Interface for Sharing Posts About a Live Online Event Among Users of a Social Networking System

• US 20110154223A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Steinberg, Arieh, Deng, Peter, Whitnah, Thomas Scott, Abraham, Lior
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

An external system (e.g., a website) is associated with an event and includes an interface that allows users to interact with streams of content associated with a social networking system. The interface allows a user to provide posts about the event via the interface, where the posts are displayed in the interface and also in a social networking interface on social networking system in connection with the user and other users associated with that user. The user can view, via the interface on the external system, posts from all users that are provided via the interface (e.g., everyone watching the event), thereby increasing the likelihood that the posts are relevant to the event. The user can also view, via the interface, posts from users associated with the user via the social networking system (e.g., friends of the user), regardless of where those are posted.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a first interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts related to an event;

receiving via the first interface a plurality of posts by users of the external system related to the event;

providing a second interface on a social networking system for receiving posts by users of the social networking system;

receiving via the second interface a plurality of posts by users of the social networking system; and

providing for display via the first interface;

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface from users of the external system, and

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the second interface from users of a social networking system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the social networking system is a social networking website, and wherein the external system is a third party website, and wherein the second interface is a social networking interface provided at the social networking website and the first interface is an external interface provided at the third party website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface and the one or more of the plurality of posts received via the second interface are displayed as one or more streams of posts on the first interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing for display via the first interface further comprises providing for display via the first interface to a particular user, and further comprising providing a first stream comprising posts entered into the first or second interfaces by connections of the particular user in a social networking system, and providing a second stream comprising posts entered into the first interface by users viewing the event associated with the first interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the particular user can select tabs on the first interface to switch between viewing the first and second streams.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving via the first interface a post from a particular user;

and incorporating, in real time, the post from the particular user into the one or more streams of posts.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at a social networking system a plurality of the posts entered by the users into the interface of the external system, wherein a post for a given user is incorporated into a stream of posts displayed on the second interface by connections of the given user in the social networking system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a live online event, and wherein the posts received via the first interface and via the second interface are provided as a stream of posts on the first interface, and wherein certain of the posts received via the first interface are displayed in a stream of posts on the second interface, the streams being displayed on the first and second interfaces at a same time and being updated in real time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein certain of the posts received via the first interface are displayed via the second interface on the social networking system with an icon or an identifier that signifies that a given post came from a user interacting with the first interface of the external system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the posts are selected from a group consisting of:

hyperlinks, videos, photos, and text.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the posts entered by a particular user via the second interface are displayed via the first interface in accordance with privacy settings of the particular user.

12. A computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing steps comprising:

providing a first interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts related to an event;

receiving via the first interface a plurality of posts by users of the external system related to the event;

providing a second interface on a social networking system for receiving posts by users of the social networking system;

receiving via the second interface a plurality of posts by users of the social networking system; and

providing for display via the first interface;

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface from users of the external system, and

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the second interface from users of a social networking system.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the social networking system is a social networking website, and wherein the external system is a third party website, and wherein the second interface is a social networking interface provided at the social networking website and the first interface is an external interface provided at the third party website.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface and the one or more of the plurality of posts received via the second interface are displayed as one or more streams of posts displayed via the first interface.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein providing for display via the first interface further comprises providing for display via the first interface to a particular user, and further comprising providing a first stream comprising posts entered into the first or second interfaces by connections of the particular user in a social networking system, and providing a second stream comprising posts entered into the first interface by users viewing the event associated with the first interface.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the particular user can select tabs on the first interface to switch between viewing the first and second streams.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising receiving via the first interface a post from a particular user;

and incorporating, in real time, the post from the particular user into the one or more streams of posts.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising receiving at a social networking system a plurality of the posts entered by the users into the interface of the external system, wherein a post for a given user is incorporated into a stream of posts displayed on the second interface by connections of the given user in the social networking system.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the event is a live online event, and wherein the posts received via the first interface and via the second interface are provided as streams of posts on the first interface, and wherein certain of the posts received via the first interface are displayed in a stream of posts on the second interface, the streams being displayed on the first and second interfaces at a same time and being updated in real time.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein certain of the posts received via the first interface are displayed via the second interface on the social networking system with an icon or an identifier that signifies that a given post came from a user interacting with the first interface of the external system.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the posts are selected from a group consisting of:

hyperlinks, videos, photos, and text.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the posts entered by a particular user via the first interface are displayed via the second interface in accordance with privacy settings of the particular user.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the posts entered by a particular user via the second interface are displayed via the first interface in accordance with privacy settings of the particular user.

24. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request to provide for a particular user a stream of posts entered into a first interface on a social networking system by other users to whom the particular user is connected in the social networking system;

providing the requested stream of posts for display to the particular user in a second interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts related to an event;

receiving a post related to the event entered into the second interface on the external system by the particular user; and

providing for display via the first interface the received post in a stream of posts to the other users to whom the particular user is connected in the social networking system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the event is a live online event, the social networking system is a social networking website, and the external system is a third party website, and wherein the second interface is a social networking interface provided at the social networking website and the first interface is an external interface provided at the third party website.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising incorporating, in real time, the received post in the stream of posts displayed in the first interface.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein providing the requested stream further comprises providing the requested stream according to one or more privacy settings or user permissions of the particular user.

28. A computer-implemented method for receiving and displaying real time posts about a live online event, the method comprising:

providing an external interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts in real time related to the live online event;

receiving posts related to the event entered into the external interface by a plurality of users including a particular user, connections of the particular user, and other users, wherein the posts are updated in real time;

providing a social networking interface on a social networking system for receiving posts by users of the social networking system;

receiving posts entered into the social networking interface by the connections of the particular user, wherein the posts are updated in real time;

displaying to the particular user via the external interface the following;

a plurality of the posts entered into the external interface by users of the external system, including posts by the connections of the particular user and by the other users;

a plurality of the posts entered into the social networking interface by the connections of the particular; and

displaying to the connections of the particular user via the social networking interface one or more posts by the particular user entered into the external interface.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the social networking system is a social networking website, and wherein the external system is a third party website, and wherein the second interface is a social networking interface provided at the social networking website and the first interface is an external interface provided at the third party website, and further comprising providing on the external interface a first tab for managing display of posts entered into the external interface and a second tab for managing display of posts by connections of the particular user entered into the external interface or the social networking interface.

30. A computer-implemented method displaying posts related to an event, the method comprising:

communicating with an interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts related to the event;

receiving a plurality of posts related the event, the posts entered into the interface of the external system by users of the external system;

providing a stream of posts from a social networking system, the posts generated by the social networking system based on actions of one or more users of the social networking system; and

providing for display via the interface of the external system the following;

the plurality of posts entered into the interface of the external system by users of the external system as a stream of posts, and

the stream of posts received from the social networking system, the posts associated with other users of the social networking system to whom the particular user is connected in the social networking system.

31. A system for providing a forum for receiving and displaying comments about an event among users of a social networking system, the system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing executable software modules and a processor configured to execute the software portions stored by the computer readable storage medium, wherein the software modules comprise:

a user interface module for providing a first interface on an external system for receiving and displaying posts related to an event;

a post receiving module for receiving via the first interface a plurality of posts by users of the external system related to the event;

the user interface module for providing a second interface on a social networking system for receiving posts by users of the social networking system;

the post receiving module for receiving via the second interface a plurality of posts by users of the social networking system; and

a display module for providing for display via the first interface;

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface from users of the external system, and

one or more of the plurality of posts received via the second interface from users of a social networking system.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a tab on the first interface for viewing the one or more of the plurality of posts received via the first interface, and a tab on the first interface for viewing the one or more of the plurality of posts by a viewing user'"'"'s connections received via the first interface or the second interface, wherein the two tabs allow the viewing user to switch between viewing two streams of posts.