Patent ID: 9742615
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: G06Q,H04L

Claim:
1. A method for determining a popularity of an online identity, the method comprising the following operations performed by at least one processor: identifying an online identity for which a popularity measurement is to be determined, wherein the online identity is used by a first user to access one or more online services; identifying one or more other online identities based, at least in part, on their being within a specified number of degrees of separation of the online identity, the other online identities being used by other users to access one or more online services; determining a popularity measurement for each of the other online identities, at least one popularity measurement for the other online identities being based in part on one or more factors including (i) a number of linked online identities directly or indirectly linked to the other online identity and (ii) distances between the other online identity and linked online identities; aggregating the popularity measurements for the other online identities; and determining a popularity measurement for the online identity based on at least the aggregated popularity measurements for the other online identities.