PROVIDING CONTEXT RELEVANT SEARCH FOR A USER BASED ON LOCATION AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

• US 20130013595A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Braginsky, David, Tseng, Erick
• Granted Patent: US 10,223,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A social networking system provides relevant third-party content objects to users by matching user location, interests, and other social information with the content, location, and timing associated with the content objects. Content objects are provided based on relevance scores specific to a user. Relevance scores may be calculated based on the user'"'"'s previous interactions with content object notifications, or based on interests that are common between the user and his or her connections in the social network. Context search is also provided for a user, wherein a list of search of results is ranked according to the relevance score of content object associated with the search results. Notifications may also be priced and distributed to users based on their relevance. In this way, the system can provide notifications that are relevant to user'"'"'s interests and current circumstances, increasing the likelihood that they will find content objects of interest.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a ranked list of search results responsive to a search query, each search result comprising a search value;

displaying a graphical map centered around a center location, the graphical map comprising a plurality of locations, each location associated with a search result from the ranked list of search results, each location comprising an indication of an order of the search result in the ranked list of search results, each location placed on the map according to a location associated with the search result; and

wherein the order of the search result in the ranked list of search results is based on a relevance score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance score for the search result is determined by matching a user location and social information and the search value to a third-party content object associated with the search result, the third-party content object comprising an object location, a category, and a delivery time range.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a text field comprising the ranked list of search results, a search result in the text field comprising a list of friends of the user currently located at the location of the search result, a number of affinities of the search result, and a number of comments made regarding the search result.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the center location is based on a user location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the center location is based on the search query.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, responsive to a search query, a search result comprising a location; and

displaying a schedule, the schedule comprising a plurality of entries, a first entry indicating a future date and comprising a list available reservations for the search query, and a second entry indicating a past date and comprising a list of friends who were present at the location of the search query on the past date.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the search query is a restaurant and the list of available reservations comprises a list of available table times, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, reserving a table at the restaurant at a specified time on the future date.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the search query is a movie theatre and the list of available reservations comprises a list of movies with available tickets, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, reserving a specified number of tickets for the selected movie at a specified time on the future date.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying a text field comprising a affinities of the search query and a number of comments made regarding the search query; and

displaying a schedule timeline button for switching the schedule between a plurality of timeline selections, the timeline selections comprising day, week, and month selections.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon:

instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

receive a ranked list of search results responsive to a search query, each search result comprising a search value;

display, in conjunction with a display of a mobile device, a graphical map centered around a center location, the graphical map comprising a plurality of locations, each location associated with a search result from the ranked list of search results, each location comprising an indication of an order of the search result in the ranked list of search results, each location placed on the map according to a location associated with the search result; and

wherein the order of the search result in the ranked list of search results is based on a relevance score.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the relevance score for the search result is determined by matching a user location and social information and the search value to a third-party content object associated with the search result, the third-party content object comprising an object location, a category, and a delivery time range.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

display a text field comprising the ranked list of search results, a search result in the text field comprising a list of friends of the user currently located at the location of the search result, a number of affinities of the search result, and a number of comments made regarding the search result.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the center location is based on a user location.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the center location is based on the search query.

18. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

display a text field comprising a affinities of the search query and a number of comments made regarding the search query; and

display a schedule timeline button for switching the schedule between a plurality of timeline selections, the timeline selections comprising day, week, and month selections.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon:

instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

receive, responsive to a search query, a search result comprising a location; and

display a schedule, the schedule comprising a plurality of entries, a first entry indicating a future date and comprising a list available reservations for the search query, and a second entry indicating a past date and comprising a list of friends who were present at the location of the search query on the past date.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the search query is a restaurant and the list of available reservations comprises a list of available table times, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, reserving a table at the restaurant at a specified time on the future date.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the search query is a movie theatre and the list of available reservations comprises a list of movies with available tickets, and wherein responsive to receiving a selection from the user, reserving a specified number of tickets for the selected movie at a specified time on the future date.