Sharing search queries on online social networks

• US 9,582,552 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rubinstein, Yigal Dan, Kesten, Yuval, Peiris, Keith L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US14/804,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 707/722, 707/727, 707/728, 707/732, 707/751, 707/767, 707/769, 707/784, 707/798, 707/802
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving from a user a selection of a structured query the user wants to share, where the structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, and sending the structured query for display on a page associated with one or more other users.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing device:

sending, to a client device of a first user, a search-results interface comprising one or more search results corresponding to a structured query, wherein the structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, and wherein the search-results interface comprises an activatable element enabling the first user to share the structured query with the one or more second users;

receiving, from a client device of a first user, an indication that the first user has selected the activatable element; and

sending, responsive to receiving the indication that the first user has selected the activatable element, the structured query to one or more of the second users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising;

a first node corresponding to the first user; and

a plurality of second nodes corresponding to a plurality of objects associated with the online social network, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the structured query comprises references to one or more nodes of the plurality of nodes and one or more edges of the plurality of edges.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the structured query is sent to an interface associated with one or more of the second users for display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is a newsfeed page of the online social network, and wherein the sent structured query is displayed as a story in a newsfeed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is a profile page of the online social network corresponding to the second user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is a search-results page corresponding to a particular structured query.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is user interface of a native application associated with the online social network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the first user the selection of the structured query the first user wants to share comprises receiving an indication the first user has activated the activatable link of the search-results interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the structured query and a preview of one or more of the search results is sent to an interface associated with one or more of the second users for display.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the preview of the one or more of the search results are generated with respect to the first user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the preview of the one or more of the search results are generated with respect to one of the second users.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the one or more search results corresponding to the structured query; and

sending one or more of the search results for display on the search-results interface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for at least one of the second users:

receiving from the second user a selection of the structured query;

generating one or more search results corresponding to the structured query; and

sending one or more of the search results to the second user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the search results sent to the second user are generated with respect to the first user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the search results sent to the second user are generated with respect to the second user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of structured queries; and

sending one or more of the structured queries to the first user for display on the search-results interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sent structured queries are displayed in a drop-down menu on the search-results interface, and wherein the drop-down menu enables the first user to select one of the structured queries.

19. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

send, to a client device of a first user, a search-results interface comprising one or more search results corresponding to a structured query, wherein the structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, and wherein the search-results interface comprises an activatable element enabling the first user to share the structured query with the one or more second users;

receive, from a client device of a first user, an indication that the first user has selected the activatable element; and

send, responsive to receiving the indication that the first user has selected the activatable element, the structured query to one or more of the second users.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to;

send, to a client device of a first user, a search-results interface comprising one or more search results corresponding to a structured query, wherein the structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, and wherein the search-results interface comprises an activatable element enabling the first user to share the structured query with the one or more second users;

receive, from a client device of a first user, an indication that the first user has selected the activatable element; and

send, responsive to receiving the indication that the first user has selected the activatable element, the structured query to one or more of the second users.