Sponsored-stories-unit creation from organic activity stream

• US 8,655,987 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schoen, Kent, Li, Ning, Jin, Robert Kang Xing, Gronski, Jessica, Walke, Jordan, Giovanola, Eric Michel, Zigoris, Phillip Anastasios
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN, FRANTZ B
• Application Number:
  US13/488,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 709/219, 709/231, 455/3.01, 455/66.1, 455/518
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a bid to display in a predetermined area of a web page an organic-activity-stream entry matching particular story characteristics. The bid includes a bid amount and one or more targeting criteria. The method includes, n response to identifying an organic-activity-stream entry as matching the story characteristics, providing for display the organic-activity-stream entry in a predetermined area of a web page based at least in part on the bid amount and targeting criteria.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by one or more computing systems:

receiving a bid to display an organic-activity-stream entry matching particular story characteristics, the bid comprising a bid amount and one or more targeting criteria;

receiving a stream-sponsored-story-specification to define the particular story characteristics, the stream-sponsored-story-specification comprising at least one of an entity and an action type;

monitoring an activity stream for actions that match the stream-sponsored-story-specification, the activity stream comprising actions performed by users of a social networking system;

identifying an organic-activity-stream entry in the activity stream as matching the story characteristics defined by the stream-sponsored-story-specification; and

providing for display the organic-activity-stream entry based at least in part on the bid amount and targeting criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bid amount comprises an amount a sponsor will pay based on a number of times an organic-activity-stream entry identified as matching the story characteristics is provided for display in a predetermined area of a web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bid amount comprises an amount a sponsor will pay based on a number of times an organic-activity-stream entry identified as matching the story characteristics is clicked on by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeting criteria comprises a filter to apply to fields of profiles of users of a social-networking system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeting criteria comprises a filter to apply to social-networking-system profiles of users of a social-networking system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the filter is applied to explicit information in the social-networking-system profiles of the users of the social-networking system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein explicit information in a social-networking-system profile of a user of the social-networking system comprises:

information expressly entered by the user into the social-networking-system profile;

actions by the user within the social-networking system;

connections of the user within the social-networking system to other entities on the social-networking system, one or more of the entities comprising other users of the social-networking system.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the filter is applied to implicit information from the social-networking-system profiles of the users of the social-networking system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein implicit information from a social-networking-system profile of a first user of the social-networking system comprises an inference from explicit information in a social-networking-system profile of a second user of the social-networking system connected to the first user within the social-networking system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry identified as matching the story characteristics is provided for display through a notification or on a third-party website.

11. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed by one or more computing devices to:

receive a bid to display an organic-activity-stream entry matching particular story characteristics, the bid comprising a bid amount and one or more targeting criteria;

receive a stream-sponsored-story-specification to define the particular story characteristics, the stream-sponsored-story-specification comprising at least one of an entity and an action type;

monitor an activity stream for actions that match the stream-sponsored-story-specification, the activity stream comprising actions performed by users of a social networking system;

identify an organic-activity-stream entry in the activity stream as matching the story characteristics defined by the stream-sponsored-story-specification; and

provide for display the organic-activity-stream entry based at least in part on the bid amount and targeting criteria.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the bid amount comprises an amount a sponsor will pay based on a number of times an organic-activity-stream entry identified as matching the story characteristics is provided for display in a predetermined area of a web page.

13. The media of claim 11, wherein the bid amount comprises an amount a sponsor will pay based on a number of times an organic-activity-stream entry identified as matching the story characteristics is clicked on by a user.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the targeting criteria comprises a filter to apply to fields of profiles of users of a social-networking system.

15. The media of claim 11, wherein the targeting criteria comprises a filter to apply to social-networking-system profiles of users of a social-networking system.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the filter is applied to explicit information in the social-networking-system profiles of the users of the social-networking system.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein explicit information in a social-networking-system profile of a user of the social-networking system comprises:

information expressly entered by the user into the social-networking-system profile;

actions by the user within the social-networking system;

connections of the user within the social-networking system to other entities on the social-networking system, one or more of the entities comprising other users of the social-networking system.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the filter is applied to implicit information from the social-networking-system profiles of the users of the social-networking system.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein implicit information from a social-networking-system profile of a first user of the social-networking system comprises an inference from explicit information in a social-networking-system profile of a second user of the social-networking system connected to the first user within the social-networking system.

20. The media of claim 11, wherein the entry identified as matching the story characteristics is provided for display through a notification or on a third-party website.

21. A system comprising:

means for receiving a bid to display an organic-activity-stream entry matching particular story characteristics, the bid comprising a bid amount and one or more targeting criteria;

means for receiving a stream-sponsored-story-specification to define the particular story characteristics, the stream-sponsored-story-specification comprising at least one of an entity and an action type;

means for monitoring an activity stream for actions that match the stream-sponsored-story-specification, the activity stream comprising actions performed by users of a social networking system;

means for identifying an organic-activity-stream entry in the activity stream as matching the story characteristics defined by the stream-sponsored-story-specification; and

means for providing for display the organic-activity-stream entry based at least in part on the bid amount and targeting criteria.