METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING CHANGES TO USER CONTENT IN AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK

• US 20080065701A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Ross A., Lindstrom, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 9,798,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Content maintained in an online social network or other online communities is tracked for changes and updates. The content may include user profiles, digital photos, digital audio and video files, testimonials, and identification of users who are friends. When such change or update occurs, users of the online social network or online community are notified according to various criteria that they have set. The notification may be provided by e-mail, an RSS feed, or a web page when accessed. With this feature, users can browse through content of other users with efficiency.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a database of users in which content for each user is stored, a method for tracking changes in content stored in the database and communicating to a first user that the content of a second user has changed, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input from the first user that specify that the content of the second user is to be tracked;

receiving and storing inputs from users that reflect changes to their content, including changes to the content of the second user; and

if any of the content of the second user that has changed is of a type that the first user is tracking, communicating to the first user that the content of said type of the second user has changed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of communicating includes the steps of preparing a description of the change in the content of said type and transmitting said description to the first user.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said description is transmitted to the first user as part of a web page.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said description is transmitted to the first user as part of an RSS feed.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said description is transmitted to the first user as part of an e-mail.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving and storing inputs from the first user that specify one or more types of content that the first user desires to track.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of receiving and storing inputs from the first user that identify other users, including the second user, that the first user desires to track.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inputs from the users include inputs the users have made into the computer system and inputs the users have made into an external system that is connected to the computer system and configured to communicate the inputs to the computer system through an RSS feed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises at least one of user profiles, digital photos, testimonials by other users, and identification of users who are friends.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein for each user, a set of user IDs representing friends of the user is stored in the database, and if the set of user IDs for the second user is increased, the first user is notified of the increase.

11. In an online community of users, a method for tracking content updates, comprising the steps of:

receiving inputs from a user that specify;

(i) one or more types of content that are to be tracked, and (ii) users or groups who are to be tracked;

monitoring updates to the content of the users and groups, and identifying those updates that are made to content that is of one of the specified types and of one of the specified users or groups; and

notifying the user of the identified updates.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein any two users are related to each other either directly or through one or more other users, and for each user, a set of user IDs of other users who are directly related to the user is stored, and a first user is notified of an increase in the set of user IDs for a second user whom the first user is tracking.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first user is notified when the first user accesses his or her home page of the online community.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the identified updates are accumulated and communicated to the first user by e-mail in a periodic manner.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the identified updates comprise new members added to one of the specified groups.

16. A computer system comprising:

a database of users that stores content for each user and tracking preferences of a first user; and

a processing unit that is programmed to carry out the steps of (i) receiving and storing inputs from users that reflect changes in their content, including changes to the content of the second user, and (ii) if any of the content of the second user that has changed is of a type included in said tracking preferences of the first user, communicating to the first user that the content of said type of the second user has changed.

17. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein the tracking preferences of the first user include an indication of:

(i) one or more types of content that are to be tracked, and (ii) those users who are to be tracked.

18. The computer system according to claim 17, wherein those users who are to be tracked include users who are directly related to the first user and users who are related to the first user through one or more other users.

19. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein the tracking preferences of the first user include an indication of:

(i) one or more types of content that are to be tracked, and (ii) at least one group that is to be tracked.

20. The computer system according to claim 16, wherein the processing unit is programmed to communicate with an external system to receive through an RSS feed inputs from users that reflect changes in their content.