Suggesting Connections to a User Based on an Expected Value of the Suggestion to the Social Networking System
First Claim
15. A method for suggesting an action to a user of a social networking system, the method comprising:
- generating a list of actions comprising candidate actions available to a user of the social networking system;
predicting the likelihood that a user will perform each candidate action, the likelihood calculated responsive to historical data associated with the user within the social networking system;
determining a value to the social networking system of the user performing each candidate action;
computing an expected value for each candidate action, the expected value based on the predicted likelihood of the user performing the candidate action and the determined value to the social networking system of the user performing the candidate action; and
suggesting one or more candidate actions to the user, the candidate action suggested based on the computed expected value associated with each candidate action.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users'"'"' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
206 Citations
29 Claims
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15. A method for suggesting an action to a user of a social networking system, the method comprising:
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generating a list of actions comprising candidate actions available to a user of the social networking system; predicting the likelihood that a user will perform each candidate action, the likelihood calculated responsive to historical data associated with the user within the social networking system; determining a value to the social networking system of the user performing each candidate action; computing an expected value for each candidate action, the expected value based on the predicted likelihood of the user performing the candidate action and the determined value to the social networking system of the user performing the candidate action; and suggesting one or more candidate actions to the user, the candidate action suggested based on the computed expected value associated with each candidate action. - View Dependent Claims (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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16-1. The method of claim 15, wherein the candidate action comprises an action selected from a group comprising sending a message to a connection, sending an instant message to a connection, posting text on a connection'"'"'s profile page, sending a virtual gift to a connection, commenting on a connection'"'"'s activity or broadcast post, commenting on a connection'"'"'s pictures, playing a particular game among a group of games, updating the user'"'"'s profile page, replying to an invitation, becoming a fan of a page, and inviting another user to a group.
Specification