Social network application programming interface

• US 8,347,322 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Nathan, Graham, M. Ian, Talapatra, Shantanu, Dale, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing
• Application Number:
  US13/077,394
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with multiple social networks, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, the social networking application being independent of a social networking service;

determining that the call is to be translated at a location local to the social networking application as opposed to a location remote from the social networking application; and

based on the determination that the translation is to be handled at the location local to the social networking application;

translating, at the location local to the social networking application, the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, the translating done using at least one computer processor; and

passing the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second call from the social networking application for another of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

translating the second call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the second call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating the call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is made based upon at least one of:

a predefined list of social networking functions to be handled at the location local to the social networking application, the second format, and a parameter sent along with the call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second call from the social networking application for another of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

determining that the second call is to be handled remotely;

sending the second call over a network to a remote translation module, the remote translation module translating the second call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the second call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a call to determine the connections associated with a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a call to send a message to connections associated with a user.

8. A system for interfacing with multiple social networks comprising:

at least one computer processor;

a social networking application configured to utilize a plurality of social networking functions, the social networking application being independent of a social networking service; and

a translation module implemented on the at least one computer processor and configured to;

receive a call from the social networking application for one of the plurality of social networking functions in a first format;

determine that the call is to be translated at a location local to the social networking application as opposed to a location remote from the social networking application; and

based on the determination that the translation is to be handled at the location local to the social networking application

translate, at the location local to the social networking application, the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

pass the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a second translation module implemented by the at least one computer processor, the second translation module configured to:

receive a second call from the social networking application for one of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

translate the call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

pass the call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second translation module is loaded by the social networking application only if a user is associated with the second social network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the translation module is further configured to determine that the call is to be handled at the location local to the social networking application based upon at least one of:

a predefined list of social networking functions to be handled locally, the second format, and a parameter sent along with the call.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a second translation module configured to;

receive a second call from the social networking application for another of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

determine that the second call is to be handled remotely;

send the second call over a network to a remote translation module, the remote translation module translating the second call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the second call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the call is a call to determine the connections associated with a user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the social application sends the call in the first format by using PHP:

Hypertext Preprocessor.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the call is a call to send a message to connections associated with a user.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the translation module is implemented on a social networking application service;

and

wherein the social networking application is implemented in a user terminal and sends the call in the first format to the translation module over a network.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores instructions which when performed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a call from a social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, the social networking application being independent of a social networking service;

determining that the call is to be translated at a location local to the social networking application as opposed to a location remote from the social networking application; and

based on the determination that the translation is to be handled at the location local to the social networking application;

translating, at the location local to the social networking application, the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions, which when performed by the computer, cause the computer to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a second call from the social networking application for another of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

translating the second call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the second call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions, which when performed by the computer, cause the computer to perform operations further comprising:

translating the call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the determination is made based upon at least one of:

a predefined list of social networking functions to be handled locally, the second format, and a parameter sent along with the call.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions, which when performed by the computer, cause the computer to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a second call from the social networking application for another of the plurality of social networking functions in the first format;

determining that the second call is to be handled remotely;

sending the second call over a network to a remote translation module, the remote translation module translating the second call in the first format to a call in a third format, the third format being one of the plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats; and

passing the second call in the third format to a second social networking service by utilizing a second social networking service application programming interface.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the call is a call to determine the connections associated with a user.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the call is a call to send a message to connections associated with a user.