CONNECTION INSIGHTS WIDGET

• US 20160034461A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundaram, Senthil, Agarwal, Rahul
• Granted Patent: US 9,648,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing search results generated by a search engine are described. A first set of member profiles is identified, the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by a searcher. A second set of member profiles is identified, the second set of member profiles having a relationship between a profile of the searcher and each of the second set of member profiles. A subset of the second set of member profiles is selected based on strength of relationships between each of the subset of the second set of member profiles and the first set of member profiles. A portion of each of the first set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface and a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

identifying a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking service;

selecting a subset of the second set of member profiles, the subset of the second set of member profiles corresponding to a subset of the second set of members of the social networking service, the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members; and

communicating a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface and a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of member profiles and the first set of members is greater than a strength of a relationship between each of the other members of the second set of members and the first set of members.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the strength of the relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is based on a number of connections between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a fourth set of member profiles, the fourth set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the fourth set of member profiles not to be communicated to for presentation in the search results user interface.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles includes the number of the connections.

8. A system comprising:

one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to;

identify a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

identify a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking service;

select a subset of the second set of member profiles, the subset of the second set of member profiles corresponding to a subset of the second set of members of the social networking service, the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members; and

communicate a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface and a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of member profiles and the first set of members is greater than a strength of a relationship between each of the other members of the second set of members and the first set of members.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the strength of the relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is based on a number of connections between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query,

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a fourth set of member profiles, the fourth set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the fourth set of member profiles not to be communicated to for presentation in the search results user interface.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles includes the number of the connections.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

identifying a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

identifying a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking service;

selecting a subset of the second set of member profiles, the subset of the second set of member profiles corresponding to a subset of the second set of members of the social networking service, the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles based on a strength of a relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members; and

communicating a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface and a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of member profiles and the first set of members is greater than a strength of a relationship between each of the other members of the second set of members and the first set of members.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the strength of the relationship between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is based on a number of connections between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the strength of the relationship between each of the subset of the second set of members and the first set of members is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a fourth set of member profiles, the fourth set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the fourth set of member profiles not to be communicated to for presentation in the search results user interface.