Default suggested queries on online social networks

• US 10,614,084 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Yofay Kari, Peiris, Keith L., Maschmeyer, William R., Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup, Sittig, Aaron, Campbell, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US15/955,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity, accessing a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity, generating one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively, and sending, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing system:

receiving, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity;

accessing a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity;

generating one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively; and

sending, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile interface is currently being accessed by a web browser running on the client system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile interface is currently being accessed by a native application associated with an online social network installed on the client system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile interface is unique profile page of the first entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each suggested query is a structured query comprising a reference to the first entity corresponding to the profile interface and one or more additional references to one or more of the identified second entities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each suggested query is selectable by the user to retrieve search results corresponding to the selected query.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile interface is a profile page of an online social network corresponding to a concept or a user of the online social network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the suggested queries are displayed in association with the query field.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the suggested queries are displayed in a suggested-queries interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the suggested queries are displayed in a drop-down menu on the profile interface, wherein the drop-down menu enables the user to select one of the suggested queries.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sent structured queries are sent for display to the user as the user accesses the query field of the profile interface, the display of the suggested queries to the user enabling the user to select one of the suggested queries.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the client system of the user, an indication of the user selecting one of the suggested queries; and

generating one or more search results corresponding to the selected suggested query.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a rank for each suggested query; and

wherein sending instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries comprises comprising sending each suggested query having a rank greater than a threshold rank.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a rank for each suggested query is based on a search history associated with the user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

each generated suggested query further comprises a name string of one or more additional entities; and

determining a rank for each suggested query is based on a degree of separation between the user and the one or more additional entities in a social graph, the social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising;

a first node corresponding to the user; and

a plurality of second nodes corresponding to a plurality of entities, respectively.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more identified second entities correspond to one or more second nodes of the plurality of second nodes, and wherein each suggested query comprises a reference to one of the second nodes corresponding to an identified second entity.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each suggested query further comprises references to one or more second nodes of the plurality of nodes and one or more edges of the plurality of edges.

19. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity;

access a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity;

generate one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively; and

send, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

receive, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity;

access a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity;

generate one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively; and

send, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.