Digital file distribution in a social network system

• US 9,081,827 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stremel, Jed, Ramakrishnan, Thyagarajapuram S., Slee, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Application Number:
  US14/097,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 709213-216, 709219-219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining a digital file similar to one used by a device associated with a member of a social network are provided. Digital file information about the digital file is stored on a web-based social network database. The digital file may be located on the same server as the web-based social network database or a third party server such as a mobile phone carrier. A user of the web-based social network database requesting the digital file may require a different format of the digital file than that used by the device of the member. If a different format is requested by the user, a server finds or converts the digital file to be compatible for use by a device specified by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing identification information of a first audio or video digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

providing information about the first audio or video digital file to a second user of the social networking system, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

receiving a request from the second user for the first audio or video digital file;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, causing the first audio or video digital file to be sent from a source of the first audio or video digital file to a device of the second user; and

recommending a second audio or video digital file for the second user based at least in part on the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio or video digital file and the second audio or video digital file are selected from the group consisting of a ringtone, a game, and an image file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recommending of the second audio or video digital file is performed by a first server operated by a first party, and wherein a source of the second audio or video digital file is a second server operated by a second party different from the first party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of the first audio or video digital file is a device of the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second audio or video digital file is recommended based at least in part on a characteristic of the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristic comprises demographic information about the second user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristic comprises purchase history about the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second audio or video digital file is recommended based at least in part on information about the requested audio or video digital file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving device information from the device associated with the second user, the device information representing specifications of the device;

storing the device information; and

locating a version of the audio or video digital file compatible with the device based on the device information.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for providing a social networking system, the instructions executed by a processor and causing the processor to:

store identification information of a first audio or video digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

provide information about the first audio or video digital file to a second user of the social networking system, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

receive a request from the second user for the first audio or video digital file;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, cause the first audio or video digital file to be sent from a source of the first audio or video digital file to a device of the second user; and

recommend a second audio or video digital file for the second user based at least in part on the request.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first audio or video digital file and the second audio or video digital file are selected from the group consisting of a ringtone, a game, and an image file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the recommending of the second audio or video digital file is performed by a first server operated by a first party, and wherein a source of the second audio or video digital file is a second server operated by a second party different from the first party.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the source of the first audio or video digital file is a device of the first user.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second audio or video digital file is recommended based at least in part on a characteristic of the second user.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the characteristic comprises demographic information about the second user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the characteristic comprises purchase history about the second user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second audio or video digital file is recommended based at least in part on information about the requested audio or video digital file.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions causing the processor to:

receive device information from the device associated with the second user, the device information representing specifications of the device;

store the device information; and

locate a version of the audio or video digital file compatible with the device based on the device information.

19. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

store identification information of a first audio or video digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

provide information about the first audio or video digital file to a second user of the social networking system, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

receive a request from the second user of the social networking system for the first audio or video digital file;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, cause the first audio or video digital file to be sent from a source of the first audio or video digital file to a device of the second user; and

recommend a second audio or video digital file for the second user based at least in part on the request.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the second audio or video digital file is recommended based at least in part on a characteristic of the second user.