Inferring target clusters based on social connections
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a selection of an attribute shared by a subset of users of an online social networking system;
determining a seed cluster comprising the subset of users sharing the selected attribute;
retrieving a primary connection of a seed user from the seed cluster, the primary connection connected to the seed user in the online social networking system;
determining from stored information about the primary connection whether the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute;
responsive to a determination that the retrieved primary connection does not exhibit the selected attribute, retrieving a plurality of secondary connections of the seed user in the online social networking system;
determining that one or more of the plurality of secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute;
responsive to a determination that a threshold number of the one or more secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute, inferring, by a processor, that the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute;
updating the stored information to associate the selected attribute with the retrieved primary connection that was determined to not be exhibited by the primary connection; and
storing information defining a targeting cluster of users as users of the online social networking system who share the selected attribute, where the targeting cluster comprises the seed cluster of users and the primary connection associated with the selected attribute.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seed cluster comprising a group of users who share a particular attribute and/or affiliation is determined by a social networking system. For each user of the seed cluster, other users and/or entities connected to the user in the social networking system are retrieved. For each retrieved other user or entity, the social networking system may determine whether the other user or entity exhibits the attribute or affiliation based on a random walk algorithm. A resulting targeting cluster of users and/or entities may be used for targeting advertisements targeting to members. A social networking system may also infer an affiliation for a user based on the user'"'"'s interaction with a page, application, or entity where other users who interacted with the same page, application, or entity have the same affiliation.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a selection of an attribute shared by a subset of users of an online social networking system; determining a seed cluster comprising the subset of users sharing the selected attribute; retrieving a primary connection of a seed user from the seed cluster, the primary connection connected to the seed user in the online social networking system; determining from stored information about the primary connection whether the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute; responsive to a determination that the retrieved primary connection does not exhibit the selected attribute, retrieving a plurality of secondary connections of the seed user in the online social networking system; determining that one or more of the plurality of secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute; responsive to a determination that a threshold number of the one or more secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute, inferring, by a processor, that the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute; updating the stored information to associate the selected attribute with the retrieved primary connection that was determined to not be exhibited by the primary connection; and storing information defining a targeting cluster of users as users of the online social networking system who share the selected attribute, where the targeting cluster comprises the seed cluster of users and the primary connection associated with the selected attribute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by a server system, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
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receiving a selection of an attribute shared by a subset of users of an online social networking system; determining a seed cluster comprising the subset of users sharing the selected attribute; retrieving a primary connection of a seed user from the seed cluster, the primary connection connected to the seed user in the online social networking system; determining from stored information about the primary connection whether the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute; responsive to a determination that the retrieved primary connection does not exhibit the selected attribute, retrieving a plurality of secondary connections of the seed user in the online social networking system; determining that one or more of the plurality of secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute; responsive to a determination that a threshold number of the one or more secondary connections exhibit the selected attribute, inferring, by a processor, that the retrieved primary connection exhibits the selected attribute; updating the stored information to associate the selected attribute with the retrieved primary connection that was determined to not be exhibited by the primary connection; and storing information defining a targeting cluster of users as users of the online social networking system who share the selected attribute, where the targeting cluster comprises the seed cluster of users and the primary connection associated with the selected attribute. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification