Connection insights widget

• US 9,648,131 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sundaram, Senthil, Agarwal, Rahul
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamillapalli, Pavan
• Application Number:
  US14/448,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 707732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing search results generated by a search engine are described. A first set of member profiles is identified, the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by a searcher. A second set of member profiles is identified, the second set of member profiles having a relationship between a profile of the searcher and each of the second set of member profiles. A subset of the second set of member profiles is selected based on strength of relationships between each of the subset of the second set of member profiles and the first set of member profiles. A portion of each of the first set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface and a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is communicated for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

assigning a ranking score to each of the first set of member profiles based on a ranking algorithm, the ranking algorithm combining at least a first input and a second input, the first input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to the search query and the second input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to a member profile of the searcher;

communicating a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface;

identifying a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the second set of member profiles and a strength of a relationship between the member profile of the searcher and each of the second set of member profiles, the second set of members representing influential connections of the searcher with respect to the search query initiated by the searcher;

applying a ranking criteria to the second set of members, the ranking criteria being independent of whether the second set of member profiles satisfy the search criteria;

selecting a subset of the second set of member profiles based on the ranking criteria, the subset including a predetermined number of the second set of member profiles ranked highest according to the ranking criteria; and

communicating a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is greater than a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the other members of the second set of members.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the strength of the relationship between the member profiles of the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the member profile of the searcher and each of the first set of member profiles of the social networking system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a number of connections between the first set of member profiles and each of the subset of the second set of member profiles.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the strength of the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a third set of member profiles, the third set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the third set of member profiles not to be communicated for presentation in the search results user interface.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles includes the number of the connections.

8. A system comprising:

one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to;

identify a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

assign a ranking score to each of the first set of member profiles based on a ranking algorithm, the ranking algorithm combining at least a first input and a second input, the first input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to the search query and the second input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to a member profile of the searcher;

communicate a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface;

identify a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the second set of member profiles and a strength of a relationship between the searcher and each of the second set of member profiles, the second set of members representing influential connections of the searcher with respect to the search query initiated by the searcher;

apply a ranking criteria to the second set of members, the ranking criteria being independent of whether the second set of member profiles satisfy the search criteria;

select a subset of the second set of member profiles based on the ranking criteria, the subset including a predetermined number of the second set of member profiles ranked highest according to the ranking criteria; and

communicate a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is greater than a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the other members of the second set of members.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the strength of the relationship between the member profiles of the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the member profile of the searcher and each of the first set of member profiles of the social networking system.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a number of connections between the first set of member profiles and each of the subset of the second set of member profiles.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the strength of the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a third set of member profiles, the third set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the third set of member profiles not to be communicated for presentation in the search results user interface.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles includes the number of the connections.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

identifying a first set of member profiles, the identifying based on the first set of member profiles satisfying a search query initiated by the searcher, the first set of member profiles corresponding to a first set of members of a social networking service;

assigning a ranking score to each of the first set of member profiles based on a ranking algorithm, the ranking algorithm combining at least a first input and a second input, the first input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to the search query and the second input representing a measure of relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to a member profile of the searcher;

communicating a portion of each of the first set of member profiles for presentation in a first region of a search results user interface;

identifying a second set of member profiles, the second set of member profiles corresponding to a second set of members of the social networking service, the identifying of the second set of member profiles based on a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the second set of member profiles and a strength of a relationship between the member profile of the searcher and each of the second set of member profiles, the second set of members representing influential connections of the searcher with respect to the search initiated b the searcher;

applying a ranking criteria to the second set of members, the ranking criteria being independent of whether the second set of member profiles satisfy the search criteria;

selecting a subset of the second set of member profiles based on the ranking criteria, the subset including a predetermined number of the second set of member profiles ranked highest according to the ranking criteria; and

communicating a portion of each of the subset of the second set of member profiles for presentation in a second region of the search results user interface.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is greater than a relevance of each of the first set of member profiles to each of the other members of the second set of members.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the strength of the relationship between the member profiles of the searcher and each of the first set of members of the social networking system is based on a degree of connection between the member profile of the searcher and each of the first set of member profiles of the social networking system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a number of connections between the first set of member profiles and each of the subset of the second set of member profiles.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the strength of the relevance of the first set of member profiles to each of the subset of the second set of member profiles is further based on an expertise of each of the second set of members with respect to a subject matter of the search query.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the subset of the second set of member profiles is based on a superset of the first set of member profiles, the superset including a third set of member profiles, the third set of member profiles satisfying the search query, information pertaining to the third set of member profiles not to be communicated for presentation in the search results user interface.