Presenting content to a social networking system user based on current relevance and future relevance of the content to the user
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- identifying current candidate content items available for presentation to a user of a social networking system via a feed of content items at a current time;
obtaining a value function for each current candidate content item, the value function for a candidate content item representing a measure of relevance of the candidate content item at different times;
for each of a plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the current time;
determining a predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current candidate content items at the current time by aggregating measures of relevance for the current candidate content items included in the combination of the current candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the current candidate content items included in the combination, andfor each of a plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time;
identifying a plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time, each adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the combination of the current candidate content items, andfor each of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time;
determining a predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items by aggregating measures of relevance for the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items;
selecting a combination of the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times;
presenting, at the current time, the selected combination of the current candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items; and
for each of the plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time;
selecting an adjusted combination of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the additional time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items at the additional time and the predicted amount of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items for each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each additional time of the plurality of additional times that is subsequent to the additional time, by;
determining a frequency with which the user accesses the feed of content items provided by the social networking system is less than a threshold frequency;
responsive to the determining, identifying combinations of the current candidate content items from the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, the identified combinations including at least one current candidate content item having a value function with a measure of relevance less than a threshold within a time interval from the current time, the time interval associated with the threshold frequency; and
selecting a combination from the identified that maximizes the aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times; and
presenting, at the additional time, the selected adjusted combination of candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A social networking system generates a feed of content items for presentation to a user based on measures of relevance of the content items to the user at a time when the feed is to be presented and at one or more future times. Content items are associated with value functions representing measures of relevance of the content items to the user over time. Based on the value functions for various content items, the social networking system determines an expected amount of user interaction with the feed when the feed is to be presented as well as predicted amounts of user interaction with the feed at one or more future times. Content items are selected for inclusion in the feed to maximize a combination of the expected amount of user interaction and the predicted amounts of user interaction with the feed.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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identifying current candidate content items available for presentation to a user of a social networking system via a feed of content items at a current time; obtaining a value function for each current candidate content item, the value function for a candidate content item representing a measure of relevance of the candidate content item at different times; for each of a plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the current time; determining a predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current candidate content items at the current time by aggregating measures of relevance for the current candidate content items included in the combination of the current candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the current candidate content items included in the combination, and for each of a plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time; identifying a plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time, each adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the combination of the current candidate content items, and for each of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time; determining a predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items by aggregating measures of relevance for the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items; selecting a combination of the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times; presenting, at the current time, the selected combination of the current candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items; and for each of the plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time; selecting an adjusted combination of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the additional time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items at the additional time and the predicted amount of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items for each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each additional time of the plurality of additional times that is subsequent to the additional time, by; determining a frequency with which the user accesses the feed of content items provided by the social networking system is less than a threshold frequency; responsive to the determining, identifying combinations of the current candidate content items from the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, the identified combinations including at least one current candidate content item having a value function with a measure of relevance less than a threshold within a time interval from the current time, the time interval associated with the threshold frequency; and selecting a combination from the identified that maximizes the aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times; and presenting, at the additional time, the selected adjusted combination of candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
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identify current candidate content items available for presentation to a user of a social networking system via a feed of content items at a current time; obtain a value function for each current candidate content item, the value function for a candidate content item representing a measure of relevance of the candidate content item at different times; for each of a plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the current time; determine a predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current candidate content items at the current time by aggregating measures of relevance for the current candidate content items included in the combination of the current candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the current candidate content items included in the combination, and for each of a plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time; identify a plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time, each adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the combination of the current candidate content items, and for each of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items available for presentation to the user via the feed at the additional time; determine a predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items by aggregating measures of relevance for the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items based at least in part on the value functions for each of the candidate content items included in the adjusted combination of candidate content items; select a combination of the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times; present, at the current time, the selected combination of the current candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items; and for each of the plurality of additional times subsequent to the current time; select an adjusted combination of the plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the additional time, such that the selection maximizes an aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the adjusted combination of candidate content items at the additional time and the predicted amount of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items for each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each additional time of the plurality of additional times that is subsequent to the additional time, by; determining a frequency with which the user accesses the feed of content items provided by the social networking system is less than a threshold frequency; responsive to the determining, identifying combinations of the current candidate content items from the plurality of combinations of the current candidate content items for inclusion in the feed of content items at the current time, the identified combinations including at least one current candidate content item having a value function with a measure of relevance less than a threshold within a time interval from the current time, the time interval associated with the threshold frequency; and selecting a combination from the identified that maximizes the aggregate of the predicted amount of user interaction with the combination of the current content items at the current time and the predicted amounts of user interaction with each adjusted combination of candidate content items of each plurality of adjusted combinations of candidate content items at each of the plurality of additional times; and present, at the additional time, the selected adjusted combination of candidate content items to the user via the feed of content items. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification