Dynamic suggested search queries on online social networks

• US 9,589,011 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• 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, Young, Sue Yee, Duck, Joshua Keith, Khan, Sadi, Maschmeyer, William R., Kesten, Yuval, Peiris, Keith L., Hymes, Kathryn
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US14/804,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 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 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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 prior structured query previously selected by a first user of an online social network, where the prior structured query corresponds to a first set of search results and comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, identifying changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query, and sending, to a client system of the first user, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, where at least one of the suggested structured queries is a dynamic query comprising at least a portion of the prior structured query and a reference to the identified changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing device:

accessing a prior structured query previously selected by a first user of an online social network, the prior structured query corresponding to a first set of search results, wherein the prior structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network;

identifying changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query; and

sending, to a client system of the first user, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, wherein at least one of the suggested structured queries is a dynamic query comprising at least a portion of the prior structured query and a reference to the identified changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query.

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.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each 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, further comprising generating a plurality of suggested structured queries, wherein at least one of the plurality of suggested structured queries is the dynamic query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes within a threshold period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes since the prior structured query was last selected by the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes in trending activity on the online social network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes to search results corresponding to a trending query on the online social network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamic query comprises a reference to the trending query, the trending query comprising references to one or more nodes of a social graph previously searched for by one or more second users of the online social network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise adding one or more objects to the online social network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the dynamic query comprises one or more references to the one or more objects added to the online social network.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the objects added to the online social network are objects added within a threshold period of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the objects are multimedia objects.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the objects are posts by users of the online social network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise trending topics or keywords associated with the posts.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes to relationships between objects associated with the online social network.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more changes to the first set of search results comprise changes performed by one or more second users within a threshold degree of separation of the first user on the online social network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the threshold degree of separation is one, two, three, or all.

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

access a prior structured query previously selected by a first user of an online social network, the prior structured query corresponding to a first set of search results, wherein the prior structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network;

identify changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query; and

send, to a client system of the first user, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, wherein at least one of the suggested structured queries is a dynamic query comprising at least a portion of the prior structured query and a reference to the identified changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query.

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;

access a prior structured query previously selected by a first user of an online social network, the prior structured query corresponding to a first set of search results, wherein the prior structured query comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network;

identify changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query; and

send, to a client system of the first user, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, wherein at least one of the suggested structured queries is a dynamic query comprising at least a portion of the prior structured query and a reference to the identified changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query.