Personalized structured search queries for online social networks

• US 8,751,521 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Yofay Kari, Cohen, Michael Benjamin, Boucher, Maxime, Azzolini, Alisson Gusatti, Li, Xiao, Rasmussen, Lars Eilstrup
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US13/556,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 707/722, 707/727, 707/728, 707/732, 707/769, 707/784, 707/798, 707/802
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving an text query, identifying nodes and edges from a social graph that correspond to character strings from the text query, and then generating recommended queries that include references to the identified nodes and edges.

Claims

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

accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising;

a first-user node corresponding to a first user associated with an online social network; and

one or more second-user nodes that each correspond to a second user associated with the online social network, each of the second-user nodes being within a threshold degree of separation from the first-user node;

receiving from the first user a text query comprising one or more character strings;

identifying one or more of the second-user nodes, each of the identified second-user node corresponding to one or more of the character strings;

identifying one or more of the edges, each of the identified edges being connected to one of the second-user nodes, and each of the identified edges corresponding to one or more of the character strings; and

generating one or more recommended queries that each comprise references to one or more of the identified second-user nodes and one or more of the identified edges.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the first user a selection of one of the recommended queries.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating search results corresponding to the selection of one of the recommended queries, the search results comprising references to one or more of the identified second-user nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more of the second-user nodes comprises, for each character string:

determining for each of the second-user nodes whether the second-user node matches the character string; and

identifying each second-user node that matches the character string.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each character strings comprises one or more characters of text entered by the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold degree of separation is one degree of separation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting one or more of the recommended queries to the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each node of the plurality of nodes is associated with a structured document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the structured document is a webpage.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the structured document is a social-networking profile associated with the user corresponding to the node.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

access a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising;

a first-user node corresponding to a first user associated with an online social network; and

one or more second-user nodes that each correspond to a second user associated with the online social network, each of the second-user nodes being within a threshold degree of separation from the first-user node;

receive from the first user a text query comprising one or more character strings;

identify one or more of the second-user nodes, each of the identified second-user node corresponding to one or more of the character strings;

identify one or more of the edges, each of the identified edges being connected to one of the second-user nodes, and each of the identified edges corresponding to one or more of the character strings; and

generate one or more recommended queries that each comprise references to one or more of the identified second-user nodes and one or more of the identified edges.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to receive from the first user a selection of one of the recommended queries.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to generate search results corresponding to the selection of one of the recommended queries, the search results comprising references to one or more of the identified second-user nodes.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein to identify one or more of the second-user nodes comprises, for each character string to:

determining for each of the second-user nodes whether the second-user node matches the character string; and

identifying each second-user node that matches the character string.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein each character strings comprises one or more characters of text entered by the first user.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold degree of separation is one degree of separation.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to transmit one or more of the recommended queries to the first user.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein each node of the plurality of nodes is associated with a structured document.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the structured document is a webpage.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the structured document is a social-networking profile associated with the user corresponding to the node.