Techniques for ascribing social attributes to content

• US 9,229,900 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blue, Allen, Roslansky, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US14/085,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 707/727
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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

Techniques for ascribing social attributes to content items and for selecting content to display in a content feed are described. According to various embodiments, accessing one or more content items accessible via a network are accessed, each of the content items having received one or more social activity signals. Thereafter, members of an online social network service that submitted the social activity signals may be identified. Member profile data identifying member profile attributes of the members cemented the social activity signals may then be accessed. Thereafter, social attribute information may be generated and associated with each of the content items, the social attribute information identifying the member profile attributes of the members that submitted the social activity signals associated with each of the content items.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

accessing one or more content items accessible via a network, each of the content items having received one or more social activity signals;

identifying members of an online social network service that submitted the social activity signals;

accessing, by a machine including a memory and at least one processor, member profile data identifying one or more member profile attributes of each of the members, the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills received from other members of the online social network service;

generating social attribute information associated with each of the content items, the social attribute information identifying the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills of each of the members that submitted the social activity signals associated with each of the content items;

storing the social attribute information associated with each of the content items in a database in association with each of the content items;

determining that a particular member of the online social network service has logged into the online social network service;

accessing member profile data describing a particular member profile attribute associated with the particular member, the particular member profile attribute corresponding to endorsements of one or more skills of the particular member received from other members of the online social network service;

identifying, based on the social attribute information, a specific one of the content items that has received social activity signals from additional members having a member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member;

displaying the specific content item in a content feed of the online social network service, the content feed being viewable by the particular member; and

displaying a comment in the content feed indicating that the specific content item has been disseminated by the additional members having the member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content item is at least one of a news item, a publication, an article, a blog post, and an advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the social activity signals include views, likes, comments, shares, follows, clicks, conversions, or hover responses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the content items was previously posted on the online social network service, and

wherein the identifying comprises accessing social activity history information associated with the content item that is maintained by the online social network service, the social activity history information describing social activity signals submitted by members of the online social network service in connection with the content item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the content items was previously posted on a website distinct from the online social network service, and

wherein the identifying comprises:

crawling the content item for social activity history information that describes social activity signals submitted by users in connection with the content item; and

identifying members of the social network service having names that match the users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the member profile attributes further include at least one of a seniority level and a company size associated with each of the members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the comment specifies the member profile attribute of the additional members that matches the particular member profile attribute of the particular member.

8. A system comprising:

a machine including a memory and at least one processor;

an identification module, executable by the machine, configured to;

access one or more content items accessible via a network, each of the content items having received one or more social activity signals; and

identify members of an online social network service that submitted the social activity signals;

a social attribute module configured to;

access, by a machine including a memory and at least one processor, member profile data identifying one or more member profile attributes of each of the members, the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills received from other members of the online social network service;

generate social attribute information associated with each of the content items, the social attribute information identifying the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills of each of the members that submitted the social activity signals associated with each of the content items; and

store the social attribute information associated with each of the content items in a database in association with each of the content items; and

a content feed selection module configured to;

determine that a particular member of the online social network service has logged into the online social network service;

access member profile data describing a particular member profile attribute associated with the particular member, the particular member profile attribute corresponding to endorsements of one or more skills of the particular member received from other members of the online social network service;

identify, based on the social attribute information, a specific one of the content items that has received social activity signals from members having a member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member;

display the specific content item in a content feed of the online social network service, the content feed being viewable by the particular member; and

display a comment in the content feed indicating that the specific content item has been disseminated by the members having the member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the content item is at least one of a news item, a publication, an article, a blog post, and an advertisement.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the social activity signals include views, likes, comments, shares, follows, clicks, conversions, or hover responses.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the content items was previously posted on the online social network service, and

wherein the identifying comprises:

accessing social activity history information associated with the content item that is maintained by the online social network service, the social activity history information describing social activity signals submitted by members of the online social network service in connection with the content item.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the content items was previously posted on a website distinct from the online social network service, and

wherein the identifying comprises:

crawling the content item for social activity history information that describes social activity signals submitted by users in connection with the content item; and

identifying members of the social network service having names that match the users.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing one or more content items accessible via a network, each of the content items having received one or more social activity signals;

identifying members of an online social network service that submitted the social activity signals;

accessing, by a machine including a memory and at least one processor, member profile data identifying one or more member profile attributes of each of the members, the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills received from other members of the online social network service;

generating social attribute information associated with each of the content items, the social attribute information identifying the member profile attributes including endorsements of one or more skills of each of the members that submitted the social activity signals associated with each of the content items;

storing the social attribute information associated with each of the content items in a database in association with each of the content items;

determining that a particular member of the online social network service has logged into the online social network service;

accessing member profile data describing a particular member profile attribute associated with the particular member, the particular member profile attribute corresponding to endorsements of one or more skills of the particular member received from other members of the online social network service;

identifying, based on the social attribute information, a specific one of the content items that has received social activity signals from additional members having a member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member;

displaying the specific content item in a content feed of the online social network service, the content feed being viewable by the particular member; and

displaying a comment in the content feed indicating that the specific content item has been disseminated by the additional members having the member profile attribute matching the particular member profile attribute of the particular member.