Providing context relevant search for a user based on location and social information

• US 10,095,988 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick, Braginsky, David Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US15/267,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20170032289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A social networking system provides relevant third-party content objects to users by matching user location, interests, and other social information with the content, location, and timing associated with the content objects. Content objects are provided based on relevance scores specific to a user. Relevance scores may be calculated based on the user'"'"'s previous interactions with content object notifications, or based on interests that are common between the user and his or her connections in the social network. Context search is also provided for a user, wherein a list of search of results is ranked according to the relevance score of content object associated with the search results. Notifications may also be priced and distributed to users based on their relevance. In this way, the system can provide notifications that are relevant to user'"'"'s interests and current circumstances, increasing the likelihood that they will find content objects of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, via a network, from a client device, a search query and a current location of the client device, the search query indicating a category of desired search results;

calculating, by a server computer, a search value for each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each search result comprising a location and wherein the search value indicates a quality of match between the search query and said each search result;

responsive to the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results exceeding a search value threshold, calculating, by the server computer, each relevance score for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each relevance score based in part on a comparison between the current location and the location associated with said each search result and on said each search result being categorized within the category of desired search results;

adjusting, by the server computer, the relevance scores, wherein the adjustment comprises multiplying the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results into said each relevance score of said each search result of desired search results to obtain an updated relevance score;

ranking, by the server computer, the search results based on the updated relevance scores;

displaying a schedule on the client device, the schedule provided by the server computer and comprising a plurality of entries, a first entry indicating a future date and comprising a list of available reservations for the search result, and a second entry indicating a past date and comprising a list of friends who were present at the location of the search result on the past date; and

displaying, on the client device, social information associated with the location, the social information provided by the server computer and including a number of friends who have expressed an affinity for the location or have entered a comment regarding the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result is a restaurant and the list of available reservations comprises a list of available table times, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the method further comprises reserving a table at the restaurant at a specified time on the future date.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result is a movie theatre and the list of available reservations comprises a list of movies with available tickets, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the method further comprises reserving a specified number of tickets for a selected movie at a specified time on the future date.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a ranked list of search results for the search query, the search results including social graph information associated with the search results.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the social graph information comprises likes or comments for the search results from friends of a user of the client device.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

send, via a network, from a client device, a search query and a current location of the client device, the search query indicating a category of desired search results;

calculate, by a server computer, a search value for each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each search result comprising a location and wherein the search value indicates a quality of match between the search query and said each search result;

responsive to the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results exceeding a search value threshold, calculate, by the server computer, each relevance score for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each relevance score based in part on a comparison between the current location and the location associated with said each search result and on said each search result being categorized within the category of desired search results;

adjust, by the server computer, the relevance scores, wherein the adjustment comprises multiplying the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results into said each relevance score of said each search result of desired search results to obtain an updated relevance score;

rank, by the server computer, the search results based on the updated relevance scores;

display a schedule on the client device, the schedule provided by the server computer and comprising a plurality of entries, a first entry indicating a future date and comprising a list available reservations for the search result, and a second entry indicating a past date and comprising a list of friends who were present at the location of the search result on the past date; and

display, on the client device, social information associated with the location, the social information provided by the server computer and including a number of friends who have expressed an affinity for the location or have entered a comment regarding the location.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the search result is a restaurant and the list of available reservations comprises a list of available table times, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the instructions further cause the processor to reserve a table at the restaurant at a specified time on the future date.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the search result is a movie theatre and the list of available reservations comprises a list of movies with available tickets, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the instructions further cause the processor to reserve a specified number of tickets for a selected movie at a specified time on the future date.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to display a ranked list of search results for the search query, the search results including social graph information associated with the search results.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the social graph information comprises likes or comments for the search results from friends of a user of the client device.

11. A system comprising:

a processor configured to execute program code; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable program code, the executable program code for execution on the processor and causing the processor to perform steps of;

sending, via a network, from a client device, a search query and a current location of the client device, the search query indicating a category of desired search results;

calculating, by a server computer, a search value for each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each search result comprising a location and wherein the search value indicates a quality of match between the search query and said each search result;

responsive to the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results exceeding a search value threshold, calculating, by a server computer, each relevance score for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results, said each relevance score based in part on a comparison between the current location and the location associated with said each search result and on said each search result being categorized within the category of desired search results;

adjusting, by the server computer, the relevance scores, wherein the adjustment comprises multiplying the search value for said each search result of a plurality of desired search results into said each relevance score of said each search result of desired search results to obtain an updated relevance score;

ranking, by the server computer, the search results based on the updated relevance scores;

displaying a schedule on the client device, the schedule provided by a server computer and comprising a plurality of entries, a first entry indicating a future date and comprising a list of available reservations for the search result, and a second entry indicating a past date and comprising a list of friends who were present at the location of the search result on the past date; and

displaying, on the client device, social information associated with the location, the social information provided by the server computer and including a number of friends who have expressed an affinity for the location or have entered a comment regarding the location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the search result is a restaurant and the list of available reservations comprises a list of available table times, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the executable program code further causes the processor to reserve a table at the restaurant at a specified time on the future date.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the search result is a movie theatre and the list of available reservations comprises a list of movies with available tickets, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, the executable program code further causes the processor to reserve a specified number of tickets for a selected movie at a specified time on the future date.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising displaying a ranked list of search results for the search query, the search results including social graph information associated with the search results.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the social graph information comprises likes or comments for the search results from friends of a user of the client device.