Recommending posts to non-subscribing users

• US 10,511,652 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, Todd, Bunner, Andrew A., Steiner, Matthew, Pongsajapan, John, Cheng, Jessica Shih-Lan, Ho, Edward, McBride, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Randy A
• Application Number:
  US15/896,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20180183852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 709204, 709205, 709206, 709207, 709220, 707602, 707708, 707749
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems and program products. A server system receives from a plurality of computing devices indications that a user of each of the computing devices requested to receive posts that a first user authors. The server system receives from a first computing device a post that was authored by the first user. The post is transmitted from the server system to the plurality of computing devices. A score for the post is determined to satisfy a criteria for transmission to a second user who has not requested to receive posts authored by the first user. The determination uses a distance of the second user to the first user in a social network graph. In response, the post is transmitted from the server system to a second computing device that is associated with the second user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

programmatically determining, using a server system, an author score for a post author, wherein the author score is based on user scores of one or more following authors that follow the post author and one or more of a quantity of comments that posts authored by the post author have received, a quality of comments that the posts authored by the post author have received, or a quantity of likes that the posts authored by the post author have received, wherein the author score is increased if posts authored by the post author have received comments that have a longer average length than an average comment length of the user comments, or if posts authored by the post author have received a quantity of likes from unique users that is greater than an average quantity of likes from unique users received on posts, or wherein the author score is further based on an amount of interaction between the post author and at least one of the one or more following authors, wherein a boost to the author score for the post author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more following authors is higher than a boost of an author score of a different author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more of the following authors if the at least one of the one or more following authors communicates more with the post author than with the different author, wherein the different author is followed by the at least one of the one or more following authors;

receiving, at the server system, an additional post submitted by the post author using a computing device;

assigning, using the server system, a post score to the additional post based on the author score of the post author, wherein the post score for the additional post is weighted based on post content of the additional post being topically relevant to previous content that the one or more following authors previously viewed and one or more of user comments for the additional post, content of the user comments for the additional post, or a quantity of user likes for the additional post;

determining, using the server system, whether the post score meets a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting, from the server system, the additional post to one or more computing devices associated with the one or more following authors when the post score meets the predetermined threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the additional post to a user that does not follow the post author, wherein the additional post is displayed with text that describes why the additional post was recommended to the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the author score is further based on interaction by other users with the posts authored by the post author.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the post score is further based on a first geographic location of the post author at a time of posting the additional post.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the additional post includes transmitting the post score, wherein the post score enables a receiving computing device to rank a plurality of received posts in an order based on respective post scores.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein received posts are filtered out by the receiving computing device based on respective post scores.

7. A server system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory that stores instructions executed by the one or more processors, the instructions causing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

programmatically determining an author score for a post author, wherein the author score is based on user scores of one or more following authors that follow the post author and one or more of a quantity of comments that posts authored by the post author have received, a quality of comments that the posts authored by the post author have received, or a quantity of likes that the posts authored by the post author have received, wherein the author score is increased if posts authored by the post author have received comments that have a longer average length than an average comment length of the user comments, or if posts authored by the post author have received a quantity of likes from unique users that is greater than an average quantity of likes from unique users received on posts, or wherein the author score is further based on an amount of interaction between the post author and at least one of the one or more following authors, wherein a boost to the author score for the post author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more following authors is higher than a boost of an author score of a different author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more of the following authors if the at least one of the one or more following authors communicates more with the post author than with the different author, wherein the different author is followed by the at least one of the one or more following authors;

receiving an additional post submitted by the post author;

assigning a post score to the additional post based on the author score of the post author, wherein the post score for the additional post is weighted based on post content of the additional post being topically relevant to previous content that the one or more following authors previously viewed, a recency of the additional post, and one or more of user comments for the additional post, content of the user comments for the additional post, or a quantity of user likes for the additional post;

determining whether the post score meets a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting the additional post to one or more computing devices associated with one or more following authors when the post score meets the predetermined threshold.

8. The server system of claim 7, wherein the memory stores additional instructions causing the one or more processors to perform operations comprising transmitting the additional post to a user that does not follow the post author, wherein the additional post is displayed with text that describes why the additional post was recommended to the user, and wherein the author score is further based on a user score of users that follow the post author.

9. The server system of claim 7, wherein the author score is further based on interaction by other users with the posts authored by the post author.

10. The server system of claim 7, wherein the post score is further based on a first geographic location of the post author at a time of the additional post.

11. The server system of claim 7, wherein transmitting the additional post includes transmitting the post score, wherein the post score enables a receiving computing device to rank a plurality of received posts in an order based on respective post scores.

12. The server system of claim 7, wherein transmitting the additional post includes transmitting the post score, wherein the post score enables a receiving computing device to rank a plurality of received posts in an order based on respective post scores.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations, the operations comprising:

programmatically determining an author score for a post author, wherein the author score is based on user scores of one or more following authors that follow the post author and one or more of a quantity of comments that posts authored by the post author have received, a quality of comments that the posts authored by the post author have received, or a quantity of likes that the posts authored by the post author have received, wherein the author score is increased if posts authored by the post author have received comments that have a longer average length than an average comment length of the user comments, or if posts authored by the post author have received a quantity of likes from unique users that is greater than an average quantity of likes from unique users received on posts, or wherein the author score is further based on an amount of interaction between the post author and at least one of the one or more following authors, wherein a boost to the author score for the post author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more following authors is higher than a boost of an author score of a different author based on the user score of the at least one of the one or more of the following authors if the at least one of the one or more following authors communicates more with the post author than with the different author, wherein the different author is followed by the at least one of the one or more following authors;

receiving an additional post submitted by the post author;

assigning a post score to the additional post based on the author score of the post author, wherein the post score for the additional post is weighted based on post content of the additional post being topically relevant to previous content that the one or more following authors previously viewed and one or more of user comments for the additional post, content of the user comments for the additional post, or a quantity of user likes for the additional post;

determining whether the post score meets a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting the additional post to one or more computing devices associated with one or more following authors when the post score meets the predetermined threshold.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the additional post to a user that does not follow the post author, wherein the additional post is displayed with text that describes why the additional post was recommended to the user.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the author score is further based on interaction by other users with the posts authored by the post author.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the post score is further based on a first geographic location of the post author at a time of the additional post.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein transmitting the additional post includes transmitting the post score, wherein the post score enables a receiving computing device to rank a plurality of received posts in an order based on respective post scores.