Method of ranking search results presented to a user of a social network site

• US 8,849,786 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Customerforce.com
• Original Assignee: Customerforce.com
• Inventors: Ebanks, Gordon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US13/230,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 707706-710, 707/723, 707748-749
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Method of presenting search results to a user of a social network site on the Internet, in which each user of the social network site has a user profile with information regarding the user, includes obtaining content items satisfying a search of information on the Internet by a first user. The content items are ranked as a function of the information in the user profile of the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profile of the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profile of the first user. The content items according to ranking are then transferred to a display of the first user via the Internet such that higher ranked content items are displayed on the display prior to lower ranked content items being displayed on the display.

Claims

1. A method of presenting search results to a user of a social network site on the Internet, wherein users of the social network site each have a user profile with information regarding the user, wherein the user profile of each user includes information identifying other users of the social network site who the user trusts, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a server hosting the social network site on the Internet, the user profiles of users of the social network site;

obtaining, by the server, content items other than any of the user profiles satisfying a search of information on the Internet other than the social network site by a first user of the social network site, wherein the first user has a user profile with information regarding the first user including information identifying other users of the social network site who the first user trusts;

ranking, by the server, the content items as a function of the information in the user profile of the first user and the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the users trusted by the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profile of the first user and the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the users trusted by the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profile of the first user and the information in the user profiles of the users trusted by the users trusted by the first user; and

transferring from the server to a display of the first user via the Internet the content items according to the ranking such that higher ranked content items are displayed on the display prior to lower ranked content items being displayed on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an interest of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same interest as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same interest as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different interest than the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a group membership of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same group membership as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same group membership as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different group membership than the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an occupation of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same occupation as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same occupation as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different occupation than the first user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a gender of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same gender as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same gender as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different gender than the first user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a marital status of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same marital status as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same marital status as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different marital status than the first user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an age of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having a similar age as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a similar age as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a dissimilar age than the first user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes information identifying an employer of the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same employer as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same employer as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different employer than the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes information identifying other users known by the user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users known by the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users known by the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profiles of the users known by the first user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of popularity with the users of the social network site such that the content items which are popular with the users are ranked higher than the content items which are not popular with the users.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the user profile of the first user includes information identifying at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user, wherein:

ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function the information in the user profile of the first user such that the content items which are related to at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user.

12. A method of presenting search results to a user of a social network site on the Internet, wherein users of the social network site each have a user profile with information regarding the user and information identifying other users who are associated with the user, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a server hosting the social network site on the Internet, the user profiles of users of the social network site;

obtaining, by the server, content items other than any of the user profiles satisfying a search of information on the Internet other than the social network site by a first user of the social network site, wherein the first user has a user profile with information regarding the first user including information identifying other users of the social network site who are associated with the first user;

ranking, by the server, the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of the users associated with the users who are associated with the first user such that the content items which are related to the information regarding the users associated with the users associated with the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information regarding the users associated with the users associated with the first user; and

transferring from the server to a display of the first user via the Internet the content items according to the ranking such that higher ranked content items are displayed on the display prior to lower ranked content items being displayed on the display.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

users who are associated with the first user include users known by the first user.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

users who are associated with the first user include users having the same occupation as the first user.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

users who are associated with the first user include users having the same interests or hobbies as the first user.