Social network application programming interface

• US 8,984,541 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Brown, Nathan, Graham, M. Ian, Talapatra, Shantanu, Dale, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Qing
• Application Number:
  US13/735,669
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a function call of a social networking application, the social networking application independent of a social networking service and the function call formatted according to a social networking service agnostic application programming interface (API);

determining a set of social networking service specific APIs that are a target of the function call based in part on;

selecting, using a multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service specific APIs based on a parameter included in the function call;

converting, using at least one processor, the function call from the social networking agnostic API to a function call compatible with a subset of the set of social networking specific APIs; and

executing the converted function call using the subset of social networking services specific APIs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving arguments with the function call; and

wherein the converting the function call includes mapping the arguments from the social networking service agnostic API to a social networking specific API.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call comprises:

determining that the set of social networking services includes at least two social networking services.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call comprises:

selecting, using the multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service APIs based on having session information available for the social networking service specific API.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing the function call to a remote translator for a social networking service specific API not in the subset of social networking service specific APIs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the received function call; and

transmitting an error message to the social networking application when the function call is determined to be invalid.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a function call of a social networking application, the social networking application independent of a social networking service and the function call formatted according to a social networking service agnostic application programming interface (API);

determining a set of social networking service specific APIs that are a target of the function call based in part on;

selecting, using a multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service specific APIs based on a parameter included in the function call;

converting the function call from the social networking agnostic API to a function call compatible with a subset of the set of social networking specific APIs; and

executing the converted function call using the subset of social networking services specific APIs.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving arguments with the function call; and

wherein the converting the function call includes mapping the arguments from the social networking service agnostic API to a social networking specific API.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions which configure the at least one processor to determine the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call comprise:

determining that the set of social networking services includes at least two social networking services.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions which configure the at least one processor to determine the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call comprise:

selecting, using the multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service APIs based on having session information available for the social networking service specific API.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

passing the function call to a remote translator for a social networking service specific API not in the subset of social networking service specific APIs.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

validating the received function call; and

transmitting an error message to the social networking application when the function call is determined to be invalid.

13. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor configure the processor to;

receive a function call of a social networking application, the social networking application independent of a social networking service and the function call formatted according to a social networking service agnostic application programming interface (API);

determine a set of social networking service specific APIs that are a target of the function call based in part on a selecting, using a multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service specific APIs based on a parameter included in the function call;

convert the function call from the social networking agnostic API to a function call compatible with a subset of the set of social networking specific APIs; and

execute the converted function call using the subset of social networking services specific APIs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive arguments with the function call; and

wherein the converting the function call includes mapping the arguments from the social networking service agnostic API to a social networking specific API.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein when the processor is configured to determine the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call, the processor is configured to:

determine that the set of social networking services includes at least two social networking services.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein when the processor is configured to determine the set of social networking service specific APIs that are the target of the function call, the processor is configured to:

select, using the multiplexor, a social networking service specific API to be included in the set of social networking service APIs based on having session information available for the social networking service specific API.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

pass the function call to a remote translator for a social networking service specific API not in the subset of social networking service specific APIs.