Suggesting search results to users before receiving any search query from the users

• US 9,268,857 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael Dudley, Patterson, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEEMA, AZAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/191,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• 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: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

In one embodiment, in response to a user accessing a search tool and before the user submitting any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, compiling a first set of search results based on information known about the user and presenting the first set of search results to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by one or more processors associated with a social-networking system of an online social network:

receiving, from a client device of a user, an indication of the user accessing a search tool at the client device of the user, the indication being received before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, wherein the user is a member of the online social network;

in response to receiving the indication of the user accessing the search tool, compiling for presentation to the user a set of search results based on information known about the user stored by the social-networking system, the search results being compiled before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, each search result being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the search result, each call-to-action element being a user-interface element that prompts an action from the user to initiate a particular function or process related to the search result via the social-networking system; and

sending, to the client device of the user, the set of search results with the call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their corresponding search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information known about the user comprises the user'"'"'s demographical data, social connections, interests, hobbies, past actions, behavior patterns, and calendar entries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search results is compiled further based on a time when the user accesses the search tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of search results is compiled further based on a location where the user accesses the search tool.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the set of search results based on the information known about the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising for each of one or more search results from the set of search results:

identifying the one or more call-to-action elements applicable to each search result of the set of search results based on the information known about the user;

ranking the call-to-action elements based a suitability of the call-to-action element to the search result and further based on at least one relationship in the online social network between the user and another user associated with the search result; and

presenting the one or more call-to-action elements as ranked with the applicable search result.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search query submitted by the user to the search tool;

identifying a new set of search results in response to the search query; and

presenting the new set of search results to the user, replacing the set of search results.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the set of search results comprises:

associating at least one top-ranked call-to-action element with the search result.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that is likely to be performed by the user with respect to the search result.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that is convenient for the user to perform with respect to the search result.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the call-to-action elements corresponds to an action that the social-networking system encourages the user to perform with respect to the search result.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a graph data structure comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, wherein the user corresponds to a first node of the plurality of nodes, and wherein the one or more search results correspond to one or more second nodes, respectively, of the plurality of nodes.

13. A social-networking system of an online social network, the social-networking system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive, from a client device of a user, an indication of the user accessing a search tool at the client device of the user, the indication being received before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, wherein the user is a member of the online social network;

in response to receiving the indication of the user accessing the search tool, compile for presentation to the user a set of search results based on information known about the user stored by the social-networking system, the search results being compiled before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, each search result being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the search result, each call-to-action element being a user-interface element that prompts an action from the user to initiate a particular function or process related to the search result via the social-networking system; and

send, to the client device of the user, the set of search results with the call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their corresponding search results.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information known about the user comprises the user'"'"'s demographical data, social connections, interests, hobbies, past actions, behavior patterns, and calendar entries.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the set of search results is compiled further based on a time when the user accesses the search tool.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the set of search results is compiled further based on a location where the user accesses the search tool.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to rank the set of search results based on the information known about the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to, for each of one or more search results from the set of search results:

identify the one or more call-to-action elements applicable to each search result of the set of search results based on the information known about the user;

rank the call-to-action elements based a suitability of the call-to-action element to the search result and further based on at least one relationship in the online social network between the user and another user associated with the search result; and

present the one or more call-to-action elements as ranked with the applicable search result.

19. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed by a social-networking system of an online social network:

receive, from a client device of a user, an indication of the user accessing a search tool at the client device of the user, the indication being received before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, wherein the user is a member of the online social network;

in response to receiving the indication of the user accessing the search tool, compile for presentation to the user a set of search results based on information known about the user stored by the social-networking system, the search results being compiled before the user inputs any search query or portion thereof to the search tool, each search result being associated with one or more call-to-action elements applicable to the search result, each call-to-action element being a user-interface element that prompts an action from the user to initiate a particular function or process related to the search result via the social-networking system; and

send, to the client device of the user, the set of search results with the call-to-action elements for presentation to the user, wherein the call-to-action elements are presented to the user in proximity to their corresponding search results.