Method of recommending content via social signals

• US 9,240,020 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Channell, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US12/861,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0278 Product appraisal
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method for recommending content via social signals is provided. Two different content sets having content objects that have content-identifying information are received from separate content providers. Social graph information is received from a service provider. A portion of the first content set and a portion of the second content set are aggregated based at least in part on the social graph information, thereby generating a third content set.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first content set from a first content provider, wherein the first content set comprises at least one or more content objects having content-identifying information;

receiving a second content set from a second content provider, wherein the second content set comprises at least one or more content objects having content-identifying information;

receiving first social graph information from a first service provider, wherein the first social graph information identifies one or more users associated with a first user via the first service provider and the first social graph information includes one or more of;

a separation metric that indicates that a second user is two or more degrees-of-separation away from the first user; and

a group identifier that indicates that the second user is a member of a particular group associated with the first service provider;

determining that the second user identified in the first social graph information has performed a first action associated with a first content object in the first content set;

selecting, for inclusion in a third content set for the first user, at least a portion of the first content set and at least a portion of the second content set, wherein the selection is performed based at least in part on an identity of the first user and the first social graph information received from the first service provider;

wherein said selecting includes selecting the first content item for inclusion in the third content set;

based at least in part on the first action, determining a position in the third content set for the first content object;

wherein the position is further determined based, at least in part, on the group identifier or the separation metric; and

sending, to a client computing device that is associated with the first user, data that is based on the third content set;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first social graph information includes a first user weighting metric associated with the second user, the method further comprising:

determining the position in the third content set for the first content object based at least in part on the first user weighting metric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action comprises one or more of:

(a) generating the first content object;

(b) recommending the first content object;

(c) flagging the first content object;

(d) reviewing the first content object;

(e) viewing the first content object;

(f) posting a link to the first content object; and

(g) posting content that is related to the first content object;

wherein when the first action comprises posting first content that is related to the first content object, the method further comprises;

determining that the first content includes a first link alias that is associated with a first link, wherein the first link is a link to the first content object;

determining a distribution metric associated with the first link alias, wherein the distribution metric indicates the popularity of the first link alias; and

based at least in part on the distribution metric, determining the position in the third content set for the first content object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a third user, identified in second social graph information received from a second service provider, has performed a second action associated with a second content object in the second content set; and

based at least in part on the second action, determining a position in the third content set for the first content object.

5. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform:

receiving a first content set from a first content provider, wherein the first content set comprises at least one or more content objects having content-identifying information;

receiving a second content set from a second content provider, wherein the second content set comprises at least one or more content objects having content-identifying information;

determining that a second user identified in a first social graph information has performed a first action associated with a first content object in the first content set;

receiving the first social graph information from a first service provider, wherein the first social graph information identifies one or more users associated with a first user via the first service provider and the first social graph information includes one or more of;

a separation metric that indicates that the second user is two or more degrees-of-separation away from the first user; and

a group identifier that indicates that the second user is a member of a particular group associated with the first service provider;

selecting, for inclusion in a third content set for the first user, at least a portion of the first content set and at least a portion of the second content set, wherein the selection is performed based at least in part on an identity of the first user and the first social graph information received from the first service provider;

wherein said selecting includes selecting the first content item for inclusion in the third content set; and

based at least in part on the first action, determining a position in the third content set for the first content object;

wherein the position is further determined based, at least in part, on the group identifier or the separation metric.

6. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first social graph information includes a first user weighting metric associated with the second user, and the instructions further include instructions for:

determining the position in the third content set for the first content object based at least in part on the first user weighting metric.

7. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 5, wherein the first action comprises one or more of:

(a) generating the first content object;

(b) recommending the first content object;

(c) flagging the first content object;

(d) reviewing the first content object;

(e) viewing the first content object;

(f) posting a link to the first content object; and

(g) posting content that is related to the first content object;

wherein when the first action comprises posting first content that is related to the first content object, the instructions further include instructions for;

determining that the first content includes a first link alias that is associated with a first link, wherein the first link is a link to the first content object;

determining a distribution metric associated with the first link alias, wherein the distribution metric indicates the popularity of the first link alias; and

based at least in part on the distribution metric, determining the position in the third content set for the first content object.

8. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instructions further include instructions for:

determining that a third user, identified in second social graph information received from a second service provider, has performed a second action associated with a second content object in the second content set; and

based at least in part on the second action, determining a position in the third content set for the first content object.