Determining User Affinity Towards Applications on a Social Networking Website

• US 20100049534A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanghvi, Ruchi, Whitnah, Thomas Scott, Zhou, Ding, Rush, Alexander Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/194,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049534A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Applications in social networks support interaction between members through various types of channels such as email, notifications, newsfeed, and so forth. For each channel, applications are ranked based on their user affinity measures. User affinity is based on measuring positive and negative interactions by users as both senders and recipients of messages generated by applications. Metrics are computed for the different types of messages and interactions provided by applications. For each channel, an application receives user affinity score based on specific weighted combination of the metrics. Applications use channel resources to send messages to increase their user base. Given the large number of applications that are available, the extent to which applications are allowed to use channels is controlled, limiting their resource consumption. User affinity scores of applications calculated for a channel are used to decide the allocation of the number of messages allowed for an application for a channel.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of calculating user affinity score of an application provided on a social networking website that provides a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

collecting statistical information associated with a plurality of action types, wherein actions associated with each action type are executed on a plurality of applications provided on the social networking website;

calculating an action type score for each action type associated with the application based on the statistical information associated with the action type;

calculating user affinity score of the application based on the plurality of action type scores associated with the application; and

storing the user affinity score of the application in a computer readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each action type is associated with a channel, wherein the channel is a computer mediated communication mechanism for facilitating communication between users of the social network and the social network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the channel comprises one of:

notification channel, invitation channel, mini-feed channel, and wall post channel.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user affinity score of the application is associated with a channel and is calculated based on the action type scores associated with the channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an action type score associated with the application represents a probability of a user taking an action of the action type when presented with the application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the action type score associated with the application comprises determining a ratio of the probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with the application to a probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with any of a plurality of applications associated with the action type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the action type score associated with the application comprises determining a logarithm of the ratio of the probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with the application to a probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with any of a plurality of applications associated with the action type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the user affinity score for an application comprises calculating of a weighted sum of a plurality of action type scores associated with the application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the members of the social networking website are divided into a plurality of groups and calculating the user affinity scores for an application comprises:

calculating user affinity scores for the application for each user group; and

calculating the user affinity score for the application based on a plurality of user affinity scores of the application associated with the user groups.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the user affinity score for an application comprises calculating a weighted sum of the user affinity scores of the plurality of the user groups.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting the statistical information associated with a plurality of actions during a time interval, wherein the user affinity score of the application is associated with the time interval.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating the user affinity score of an application is repeated over subsequent intervals of time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

calculating a damped user affinity score for an application for a time interval comprising the calculation of a weighted sum of;

user affinity score of the application calculated for the time interval; and

a plurality of user affinity scores associated with time intervals that occurred before the time interval.

14. A computer-implemented system for calculating user affinity score of an application provided on a social networking website that provides a plurality of applications, the system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules configured to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising;

an action type score server module configured to;

collect statistical information associated with a plurality of action types, wherein actions associated with each action type are executed on a plurality of applications provided on the social networking website; and

calculate an action type score for each action type associated with the application wherein, calculating the action type score is based on the statistical information associated with the action type;

a user affinity score server module configured to;

calculate user affinity score of the application based on the plurality of action type scores associated with the application; and

store the user affinity score of the application in a computer readable medium.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each action type is associated with a channel, wherein the channel is a computer mediated communication mechanism for facilitating communication between users of the social network and the social network.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the channel comprises one of:

notification channel, invitation channel, mini-feed channel, and wall post channel.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein calculating the action type score associated with the application comprises determining a ratio of the probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with the application to a probability of a member taking an action of the action type when presented with any of a plurality of applications associated with the action type.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein calculating the user affinity score for an application comprises calculating of a weighted sum of a plurality of action type scores associated with the application.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the user affinity score server module is configured to further:

calculate a damped user affinity score for an application for a time interval comprising the calculation of a weighted sum of;

user affinity score of the application calculated for the time interval; and

a plurality of user affinity scores associated with time intervals that occurred before the time interval.

20. A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for calculating user affinity score of an application provided on a social networking website that provides a plurality of applications, the code comprising:

an action type score server module configured to;

collect statistical information associated with a plurality of action types, wherein actions associated with each action type are executed on a plurality of applications provided on the social networking website; and

calculate an action type score for each action type associated with the application wherein, calculating the action type score is based on the statistical information associated with the action type;

a user affinity score server module configured to;

calculate user affinity score of the application based on the plurality of action type scores associated with the application; and

store the user affinity score of the application in a computer readable medium.