SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING CONTENT ON THIRD-PARTY MOBILE APPLICATIONS

• US 20130035994A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Jennifer W., PATTAN, Neha
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for allowing users to recommend advertisements displayed in a third-party application running on a user device while not granting the third-party application privileges to send such recommendations on behalf of the user. A social network application installed on the user device, and separate from the third-party application, acts as a proxy for advertisement recommendation requests (e.g., indications that a user wishes to recommend an advertisement displayed), and a user is required to confirm all such recommendation actions. In this manner, a third-party application (e.g., a “malicious third-party application) cannot send advertisement recommendation requests, and/or requests to undo such recommendations, on its own as if it were the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request for promotional content to be displayed in a third-party application on a user device;

responsive to receiving the request, determining that a social network application is installed on the user device, the social network application being separate from the third-party application and containing information about a social network of the user;

selecting a promotional content item to be displayed in the third-party application;

determining a social annotation to be presented in conjunction with the selected promotional content item, the social annotation including information about one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network who have recommended the selected promotional content item;

providing, for display in the third-party application, the selected promotional content item, the social annotation, and a user recommendation control associated with the social network application;

receiving an indication that the user recommended the promotional content item displayed in the third-party application, the indication being based on a detected interaction with the user recommendation control displayed in conjunction with the promotional content item; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the user recommended the promotional content item, querying the user for a confirmation that the user intended to recommend the promotional content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein querying the user for a confirmation that the user intended to recommend the promotional content item includes:

presenting the user with a recommendation confirmation request, the recommendation confirmation request being a request for the user to confirm that the user intended to recommend the promotional content item.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the received indication is for a first recommendation of promotional content made by the user; and

responsive to determining that the received indication is for a first recommendation of promotional content made by the user, presenting the user with a request for permission to collect information about the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the requested permission from the user, presenting the user with a recommendation confirmation request, the recommendation confirmation request being a request for the user to confirm that the user recommended the promotional content item.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting the user with the recommendation confirmation request includes displaying the selected promotional content item, an identifier of the third-party application, and at least one user-selectable action.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one user-selectable action includes at least one of confirming the recommendation of the promotional content item and canceling the recommendation of the promotional content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network includes a count of individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network who have recommended the selected promotional content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network includes a name of an individual who has recommended the selected promotional content item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the social annotation is determined based on the selected promotional content item and the information about the social network of the user contained in the social network application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the user accepts social annotations being presented in conjunction with promotional content when the promotional content is displayed on the user device.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to;

receive a request for promotional content to be displayed in a third-party application on a user device;

responsive to receiving the request, determine that a social network application is installed on the user device, the social network application being separate from the third-party application and containing information about a social network of the user;

select a promotional content item to be displayed in the third-party application;

determine a social annotation to be presented in conjunction with the selected promotional content item, the social annotation including information identifying one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network who have recommended the selected promotional content item;

provide, for display in the third-party application, the selected promotional content item, the social annotation, and a user recommendation control associated with the social network application;

receive an indication that the user recommended the promotional content item displayed in the third-party application, the indication being based on a detected interaction with the user recommendation control displayed in conjunction with the promotional content item; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the user recommended the promotional content item, query the user for a confirmation that the user intended to recommend the promotional content item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

present the user with a recommendation confirmation request, the recommendation confirmation request being a request for the user to confirm that the user intended to recommend the promotional content item.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

determine whether the received indication is for a first recommendation of promotional content made by the user; and

responsive to determining that the received indication is for a first recommendation of promotional content made by the user, present the user with a request for permission to collect information about the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to:

responsive to receiving the requested permission from the user, present the user with a recommendation confirmation request, the recommendation confirmation request being a request for the user to confirm that the user recommended the promotional content item.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein presenting the user with the recommendation confirmation request includes displaying the selected promotional content item, an identifier of the third-party application, and at least one user-selectable action.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one user-selectable action includes at least one of confirming the recommendation of the promotional content item and canceling the recommendation of the promotional content item.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the information identifying the one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network includes a count of individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network who have recommend the selected promotional content item.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the information identifying the one or more individuals associated with the user in the user'"'"'s social network includes a name of an individual who has recommended the selected promotional content item.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the social annotation is determined based on the selected promotional content item and the information about the social network of the user contained in the social network application.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further caused to determine that the user accepts social annotations being presented in conjunction with promotional content when the promotional content is displayed on the user device.