Inferring demographics for website members

• US 8,504,507 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Srinivasaiah, Manjunath
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seck, Ababacar
• Application Number:
  US13/289,909
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing content based on an estimated actual age. A set of related members is identified for a first member of a social networking website. Each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website. Age information for members in the set of related members in the set of related members is examined. When a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, an actual age of the first member is estimated based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members. Content is provided to the first member based on the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age. Techniques for performing a sentiment analysis based on an estimated actual age are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing content based on an estimated actual age, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, a set of related members for a first member, wherein the first member and each member in the set of related members are members of a social networking website, and wherein each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website;

examining, by the computer, age information associated with one or more members in the set of related members;

when a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, estimating, by the computer, an actual age of the first member based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members; and

providing, by the computer, content to the first member based on the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing inappropriate content from being provided to the first member, based on the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age in a sentiment analysis application to determine which content to provide to the first member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes one or more of:

advertisements and messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing content to the first member includes displaying the content to the first member on a display of a computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold number includes one or more of:

a minimum number of related members in the set of related members, and a minimum fraction of the related members in the set of related members.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the estimated actual age for the first member in estimating an actual age for a related member in the set of related members who has not declared an actual age.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

examining educational information provided by the first member; and

estimating the first member'"'"'s actual age based on the educational information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the estimated actual age derived from the related members'"'"' information with the estimated actual age derived from the educational information to provide a more accurate estimate of the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

10. A computer system operable to provide content based on an estimated actual age, the system comprising:

a communications device operable to exchange information over a communications network;

a memory storing program instructions to be executed by a processor; and

a processor operable to communicate with the communications device and the memory and to read and execute the program instructions from the memory to perform the following operations;

identifying a set of related members for a first member, wherein the first member and each member in the set of related members are members of a social networking website, and wherein each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website;

examining age information associated with one or more members in the set of related members in the set of related members;

when a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, estimating an actual age of the first member based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members; and

providing content to the first member based on the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to read and execute the program instructions from the memory to perform the following operation:

preventing inappropriate content from being provided to the first member, based on the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the content includes one or more of:

advertisements and messages.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the threshold number includes one or more of:

a minimum number of related members in the set of related members, and a minimum fraction of the related members in the set of related members.

14. A computer-implemented method for performing a sentiment analysis based on an estimated actual age, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computer, a set of related members for a first member, wherein the first member and each member in the set of related members are members of a social networking website, and wherein each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website;

examining, by the computer, age information associated with one or more members in the set of related members in the set of related members;

when a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, estimating, by the computer, an actual age of the first member based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members; and

using, by the computer, the member'"'"'s estimated actual age as an input to a sentiment analysis application for determining sentiments for a demographic that includes the member'"'"'s age range.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sentiment analysis pertains to sentiments about one or more of:

events, policies, products, companies, and people.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing content to the first member based at least in part on the results from the sentiment analysis application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the content includes one or more of:

advertisements and messages.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein providing content to the first member includes displaying the content to the first member on a display of a computing device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold number includes one or more of:

a minimum number of related members in the set of related members, and a minimum fraction of the related members in the set of related members.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

using the estimated actual age for the first member in estimating an actual age for a related member in the set of related members who has not declared an actual age.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

examining educational information provided by the first member; and

estimating the first member'"'"'s actual age based on the educational information.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing the estimated actual age derived from the related members'"'"' information with the estimated actual age derived from the educational information to provide a more accurate estimate of the first member'"'"'s estimated actual age.

23. A computer program product, for performing a sentiment analysis based on an estimated actual age, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code comprising instructions to cause a computer to perform the following operations;

identifying a set of related members for a first member, wherein the first member and each member in the set of related members are members of a social networking website, and wherein each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website;

examining age information associated with one or more members in the set of related members in the set of related members;

when a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, estimating an actual age of the first member based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members; and

using the member'"'"'s estimated actual age as an input to a sentiment analysis application for determining sentiments for a demographic that includes the member'"'"'s age range.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the sentiment analysis pertains to sentiments about one or more of:

events, policies, products, companies, and people.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising instructions to cause a computer to perform the following operation:

providing content to the first member based at least in part on the results from the sentiment analysis application.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the threshold number includes one or more of:

a minimum number of related members in the set of related members, and a minimum fraction of the related members in the set of related members.