Inferring Contextual User Status and Duration

• US 20140180983A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deng, Peter Xiu, Wolff, Adam Gregory, Bok, Koen
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/02 Neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1396 specially adapted for monitoring users' activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes one or more server computing devices receiving first data associated with an activity recently performed or currently being performed by a user of one or more client computing devices. A current state of the user is inferred at least in part by analyzing at least the first data, and second data associated with one or more historical durations associated with the inferred current state is accessed. An end time associated with the inferred current state is estimated based at least in part on the second data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more server computing devices, collecting first data associated with an activity recently performed or currently being performed by a user of one or more client computing devices;

by one or more server computing devices, inferring a current state of the user at least in part by analyzing at least the first data;

by one or more server computing devices, accessing second data associated with one or more historical durations associated with the inferred current state; and

by one or more server computing devices, estimating an end time associated with the inferred current state based at least in part on the second data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user is a user of a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising historical data associated with the user; and

the current state of the user is inferred at least in part by analyzing the historical data associated with the user in addition to the first data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, at least one node in the graph corresponding to the user;

the second data comprises social-networking information from the graph associated with one or more nodes or edges; and

the historical data comprises information associated with one or more nodes or edges connected to the user'"'"'s node.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, by one or more server computing devices, providing third data based at least in part on the user'"'"'s inferred current state and associated estimated end time for presentation to one or more other users, each of the other users having at least one node in the graph corresponding to the other user and connected by one or more edges to at least one of nodes corresponding to the user whose current state was inferred.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises one or more of:

an identifier of one of the one or more client computing devices;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of one of the one or more client computing devices;

a location of one of the one or more client computing devices;

metadata received from a software application executing on one of the one or more client computing devices;

or

data received from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader attached to one of the one or more client computing devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing by use of:

regression analysis;

decision-tree analysis;

neural-network analysis;

or

expert-system analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by one or more server computing devices, collecting fourth data comprising feedback from the user regarding the accuracy of the inferred current state.

8. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

collect first data associated with an activity recently performed or currently being performed by a user of one or more client computing devices;

infer a current state of the user at least in part by analyzing at least the first data;

access second data associated with one or more historical durations associated with the inferred current state; and

estimate an end time associated with the inferred current state based at least in part on the second data.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein:

the user is a user of a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising historical data associated with the user; and

the current state of the user is inferred at least in part by analyzing the historical data associated with the user in addition to the first data.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein:

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, at least one node in the graph corresponding to the user;

the second data comprises social-networking information from the graph associated with one or more nodes or edges; and

the historical data comprises information associated with one or more nodes or edges connected to the user'"'"'s node.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the software is further operable when executed to provide third data based at least in part on the user'"'"'s inferred current state and associated estimated end time for presentation to one or more other users, each of the other users having at least one node in the graph corresponding to the other user and connected by one or more edges to at least one of nodes corresponding to the user whose current state was inferred.

12. The media of claim 8, wherein the first data comprises one or more of:

an identifier of one of the one or more client computing devices;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of one of the one or more client computing devices;

a location of one of the one or more client computing devices;

metadata received from a software application executing on one of the one or more client computing devices;

or

data received from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader attached to one of the one or more client computing devices.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing by use of:

regression analysis;

decision-tree analysis;

neural-network analysis;

or

expert-system analysis.

14. The media of claim 8, wherein the software is further operable when executed to collect fourth data comprising feedback from the user regarding the accuracy of the inferred current state.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

collect first data associated with an activity recently performed or currently being performed by a user of one or more client computing devices;

infer a current state of the user at least in part by analyzing at least the first data;

access second data associated with one or more historical durations associated with the inferred current state; and

estimate an end time associated with the inferred current state based at least in part on the second data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the user is a user of a social-networking system, the social-networking system comprising historical data associated with the user; and

the current state of the user is inferred at least in part by analyzing the historical data associated with the user in addition to the first data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the social-networking system comprises a social graph that comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, at least one node in the graph corresponding to the user;

the second data comprises social-networking information from the graph associated with one or more nodes or edges; and

the historical data comprises information associated with one or more nodes or edges connected to the user'"'"'s node.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to provide third data based at least in part on the user'"'"'s inferred current state and associated estimated end time for presentation to one or more other users, each of the other users having at least one node in the graph corresponding to the other user and connected by one or more edges to at least one of nodes corresponding to the user whose current state was inferred.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first data comprises one or more of:

an identifier of one of the one or more client computing devices;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address of one of the one or more client computing devices;

a location of one of the one or more client computing devices;

metadata received from a software application executing on one of the one or more client computing devices;

or

data received from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader attached to one of the one or more client computing devices.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing by use of:

regression analysis;

decision-tree analysis;

neural-network analysis;

or

expert-system analysis.