Social network content item federation based on item utility value

• US 10,083,454 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartman, Joshua Daniel, Chen, Bee-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Matthew L
• Application Number:
  US14/633,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20160225013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 705 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Systems and methods for federating social network content items include determining an engagement value for content items based on previous interactions with content items from first and second content item sources stored in an electronic data storage, certain content items having selection metrics and value metrics according to varying selection schemas and a value schema. A utility value is generated for each of the at least some of the content items, the utility value including an engagement component and a monetary component. A user device displays the content items in an order based on the utility values.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with user devices via a network;

an electronic data storage, including;

a first content item source including first content items each having a selection metric according to a first selection schema and a value metric provided by a third party in compensation for displaying the first content item without respect to a position of the first content item in a feed according to a first value schema; and

a second content item source including second content items different than the first content items, each of the second content items having the selection metric according to a second selection schema different than the first selection schema;

a processor, configured to;

receive, from the first content item source, first content items according to the first selection schema and associated value metrics;

receive, from the second content item source, second content items according to the second selection schema;

determine an engagement value for each of at least some of the first and second content items based on previous interactions with content items from the first and second content item sources;

generate a utility value for each of the at least some of the first and second content items, the utility value including;

an engagement component based, at least in part, on the selection metric as received from a corresponding one of the first and second content item sources and the engagement value as determined; and

a monetary component based, at least in part, on the value metric as received for the first content items; and

transmit, to the user device to display at least some of the first and second content items in a feed in an order based, at least in part, on the first and second content items'"'"' respective utility values.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection metric is a rate at which users are expected to select a corresponding content item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the value metric is an estimated monetary value when the first content item is viewed on a user device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the estimated monetary value is a value per interaction with the first content item multiplied by a rate at which users are expected to select the first content item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first content items are advertisements and wherein the second content items are organic content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to cause the user device to display the at least some of the first and second content items in the order further based on a maximum percentage of the firm content items out of all of the at least some of the first and second content items.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the engagement value based on an optimization criterion for the engagement component and the monetary component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the optimization criterion is to provide a maximized engagement component while maintaining the monetary component above a predetermined threshold.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the content items as generated by the first and second content item sources.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor receives the first content items according to a first order and the second content items according to a second order, and wherein the processor is configured to cause the user device to display the at least some of the first and second content items in the feed in the order further based on the first and second orders.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, from a first content item source stored in an electronic data storage, first content items, each of the first content items having a selection metric according to a first selection schema and a value metric, the value metric provided by a third party in compensation for displaying the first content item without respect to a position of the first content item in a feed;

receiving, by the processor, from a second content item source stored in the electronic data storage, second content items, each of the second content items having the selection metric according to a second selection schema different than the first selection schema;

determining, by the processor, an engagement value for each of at least some of the first and second content items based on previous interactions with content items from the first and second content item sources;

generating, by the processor, a utility value for each of the at least some of the first and second content items, the utility value including;

an engagement component based, at least in part, on the selection metric as received from a corresponding one of the first and second content item sources and the engagement value as determined; and

a monetary component based, at least in part, on the value metric as received for the first content items; and

transmitting, by the processor, at least some of the first and second content items, to display on a user device in the feed in an order based, at least in part, on the first and second content items'"'"' respective utility values.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selection metric is a rate at which users are expected to select a corresponding content item.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the value metric is an estimated monetary value when the first content item is viewed on a user device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the estimated monetary value is a value per interaction with the first content item multiplied by a rate at which users are expected to select the first content item.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first content items are advertisements and wherein the second content items are organic content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the user device to display the at least some of the first and second content items in the order is further based on a maximum percentage of the first content items out of all of the at least some of the first and second content items.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining the engagement value is based on an optimization criterion for the engagement component and the monetary component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the optimization criterion is to provide a maximized engagement component while maintaining the monetary component above a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the content items as generated by the first and second content item sources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving the first content items is according to a first order and the second content items according to a second order, and causing the user device to display the at least some of the first and second content items in the feed is in the order further based on the first and second orders.