User configuration file for access control for embedded resources

• US 8,443,081 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tiu, William K., Roberto, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/178,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/225, 709/229, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications

Abstract

Multimedia content is featured on user pages of an online social network using embed codes that are generated using a configuration file associated with the source ID for the multimedia content and a content ID for the multimedia content. The configuration file, the source ID and the content ID are stored locally by the online social network so that any changes to the embed codes can be made by changing the configuration file associated with the source and regenerating the embed codes. By managing multimedia content in this manner, greater control can be exercised by the online social network over the multimedia content that are featured on its user pages.

Claims

1. A system comprising,

one or more data stores storing a content identifier associated with an item of digital content and a source identifier associated with a third party source of the item of digital content, wherein the source identifier maps to configuration data;

wherein the configuration data specifies embed code and has a variable field into which a content identifier is inserted;

a processing unit programmed to;

responsive to a request for a web page including the item of digital content embedded therein, generating embed code for the item of digital content using the configuration data associated with the third party source and the content identifier;

generate the web page including the embed code, the embed code operative to cause a client application to retrieve the item of digital content from the third party source; and

control access to the item of digital content via the web page by modifying the configuration data to block access to the item of digital content via the web page, or flagging the source identifier and the content identifier to prevent generation of the embed code for the item of digital content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the embed code comprises a domain name associated with the third party source, and wherein the processing unit is further programmed to insert the content identifier of the item of digital content into the variable field and insert the embed code in the web page.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the item of digital content is a digital video.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the embed code comprises HTML code.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the content identifier and the source identifier are associated with an identifier corresponding to the web page in response to interaction by a user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the identifier for the web page is a user identifier corresponding to a user.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the web page is a profile page associated with the user.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is further programmed to:

receive, from a user, a selection of a second item of digital content hosted by a second third party source to add to a second web page; and

add a content identifier for the second item of content and a source identifier for the second third party source to the data store in association with an identifier corresponding to the second web page.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processing unit is further programmed to:

authenticate the user prior to adding the content identifier and the source identifier to the data structure.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the processing unit is further programmed to:

generate a second configuration file that maps to the source identifier for the second third party source, wherein the second configuration file specifies embed code and has a variable field into which a content identifier is inserted.

11. A method comprising,

identifier associated with a third party source of the item of digital content, wherein the source identifier maps to a configuration file;

responsive to a request for a web page including the item of digital content embedded therein, generating an embed code for the item of digital content using the configuration file associated with the third party source, wherein the configuration file specifies embed code and has a variable field into which a content identifier is inserted;

generating the web page including the embed code, the embed code operative to cause a client application to retrieve the item of digital content from the third party source; and

controlling access to the item of digital content via the web page by modifying the configuration file to block access to the item of digital content via the web page, or flagging the source identifier and the content identifier to prevent generation of the embed code for the item of digital content the configuration file to block access to the item of digital content via the web page.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the embed code comprises a domain name associated with the third party source, and wherein generating the embed code comprises inserting the content identifier of the item of digital content into the variable field;

and inserting the embed code in the web page.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the item of digital content is a digital video.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the embed code comprises HTML code.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the content identifier and the source identifier are associated with an identifier corresponding to the web page in response to interaction by a user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the identifier for the web page is a user identifier corresponding to a user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the web page is a profile page associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising

receiving, from a user, a selection of a second item of digital content hosted by a second third party source to add to a second web page;

and

adding a content identifier for the second item of content and a source identifier for the second third party source to a data structure in association with an identifier corresponding to the second web page.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising authenticating the user prior to adding the content identifier and the source identifier to the data structure.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising generating a second configuration file that maps to the source identifier for the second third party source, wherein the second configuration file specifies embed code and has a variable field into which a content identifier is inserted.

21. A system comprising,

one or more data stores storing content identifiers associated with respective items of digital content and source identifiers associated with respective third party sources of the items of digital content, wherein the source identifiers map to corresponding configuration files;

wherein each configuration file specifies embed code and has a variable field into which a content identifier is inserted;

a processing unit programmed to;

responsive to a request for a web page including a first item of digital content embedded therein, generating embed code for the first item of digital content using the configuration file associated with the third party source and the content identifier for the item of digital content;

generate the web page including the embed code, the embed code operative to cause a client application to retrieve the first item of digital content from the third party source; and

control access to selected ones of the items of digital content via web pages provided by the system by modifying the configuration files associated with the selected ones of the items of digital content to block access, or flaging the corresponding source identifiers and the content identifiers to prevent generation of embed code for the selected ones of the items of digital content.