System and method for creating and using personality models for user interactions in a social network

Abstract

A social computing system and method includes a model creator configured to create an initial model of a user and a model enhancement module configured to analyze and record interactions of the user with other users in a social network to update and adjust the initial model to provide an enhanced model for the user. An interaction module is configured to permit interaction between user by employing one of the initial model and the enhanced model.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The disclosure will provide details in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the following figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block/flow diagram showing a system/method for employing personality models in profiles for a social computing system;

FIG. 2 is a block/flow diagram showing the creation of a personality model in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block/flow diagram showing the generation of a personality match score;

FIG. 4 a diagram showing relationships between personality models and personality types;

FIG. 5 is a visualization graph displaying a visualization method in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a visualization graph showing personality traits of a plurality of users clustered and graphed to permit selections by other users;

FIG. 7 is a block/flow diagram showing a system/method for implementing interaction between users in a social computing system; and

FIG. 8 is a block/flow diagram showing an illustrative system/method for interacting between users in a social computing system.

Claims

1. A social computing system, comprising: a model creator configured to create an initial model of a user;a model enhancement module configured to analyze and record interactions of the user with other users in a social network to update and adjust the initial model to provide an enhanced model for the user; andan interaction module configured to permit interaction between user by employing one of the initial model and the enhanced model.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the initial model is created based on a questionnaire of a user's personality.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the initial model is created by recording and analyzing the user's interaction with other users in the social network.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the initial model and the enhanced model are created from or augmented by direct input from other users.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the initial model and the enhanced model are created from or augmented by using a world personality model that describes a personality of a group of users.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module calculates a personality match score between at least two models of users in the social network indicating closeness based on one or more criteria.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the personality match score is calculated for a specific predefined type of relationship.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module groups users by personality types, where a personality type is a descriptor of the user personality based on the personality test assessment methods

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module groups users by personality types, where a personality type is a descriptor of the user personality based on input from other users.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module permits searches for users based on at least one of a personality match score of user models and a same personality type.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module adjusts a user interaction interface based on at least one of personality models, personality match scores, and personality types.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module provides a visualization graph based on closeness criteria between user models.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the visualization graph includes other information known about users being displayed including at least one of predefined user information stored in memory or user profiles, supplied by the users, and derived and/or predicted from other sources relating to the users.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the visualization graph is browsable by the user based on elements in the visualization graph.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction module sends one of content and recommendations for content to users based on one or more of personality models, personality types, and personality match scores.

16. A method for social computing, comprising: creating an initial model of a user;updating and adjusting the initial model to provide an enhanced model for the user by analyzing and recording interactions of the user with other users in a social network; andidentifying other users with similar characteristics based on one of an initial model and an enhanced model of the other users pursuant to an inquiry of the user.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein creating includes creating the initial model based on a questionnaire of a user's personality.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein creating includes creating the initial model by recording and analyzing the user's interaction with other users in the social network.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein creating includes creating the initial model from direct input from other users.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein updating and adjusting includes updating and adjusting the enhanced model from direct input from other users.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein for at least one of the initial model and the enhanced model, employing a world personality model that describes a personality of a group of users to create or enhance a model.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein identifying includes calculating a personality match score between at least two models of users in the social network indicating closeness based on one or more criteria.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the personality match score is calculated for a specific predefined type of relationship.

24. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising grouping users by personality types, where a personality type is a descriptor of the user personality based on the personality test assessment methods.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein grouping includes grouping users by personality types, where a personality type is a descriptor of the user personality based on input from other users.

26. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising permitting searches for users based on at least one of a personality match score of user models and a same personality type.

27. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising adjusting one of an appearance and functionally of a user interaction interface based on at least one of personality models, personality match scores, and personality types.

28. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising generating a visualization graph based on closeness criteria between user models discovered during the inquiry.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the visualization graph includes other information known about users being displayed including at least one of predefined user information stored in memory or user profiles, supplied by the users, and derived and/or predicted from other sources relating to the users.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising browsing the visualization graph to one of interact with the other users and discover information about the other users.

31. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising sending one of content and recommendations for content to users based on one or more of personality models, personality types, and personality match scores.

32. A computer program product for social computing comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of claim 16.

33. A social computing system, comprising: a model creator configured to create an initial model of a user;a model enhancement module configured to analyze and record interactions of the user with other users in a social network to update and adjust the initial model to provide an enhanced model for the user;an interaction module configured to permit searches by the user to search one of an initial model and an enhanced model of other users wherein the interaction module calculates a personality match score between models of users in the social network indicating closeness based on one or more criteria; anda visualization graph generated by the interaction module based on closeness criteria between the user models.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the visualization graph displays relative closeness based on visual representations of other user information.

35. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the visualization graph is browsable by the user based on elements in the visualization graph.