Clarifying Search Results Using Social-Networking Information

• US 20110093498A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Galbreath, Nicholas, Lunt, Christopher, Winner, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Particular embodiments access a query from a first user, the query comprising a first user attribute; identify a plurality of candidate users sharing the same first user attribute; retrieve one or more members of a social-networking system who are connected to the first user within a threshold degree of separation; compare each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and if a candidate user matches a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then identify the matching candidate user as a match result to the query.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, at one or more computing devices, a query from a first user, the query comprising a first user attribute;

identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a plurality of candidate users sharing the same first user attribute;

retrieving, by the one or more computing devices, one or more members of a social-networking system who are connected to the first user within a threshold degree of separation;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if a candidate user matches a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then identifying the matching candidate user as a match result to the query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user attribute is a personal name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the one or more members of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation comprises:

sending to the social-networking system a request identifying the first user by a second user attribute and the threshold degree of separation; and

receiving from the social-networking system the one or more members who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system, wherein each member is identified by the second user attribute.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user attribute is a user identifier, and each user identifier is unique within the social-networking system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system comprises:

comparing the second user attribute of each candidate user with the second user attribute of each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if the second user attribute of a candidate user matches the second user attribute of a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then considering that the candidate user matches the member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the query from the first user, wherein the query requests a third user attribute of the second user; and

sending to the first user the third user attribute of the matching candidate user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third user attribute is telephone number.

8. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

access a query from a first user, the query comprising a first user attribute;

identify a plurality of candidate users sharing the same first user attribute;

retrieve one or more members of a social-networking system who are connected to the first user within a threshold degree of separation;

compare each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if a candidate user matches a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then identify the matching candidate user as a match result to the query.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first user attribute is a personal name.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein retrieving the one or more members of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation comprises:

send to the social-networking system a request identifying the first user by a second user attribute and the threshold degree of separation; and

receive from the social-networking system the one or more members who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system, wherein each member is identified by the second user attribute.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second user attribute is a user identifier, and each user identifier is unique within the social-networking system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein comparing each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system comprises:

compare the second user attribute of each candidate user with the second user attribute of each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if the second user attribute of a candidate user matches the second user attribute of a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then consider that the candidate user matches the member.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive the query from the first user, wherein the query requests a third user attribute of the second user; and

send to the first user the third user attribute of the matching user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the third user attribute is telephone number.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

access a query from a first user, the query comprising a first user attribute;

identify a plurality of candidate users sharing the same first user attribute;

retrieve one or more members of a social-networking system who are connected to the first user within a threshold degree of separation;

compare each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if a candidate user matches a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then identify the matching candidate user as a match result to the query.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the first user attribute is a personal name.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein retrieving the one or more members of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation comprises:

send to the social-networking system a request identifying the first user by a second user attribute and the threshold degree of separation; and

receive from the social-networking system the one or more members who are connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system, wherein each member is identified by the second user attribute.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the second user attribute is a user identifier, and each user identifier is unique within the social-networking system.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein comparing each candidate user with each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system comprises:

compare the second user attribute of each candidate user with the second user attribute of each member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation; and

if the second user attribute of a candidate user matches the second user attribute of a member who is connected to the first user within the threshold degree of separation, then consider that the candidate user matches the member.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the software is further operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

receive the query from the first user, wherein the query requests a third user attribute of the second user; and

send to the first user the third user attribute of the matching user.

21. The media of claim 20, wherein the third user attribute is telephone number.