Determining influence in a social networking system

• US 9,659,308 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bharathi, Aruna, Bosworth, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Application Number:
  US15/365,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20170083943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 174 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An influence metric describing the influence of a social networking system object on social networking system users is determined based on affinities between the users and the object. For example, affinities between the associated users and the object are combined to determine the influence metric. Content may be selected for presentation to users based in part on influence metrics of the content. Additionally, influence metrics of objects associated with a user may be combined to determine the relevance of objects associated with the user, which may also be used to select content for presentation to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a requesting user of the social networking system, a request for content from the social networking system;

accessing, for each object of a plurality of objects within a social networking system, an influence metric, the influence metric generated based on an associated set of affinities between a set of users associated with the object, each affinity representing an affinity for a user of the set of users for the object, the influence metric representing a relevance of the object to the set of users as a whole;

identifying, by the social networking system, a set of candidate objects from the plurality of objects;

selecting, by the social networking system, one or more of the identified set of candidate objects based on the accessed influence metrics associated with the set of candidate objects; and

configuring, by the social networking system, a display to include the selected one or more candidate objects for presentation to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected candidate object comprises one of a user, a page, a group, a story, or a content item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an influence metric further comprises applying a weight to each affinity in the associated set of affinities to generate a weighted set of affinities and by determining a mean of the weighted set of affinities.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one weight is based on a characteristic of a user associated with an affinity.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one weight is based on a time of a most recent interaction between a user and the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected candidate objects are associated with stories, and wherein configuring the display to include the selected one or more candidate objects for presentation to the user comprises configuring a newsfeed to include the stories associated with the selected candidate objects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein configuring the newsfeed comprises ranking stories displayed within the newsfeed based on the influence metrics associated with the selected candidate objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one or more candidate objects comprise content recommendations for the requesting user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a map interface, and wherein the selected one or more candidate objects comprise locations presented within the map interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the influence metrics are generated before the request is received from the requesting user.

11. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform steps comprising;

receiving, from a requesting user of the social networking system, a request for content from the social networking system;

accessing, for each object of a plurality of objects within a social networking system, an influence metric, the influence metric generated based on an associated set of affinities between a set of users associated with the object, each affinity representing an affinity for a user of the set of users for the object, the influence metric representing a relevance of the object to the set of users as a whole;

identifying a set of candidate objects from the plurality of objects;

selecting one or more of the identified set of candidate objects based on the accessed influence metrics associated with the set of candidate objects; and

configuring a display to include the selected one or more candidate objects for presentation to the user; and

a hardware processor configured to execute the instructions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a selected candidate object comprises one of a user, a page, a group, a story, or a content item.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein generating an influence metric further comprises applying a weight to each affinity in the associated set of affinities to generate a weighted set of affinities and by determining a mean of the weighted set of affinities.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one weight is based on a characteristic of a user associated with an affinity.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one weight is based on a time of a most recent interaction between a user and the object.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected candidate objects are associated with stories, and wherein configuring the display to include the selected one or more candidate objects for presentation to the user comprises configuring a newsfeed to include the stories associated with the selected candidate objects.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein configuring the newsfeed comprises ranking stories displayed within the newsfeed based on the influence metrics associated with the selected candidate objects.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the selected one or more candidate objects comprise content recommendations for the requesting user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the display comprises a map interface, and wherein the selected one or more candidate objects comprise locations presented within the map interface.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the influence metrics are generated before the request is received from the requesting user.