as they occur. Additionally or alternatively, the behavior
modeling unit 126 may be configured to monitor user behavior by
periodically mining data relating to a user's behavior on a social
service. Further, in some embodiments, the behavior modeling unit
126 may be configured to monitor a user's activities in multiple
social services provided by one or more social service providers
106.
[0047] The behavior modeling unit 126 is configured in at least
some embodiments to store a log of the monitored user behavior,
such as in the memory 122. In exemplary embodiments, the behavior
modeling unit 126 is further configured to utilize monitored user
behavior to generate behavior models. In this regard, the behavior
modeling unit 126 may semantically analyze monitored user behavior
over a period of time to generate behavior models for one or more
users of a social service(s). Further, the behavior modeling unit
may aggregate and semantically analyze monitored user behavior for
a plurality of users to generate a community behavior model
representative of an aggregate community behavior for the plurality
of users. In an exemplary embodiment, the behavior modeling unit
126 is configured to use longitudinal modeling and analysis of
monitored user behavior to generate a behavior model. The behavior
modeling unit 126 may store generated behavior models in a memory,
such as the memory 122.
[0048] The behavior modeling unit 126 may be configured to generate
and/or update a previously generated behavior model upon an
occurrence of a user activity or event in a social service or after
a user has engaged in some threshold level of activity on a social
service (e.g., a number of access of the social service, an amount
of time spent on the social service, and/or the like). Additionally
or alternatively, the behavior modeling unit 126 may be configured
to generate and/or update a previously generated behavior model
periodically (e.g., every three days). The behavior modeling unit
126 may update a previously generated behavior model with monitored
behavior occurring since the behavior model was generated and/or
previously updated.
[0049] The identity services unit 128 is configured in at least
some embodiments to provide identity management services to one or
more users of a social service provided by a social service
provider 106 based at least in part upon one or more behavior
models generated by the behavior modeling unit 126. In an exemplary
embodiment, the identity services unit 128 is configured to provide
a user guidance and/or other information about the user's behavior
on the social service based at least in part upon a behavior model
representative of the user's behavior over a period of time on the
social service, which may comprise, for example, an average
behavior of the user.
[0050] In at least some embodiments, the identity services unit 128
is configured to detect deviant behavior. In this regard, if a
user's current or recent behavior taking place over a first period
of time differs remarkably (e.g., more than a predefined threshold
behavior quantum) from his previously logged behavior taking place
over a period of time longer than the first period of time, as
represented in a behavior model for the user generated by the
behavior modeling unit 126, the identity services unit may notify
the user that his recent behavior over the first period of time
deviates from the user's behavior over the longer period of time
(e.g., a previous average behavior of the user). This notification
may comprise a notification that the user's recent behavior has
deviated from his previous behavior (e.g., normal behavior) and a
description of what activities of the user have deviated from the
previous behavior indicated in the user's behavior model. The user
may then take action to correct the deviation so that the user may
maintain a consistent identity on the social service.
[0051] Additionally or alternatively, the identity services unit
128 may be configured to determine that a deviation in user
behavior is greater than a predefined threshold such that it is
possible that the user's social service account has been hacked by
a malicious imposter utilizing the user's social service identity.
Thus, there may be multiple thresholds of deviant behavior. A first
threshold, for example, may indicate that a user has deviated to
some degree from his previous behavior such that the user may not
be presenting a consistent identity on the social service, but the
degree of deviation is not enough to indicate that a malicious
imposter has hacked the user's social service account. A second
threshold, for example, may indicate a degree of deviation so
severe that there is a likely possibility that a malicious user has
hacked the user's social service account. If the identity services
unit 128 determines that a deviation in a user's behavior is of
such a degree that a malicious imposter may have hacked the user's
social service identity, the identity services unit 128 may be
configured to present an authentication challenge the next time
someone accesses the user's social services account. For example,
the identity services unit 128 may force the accessing user to
answer some questions that are related to the acknowledged user or
a social service community that the acknowledged user is a member
of to authenticate that the accessing user is the acknowledged user
and not a malicious imposter.
[0052] The identity services unit 128 is configured to determine
deviation from previous behavior over a longer period of time as
described in a user behavior model based at least in part upon any
of the behaviors monitored by the behavior modeling unit 126 and
described in a user behavior model. For example, if a user has
previously accumulated a lot of data (e.g. files, virtual objects),
but not shared it, and then someone using the user's social service
identity begins to share data, the identity services unit 128 is
configured to notice this deviant behavior through a comparison of
the user's recent behavior to the user's behavior model.
[0053] In at least some embodiments, the identity services unit 128
is configured to provide a user guidance and/or information about
community behavioral norms, such as may represent the culture of a
social service. The identity services unit 128 may base such
guidance and information at least in part upon a community behavior
model generated by the behavior modeling unit 126, which the
identity services unit 128 may access from the memory 122.
[0054] For example, the identity services unit 128 may be
configured to provide a user of a social service with information
about common social service configuration settings used by users of
the social service. In this regard, the identity services unit 128
may be configured to indicate next to the different features and/or
configuration settings of a social service (e.g., features and
configuration settings displayed in a display of the user device
102) how common use of the feature is by other users of the social
service (e.g., percentage of users using the feature) and/or an
indication of a configuration setting most commonly preferred by
other users of the social service. For example, the identity
services unit 128 may provide n overview of the community culture
through tag clouds, "most popular content" lists, "most active
discussion topics" lists, and/or the like. In another example, the
identity services unit 128 may be configured, when a user is
defining, for example, a social service's privacy or other
configuration settings, to display a tooltip showing a percentage
of other users on the social service having implemented a
particular configuration setting, disclosing a particular
information type, and/or the like. Accordingly, a user may learn
the community behavior for a social service and can make decision
on how to behave on or otherwise utilize a social service
accordingly.
[0055] The identity services unit 128 is further configured in an
exemplary embodiment to compare a user's user behavior model to a
community behavior model for a social service to determine whether
the user's behavior on the social service deviates from the
community behavior. The identity services unit 128 may be further
configured to provide a user guidance and/or other information
regarding how the user's behavior deviates from the community
behavior so that the user can take action to change his behavior in
instances wherein behaving differently from the community behavior
may be inadvisable (e.g., when doing so may offend other users of a
social service and/or otherwise risk the user's standing in the
social service).
[0056] The identity services unit 128 is configured in at least
some embodiments to provide support for managing a user's virtual
world identity on a social service. In this regard, when a user is
engaging in an activity on or utilizing a service provided by a
social service, the identity services unit 128 may be configured to
indicate to the user how the user has behaved previously in similar
situations. For example, when a user is posting messages to a
discussion forum, the identity services unit 128 may be configured
to show the user related messages that the user has previously
posted to the service. Accordingly, the user may utilize the
previous examples to post a new message consistent with his
previously posted messages to maintain a consistent virtual world
identity in the social service. For example, a user may participate
in multiple forums on a single social service or across multiple
social services and may not remember a virtual world identity which
the user has previously presented in one or more forums. A user
may, for example, post foolish messages in one forum without regard
for his credibility, while in another forum the user may present
himself as credible on a certain topic. Accordingly, when the user
is presented with examples of his previous behavior on a forum, the
user may ascertain how to behave in posting a future post so as to
maintain a consistent virtual world identity on the forum.
[0057] Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the identity
services unit 128 is configured to provide a user guidance and/or
other information about how other users of a social service
perceive the user based at least in part upon a behavior model for
the user generated by the behavior modeling unit 126. In this
regard, the identity services unit 128 may be configured to create
an "external awareness" about the user and her behavior help the
user to decide how to behave on a social service (e.g., what data
to share, how to adapt her public profile, and/or the like). The
identity services unit 128 may provide the user with guidance in
the form of a list of characteristics and a value (e.g., 1-100)
assigned to the characteristic based at least in part upon the
user's average behavior on the social service as indicated by the
user behavior model. The identity services unit 128 may be further
configured to mine data provided to a social service by other users
that relates to a particular user and utilize that data to provide
the user with guidance and/or other information about how other
users perceive the user. For example, User A may have an avatar
with a hat and other users may have commented that the hat makes
User A's head look big. The identity services unit 128 may provide
the user with an indication of the content of the comments, such as
by showing the comments to User A or by showing User A a distorted
picture of his avatar with a big head to indicate the perception of
other users. In another example, User A may have made a large
collection of music available on a social service and other users
may comment that User A's taste in music seems "psychedelic." The
identity services unit 128 may show User A her music files with
psychedelic fonts and may distort an album cover for a music file
with psychedelic effects. Accordingly, the identity services unit
128 may be configured to transform information and content
belonging to a user on the basis of what other users discuss about
the user. The identity services unit 128 may be configured to
transform information in this manner to provide an external
awareness to a user upon a request of the user for guidance and/or
other information on the user's perception within the social
service or while a user is using the social service in a "social
simulation mode" that automatically provides the user guidance
and/or other information.
[0058] Online identity management functionality provides the
possibility for a user to create several virtual world aliases and
control each of them individually. The identity services unit 128
may be configured to alert a user if the user is about to engage in
a behavior that would disclose information enabling other users to
find out the user's real world identity or another virtual world
alias identity. For example, if a user is about to publicly provide
personal information, such as a phone number, job description,
address, and/or the like on a social service, the identity services
unit 128 may warn the user of the risk of disclosing the user's
real world identity. In some embodiments, the identity services
unit 128 may be configured to automatically censor and/or otherwise
filter out (e.g., in accordance with a user-defined privacy
setting) such personal information prior to posting the information
on the social service such that it is publically accessible.
[0059] The awareness of one's virtual world identity provided by
the identity services unit 128 may be used to create a personal
virtual world identity for a user optimally unlike the user's real
world identity. Other example use cases for online identity
management include, for example, creating and adjusting an ideal
image of oneself in a dating service, polishing one's public
profiles before job interviews, making a user profile optimal
before joining new communities in order to avoid social
complications there, and/or the like.
[0060] In at least some embodiments, the identity services unit 128
is configured to discover information in online services about a
user that is false and alert the user to presence of the false
information. In this regard, the identity services unit 128 may
mine information provided to a social service by other users of the
social service to identify information provided about a user. The
identity services unit 128 may then determine whether any of the
provided information about the user is false based at least in part
upon the behavior model for the user generated by the behavior
modeling unit 126. If any information is false, the identity
services unit 128 is configured to notify the user of the presence
of the false information so that the user can take action to
maintain his privacy and virtual world reputation without risk of
damage from continued disclosure of the false information.
[0061] In at least some embodiments, the identity services unit 128
may be further configured to provide a social counselor that
advises a user on how to act in a social interaction or other
situation encountered in a social service. In this regard, the
identity services unit 128 may access (e.g., from memory 122) one
or more of a behavior profile for another user(s) or a community
behavior profile generated by the behavior modeling unit 126 and
provide a user with advice on how to behave in a social interaction
or other situation based at least in part upon the behavior
model(s). For example, when User A is interacting with User B, the
identity services unit 128 may utilize a user behavior model for
User B to determine User B's previous behavior in similar
situations and provide User A with advice on how to behave in the
social interaction based at least in part upon the determination.
Similarly, if User A is engaging in an activity on a social
service, the identity services unit 128 may utilize a community
behavior model for the social service to determine a community
behavioral norm for the activity and provide User A with advice on
how to behave in the activity based at least in part upon the
determination. The given advice may be based on what is a probable
(e.g., the most probable) outcome of a social interaction in that
community. For example, the identity services unit 128 may provide
advance warnings such as, "If you continue doing that, you will
soon get hate mail," "If you now do this, the following good/bad
result might occur . . . ," and/or the like. Accordingly, the
social advice may aid in socially educating the user to the culture
of a social service.
[0062] In at least some embodiments, the identity services unit 128
is configured to provide bots for social simulations. In this
regard, in an exemplary embodiment, the behavior modeling unit 126
has created and/or may create on demand user behavior models for
all users of a social service. A user may request a simulated
social interaction between himself and one or more selected users.
The identity services unit 128 is configured to receive the request
and generate a bot for each selected user that is configured to
simulate the selected user based at least in part upon a user
behavior model for the selected user. Each bot is configured to
look and behave in a similar way as the user it is configured to
simulate. Accordingly, the identity services unit 128 is configured
to utilize a bot to provide a requesting user a simulated
interaction with a selected user using the bot. A user may simulate
interactions with another user to acclimate himself to another
user's behavioral preferences, community behavioral norms on a
social service, and/or the like.
[0063] The identity services unit 128 is configured in at least
some embodiments to provide game play advice for multi-player
gaming social services. In this regard, the behavior modeling unit
126 may be configured to monitor user behavior on a multi-player
gaming service and generate user behavior models representative of
a user's behavior in various scenarios on a multi-player gaming
service. The identity services unit 128 may be configured to access
user behavior models for one or more other users that User A is
playing with or against in a game to determine a predicted future
action of another user. In this regard, the identity services unit
128 may compare a recent action of a user to a user behavior model
for the user to determine a predicted future action. The identity
services unit 128 may then provide User A with advice based at
least in part upon a predicted future action.
[0064] For example, the identity services unit 128 may be
configured to interpret the actions of the other users and may warn
User A of actions that are planned or being arranged against him by
other users. This "heads up" use case is relevant for example in
multi-player games, where the identity services unit 128 can give
the user a warning of assaults and raids planned against him. The
identity services unit 128 may be configured to provide such gaming
advice based at least in part upon an expertise and/or handicap
level defined by a user, such that the identity services unit 128
may provide more advice to novice players than to experienced
players. Further, a user may, for example, define activities,
behavior, and/or keywords associated with his user name that he
wants the identity services unit 128 to monitor in the activities
(e.g. communications) of other users and to provide advice based at
least in part upon the monitored keywords, activities, or
behavior.
[0065] In some embodiments, the system 100 may comprise a portion
of a system for providing a plurality of services to users of
computing devices, such as, for example, a user device 102. In this
regard, and referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment of a system 300
for providing a plurality of services, including social service
identity management, to computing devices in accordance with
aspects of the present invention is illustrated. The system 300 may
include an account management provider 310 and a service provider
320 in addition to the elements of the system 100. In this regard,
the user device 102, the identity management apparatus 104, the
social service provider 106, the account management provider 310,
and the service provider 320 may be interconnected via the
illustrated network 108.
[0066] The account management provider 310 may comprise any
computing device or plurality of computing devices configured to
(e.g., through specially configured hardware, such as, an
appropriately configured processor, and/or through specially
configured software, such as may be executed by a processor)
provide a single service sign-on and/or interface to a plurality of
services and/or service providers such that a user of a computing
device may access a plurality of services through a single
integrated account interface provided by the account management
provider 310. Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment, the account
management provider 310 comprises a service provider in that the
account management provider 310 provides a gateway to a plurality
of services. An example of the functionality that may be provided
by an account management provider 310 may be found at Nokia's
www.ovi.com. As used herein, "service" may include data or other
content as well as services, such as, for example, e-mail, instant
messaging, multi-player gaming, peer-to-peer file transfer, web
browsing, social networking, photograph hosting, video hosting, and
other multimedia hosting services that may be accessed by and/or
supplied to remote computing devices over a network or
communications link, such as the network 108. In this regard, the
provision of social service identity management by the identity
management apparatus 104 and provision of a social service by the
social service provider 106 comprises a service. Accordingly, a
user of a computing device may be able to access the social service
provider 106 and/or identity management services provided by the
identity management apparatus 104 through the account management
provider 310. Users may register computing devices, such as, for
example, a user device 102, with the account management provider
310 such that the user may access services from the account
management provider 310 using the user device 102. These services
may be provided by the identity management apparatus 104, social
service provider 106, and/or service provider 320. Although only
one service provider 320 is shown in FIG. 3, the system 300 may
comprise a plurality of service providers 320. In this regard, each
service provider 320 represents a service provider, such as, for
example, a multimedia service provider, which may be accessed
through the account management provider 310.
[0067] Accordingly, a user of a user device 102 may register or
otherwise interface a user device 102 with the account management
provider 310. Subsequent to registering a user device 102 with the
account management provider 310, a user may log into the account
management provider 310 and access social services and social
service identity management services as described in connection to
the system 100.
[0068] FIGS. 4-5 are flowcharts of a system, method, and computer
program product according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention. It will be understood that each block or step of the
flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, may be
implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and/or
software including one or more computer program instructions. For
example, one or more of the procedures described above may be
embodied by computer program instructions. In this regard, the
computer program instructions which embody the procedures described
above may be stored by a memory device of a mobile terminal,
server, or other computing device and executed by a processor in
the computing device. In some embodiments, the computer program
instructions which embody the procedures described above may be
stored by memory devices of a plurality of computing devices. As
will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be
loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a
machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer
or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the
functions specified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s). These
computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other
programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such
that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory
produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which
implement the function specified in the flowchart block(s) or
step(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto
a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of
operational steps to be performed on the computer or other
programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process
such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other
programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions
specified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s).
[0069] Accordingly, blocks or steps of the flowcharts support
combinations of means for performing the specified functions,
combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and
program instruction means for performing the specified functions.
It will also be understood that one or more blocks or steps of the
flowcharts, and combinations of blocks or steps in the flowcharts,
may be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer
systems which perform the specified functions or steps, or
combinations of special purpose hardware and computer
instructions.
[0070] In this regard, one exemplary method for providing user
identity management in social services according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The
method includes User `A` joining social service `X` and/or
registering for identity management services for social service
`X`, at operation 400. Although only a single social service `X` is
referred to in FIG. 4, it will be appreciated that in some
embodiments, the invention monitors user behavior across a
plurality of services and provides identity management across the
plurality of services. In such embodiments, User `A` may
accordingly join multiple social services and/or register for
identity management services for multiple social services, at
operation 400. Thus, where social service `X` is referred to in the
description of FIG. 4, the operations may be performed across two
or more social services (e.g., social services `X,` `Y,` and `Z`).
Operation 410 comprises the behavior modeling unit 126 monitoring
the behavior of User `A` on social service `X.` In this regard, the
behavior modeling unit 126 may access and analyze a plurality of
behavior records of User `A` at operation 420. These behavior
records may include, for example, contents of User `A`s profile
page(s) 421, contents of postings written by User `A` 422, contents
of postings read by User `A` 423, contents of files uploaded to
social service `X` and/or shared with other users of social service
`X` by User `A` 424, contents of files accessed by User `A` 425,
and/or other activities and behavior of User `A` on social service
`X` (e.g., including additional activities and behavior examples
previously described to be monitored by the behavior modeling unit
126) 426. Operation 430 comprises the behavior modeling unit 126
generating or updating a user behavior model of User `A`. In
embodiments wherein the behavior modeling unit 126 is configured to
monitor the behavior of User `A` on multiple social services,
operation 430 may comprise the behavior modeling unit 126
generating or updating a user behavior model of User `A` for each
individual social service and/or generating or updating an
aggregate user behavior model of User `A` for multiple social
services. Operation 440 comprises the behavior modeling unit 126
determining whether it needs to update the user behavior model of
User `A`. This determination may be made based at least in part
upon any defined criteria including, for example, passage of a
predefined threshold of time (e.g., three days) since the last
update, a level of User `A`s activity on social service `X` (e.g.,
as indicated by cookies on the user device 102) since the last
update, and/or other criteria previously described. If the behavior
modeling unit 126 determines that the behavior model needs to be
updated, the method returns to operation 420 to monitor additional
behavior and activities of User `A`. If the behavior model does not
need to be updated, operation 450 comprises the identity services
unit 128 providing identity management services, such as guidance
and/or other information about User `A`s behavior on social service
`X`, to User `A` based at least in part upon the user behavior
model of User `A`.
[0071] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart according to an exemplary
method for providing a user with guidance on the user's behavior in
a social service according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention. The method includes the identity services unit
128 comparing a user behavior model for a user to the user's recent
behavior and/or to another behavior model, at operation 500. In
this regard, the identity services unit 128 may, for example,
compare behavior of the first user over a first period of time
(e.g., recent behavior of the user) to the user's behavior over a
longer period of time as described by the user behavior model to
determine whether the user's behavior over the first period of time
deviates from the user's behavior over the longer period of time.
Additionally or alternatively, for example, operation 500 may
comprise the identity services unit 128 comparing the user behavior
model to a community behavior model to determine whether the user's
behavior deviates from the community behavior on the social
service.
[0072] Operation 510 comprises the identity services unit 128
providing guidance based at least in part upon the comparison in
operation 500 if a deviation in the user's behavior (e.g., a
deviation from the user's previous behavior or from the community
behavior) is detected. In this regard, the identity services unit
128 may provide appropriate guidance by causing a user interface
element to be displayed to the user on a display of the user device
102 (such as with the assistance of the service access unit 118).
The user interface element may comprise, for example, a popup
window or bubble displayed on top of the social service user
interface and displaying guidance or other information about the
detected deviation in the user's behavior. Alternatively, the user
interface element may comprise a dedicated portion of a user
interface for the social service in which guidance or other
information about the user's behavior is provided to the user.
[0073] Operation 520 optionally comprises the user acknowledging
receipt of the guidance. In this regard, some embodiments may
require the user clicking on a checkbox within the user interface
element displayed in operation 510, taking some action to correct
their behavior based on the guidance provided, or to take some
other action to acknowledge receipt of the guidance. Operation 530
may comprise the identity services unit 128 and/or service access
unit 118 altering the user interface for the social service based
at least in part upon the provided guidance and/or the user
acknowledgement. For example, some function of the social service
may be locked from use by the user as a result of the guidance or
acknowledgement (e.g., a decision made by the user to no longer use
the function). Accordingly, the identity management apparatus 104
is configured to interact with an end user through the identity
services unit 128 (e.g., with the assistance of the service access
unit 118) to provide guidance to the user and assist the user in
taking action to correct any behavioral deviation so that the user
may manage his virtual world identity in a social service.
[0074] The above described functions may be carried out in many
ways. For example, any suitable means for carrying out each of the
functions described above may be employed to carry out embodiments
of the invention. In one embodiment, a suitably configured
processor may provide all or a portion of the elements of the
invention. In another embodiment, all or a portion of the elements
of the invention may be configured by and operate under control of
a computer program product. The computer program product for
performing the methods of embodiments of the invention includes a
computer-readable storage medium, such as the non-volatile storage
medium, and computer-readable program code portions, such as a
series of computer instructions, embodied in the computer-readable
storage medium.
[0075] As such, then, some embodiments of the invention provide
several advantages to a user of a social service. Embodiments of
the invention provide user identity management in social services.
In this regard, embodiments of the invention model behavior of one
or more users of a social service. At least some embodiments
provide for externalization of user behavior such that a user may
review his virtual world identity and how other users of the social
service perceive him. In this regard, embodiments of the invention
provide social service users the ability to keeping track of a
virtual world identity presented by the user so that a user may
present a consistent virtual world identity within a social
service. Embodiments of the invention further provide advice to a
user on how to behave in a social service so that the user may
conform his behavior to the community behavioral norm for the
social service.
[0076] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions
set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to
which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings
presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated
drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the embodiments of
the invention are not to be limited to the specific embodiments
disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended
to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover,
although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings
describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certain exemplary
combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated
that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be
provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the
scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example,
different combinations of elements and/or functions than those
explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set
forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are
employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense
only and not for purposes of limitation.
* * * * *
References