Patent ID: 9690863
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: G06F,H04L

Claim:
1. A method comprising: storing, by an online system, contact information for a plurality of users of the online system, the contact information for each of the plurality of users stored in user profile information associated with each user; receiving, at the online system from an importing user, contact entry information for a plurality of contacts of the importing user; comparing the received contact entry information to the stored user profile information for the plurality of users; responsive to a match between at least a portion of the stored user profile information associated with a particular user of the plurality of users and the received contact entry information, associating the received contact entry information with a user profile for the particular user, wherein the received contact entry information associated with the user profile for the particular user is not accessible to other users of the online system; determining whether the importing user of the online system is connected to the particular user in the online system; and responsive to the importing user of the online system not being connected to the particular user in the online system, recommending to the importing user a connection between the importing user and the particular user in the online system.