DETECTING ASSOCIATES

• US 20130238616A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Linkedln Corporation
• Inventors: Rose, R. Kevin, White, Elliott III, Wilms, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Detecting, for a content item, associated preference events is disclosed. For the content item, a plurality of preference events from a plurality of users is received. The received preference events are accumulated. Associated events are detected. The effect of the events is reduced when assigning a status to the item.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a cohort of users attempting to orchestrate preference events for content items, at a preference system for presenting the content items to users, the method comprising:

receiving from a plurality of users preference events regarding multiple content items; and

for at least one of the plurality of users, operating a processor to;

identify a set of content items for which the user initiated preference events of a first type;

for each of the identified content items, identify other users in the plurality of users, if any, that initiated preference events of the first type for the content item; and

if multiple users amounting to at least a first percentage of users in the plurality of users initiated preference events of the first type for a subset of content items amounting to at least a second percentage of the set of content items;

record the multiple users as a cohort; and

reduce effects of the preference events initiated by the cohort when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a set of content items for which the user initiated preference events of a first type comprises:

constructing a data table comprising;

a column corresponding to each user in the plurality of users; and

a row corresponding to each content item in the set of content items; and

in the data table column corresponding to the user, in each cell corresponding to a content item for which the user initiated a preference event of the first type;

storing identifications of all other users in the plurality of users that initiated a preference event of the first type for the same content item.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether multiple users amounting to at least a first percentage of users in the plurality of users initiated preference events of the first type for a subset of content items amounting to at least a second percentage of the set of content items by;

identifying, in the data table column corresponding to the user, each cell that contains a number of identifications of other users equal to or greater than the first percentage; and

for each identified cell, determining whether the identifications stored in the identified cell are stored together in a total number of cells in the data table column equal to or greater than the second percentage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user of the preference system and all associates of the first user known to the preference system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user of the preference system and all other users of the preference system identified as friends of the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein preference events comprise:

a positive preference event; and

a negative preference event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

a positive preference event is a digg; and

a negative preference event is a bury.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first percentage is approximately 50%; and

the second percentage is approximately 20%.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing effects of the preference events comprises:

increasing scores associated with the subset of content items when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing effects of the preference events comprises:

decreasing scores associated with the subset of content items when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein reducing effects of the preference events comprises:

discarding the preference events when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

12. A computer program product for identifying, at a preference system, a cohort of users attempting to orchestrate preference events for content items for presenting the content items to users, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising instructions for:

receiving from a plurality of users preference events regarding multiple content items; and

for at least one of the plurality of users;

identifying a set of content items for which the user initiated preference events of a first type;

for each of the identified content items, identifying other users in the plurality of users, if any, that initiated preference events of the first type for the content item; and

if multiple users amounting to at least a first percentage of users in the plurality of users initiated preference events of the first type for a subset of content items amounting to at least a second percentage of the set of content items;

recording the multiple users as a cohort; and

reducing effects of the preference events initiated by the cohort when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

13. A preference system for identifying a cohort of users attempting to orchestrate preference events for content items, the system including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive from a plurality of users preference events regarding multiple content items; and

for at least one of the plurality of users;

identify a set of content items for which the user initiated preference events of a first type;

for each of the identified content items, identify other users in the plurality of users, if any, that initiated preference events of the first type for the content item; and

if multiple users amounting to at least a first percentage of users in the plurality of users initiated preference events of the first type for a subset of content items amounting to at least a second percentage of the set of content items;

record the multiple users as a cohort; and

reduce effects of the preference events initiated by the cohort when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein identifying a set of content items for which the user initiated preference events of a first type comprises:

constructing a data table comprising;

a column corresponding to each user in the plurality of users; and

a row corresponding to each content item in the set of content items; and

in the data table column corresponding to the user, in each cell corresponding to a content item for which the user initiated a preference event of the first type;

storing identifications of all other users in the plurality of users that initiated a preference event of the first type for the same content item.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine whether multiple users amounting to at least a first percentage of users in the plurality of users initiated preference events of the first type for a subset of content items amounting to at least a second percentage of the set of content items by;

identifying, in the data table column corresponding to the user, each cell that contains a number of identifications of other users equal to or greater than the first percentage; and

for each identified cell, determining whether the identifications stored in the identified cell are stored together in a total number of cells in the data table column equal to or greater than the second percentage.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user of the preference system and all associates of the first user known to the preference system.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user of the preference system and all other users of the preference system identified as friends of the first user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein reducing effects of the preference events comprises:

discarding the preference events when determining statuses to assign the subset of content items.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein preference events comprise:

a positive preference event; and

a negative preference event.