Customizable Content for Distribution in Social Networks

• US 20100138491A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Churchill, Elizabeth F., Jones, M. Cameron, Athsani, Athellina
• Granted Patent: US 9,224,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Particular embodiments of the present invention are related to customizing content based on a social context associated with the viewer of the content. The social context may include information regarding the viewer'"'"'s friends or contacts in a social network, and information regarding the interaction of such friends or contacts with the customizable content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

delivering content to a first user of an online social network, the content allowing enhancement by the first user;

receiving one or more enhancements to the content by the first user;

detecting the presence of a second user on the social network;

determining a social context of the second user, the social context comprising data associated with the second user with respect to the social network; and

modifying the content based at least on the determined social context of the second user and the one or more enhancements to the content by the first user; and

delivering the modified content to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes an interactive rich media file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes an interactive advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the social context includes at least one of:

information regarding contacts of the second user with respect to the social networks; and

information regarding enhancements of the content by contacts of the second user with respect to the social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined social context indicates that the first user and the second user are contacts with respect to the social network, and the modified content delivered to the second user includes the one or more enhancements of the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the presence of the second user includes detecting that a first client node to which content may be displayed is proximate to a second client node associated with the second user; and

delivering the modified content to the second user includes displaying the modified content to the first node in response to the determination that the first client node is proximate to the second client node.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting that the first node is proximate to the second client node is based on at least one of:

the second client node'"'"'s geographic location as determined by a global positioning system;

the second client node'"'"'s geographic location in a cellular network;

the second client node'"'"'s Internet protocol address; and

the second client node'"'"'s presence within a communication range of a short-range communication standard associated with the first client node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivered modified content is based on at least one of a temporal context, a geographical context, and a behavioral context of at least one of the first user and the second user.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more network interfaces;

a memory; and

computer-executable instructions carried on a computer readable medium, the instructions readable by the one or more processors, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the one or more processors to;

deliver content to a first user of an online social network via the one or more network interfaces, the content allowing enhancement by the first user;

receive via the one or more network interfaces one or more enhancements to the content by the first user;

detect via the one or more network interfaces the presence of a second user on the social network;

determine a social context of the second user, the social context comprising data associated with the second user with respect to the social network; and

modify the content based at least on the determined social context of the second user and the one or more enhancements to the content by the first user; and

deliver the modified content to the second user via the one or more network interfaces.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the content includes an interactive rich media file.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the content includes an interactive advertisement.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the social context includes at least one of:

information regarding contacts of the second user with respect to the social networks; and

information regarding enhancements of the content by contacts of the second user with respect to the social network.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the determined social context indicates that the first user and the second user are contacts with respect to the social network, and the modified content delivered to the second user includes the one or more enhancements of the first user.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, the computer-readable instructions further including one or more instructions for causing the one or more processors to:

detect that a first client node to which content may be displayed is proximate to a second client node associated with the second user; and

display the modified content to the first node in response to the determination that the first client node is proximate to the second client node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein detecting that the first node is proximate to the second client node is based on at least one of:

the second client node'"'"'s geographic location as determined by a global positioning system;

the second client node'"'"'s geographic location in a cellular network;

the second client node'"'"'s Internet protocol address; and

the second client node'"'"'s presence within a communication range of a short-range communication standard associated with the first client node.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the delivered modified content is based on at least one of a temporal context, a geographical context, and a behavioral context of at least one of the first user and the second user.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to;

deliver content to a first user of an online social network via the one or more network interfaces, the content allowing enhancement by the first user;

receive via the one or more network interfaces one or more enhancements to the content by the first user;

detect via the one or more network interfaces the presence of a second user on the social network;

determine a social context of the second user, the social context comprising data associated with the second user with respect to the social network; and

modify the content based at least on the determined social context of the second user and the one or more enhancements to the content by the first user; and

deliver the modified content to the second user via the one or more network interfaces.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 wherein the social context includes at least one of:

information regarding contacts of the second user with respect to the social networks; and

information regarding enhancements of the content by contacts of the second user with respect to the social network.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the determined social context indicates that the first user and the second user are contacts with respect to the social network, and the modified content delivered to the second user includes the one or more enhancements of the first user.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, the computer-readable instructions further including one or more instructions for causing the one or more processors to:

detect that a first client node to which content may be displayed is proximate to a second client node associated with the second user; and

display the modified content to the first node in response to the determination that the first client node is proximate to the second client node.