Computer implemented methods and apparatus for integrating a social network information feed with a network communications application

• US 9,692,722 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Verma, Anant Kumar, Tierney, Michael Brendan, Oblucki, Krzysztof Sebastian, Markham, Blake Whitlow
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US14/702,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20150236998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3, 726 7, 715745, 715744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, and methods for integrating an information feed. In various implementations, an identity of a user may be determined based on authentication information, where the authentication information identifies a user profile. In some implementations, profile information is identified based on the determined identity, where the profile information identifies one or more entities tracked using one or more information feeds associated with the user profile, and where the one or more information feeds comprises one or more feed items stored in a database system. In various implementations, the identified profile information is associated with a user account provided by a network communications application.

Claims

1. A system for integrating a social networking system with a network communication application, the network communication application and the social networking system having one or more users, the network communication application being an email application accessible to a user via a computing device, the social networking system capable of providing one or more feeds to one or more users, each feed comprising a plurality of feed items, the system comprising:

a database system implemented using a server system, the database system configurable to cause;

processing information received from a first computing device associated with a first user indicating that the first user is creating, editing, or viewing a network communication message capable of being sent to or received from one or more other users via the network communication application, the information including an indication of at least one characteristic associated with the one or more other users, the network communication message being an email addressed to a second user of the one or more other users, each of the one or more other users corresponding to one or more existing email contacts of the first user in the network communication application;

identifying, based on the information, a plurality of feed items of a feed as being relevant to the at least one characteristic, each of the feed items being identifiable through one or more data objects in a database of the database system;

determining that a first one of the feed items is of a first entity type, the first entity type indicating a relationship between the first user and at least one of the one or more other users;

determining that a second one of the feed items is of a second entity type different from the first entity type; and

displaying the identified feed items within the network communication application at the first computing device in an arrangement prioritizing the first feed item over the second feed item based on the determinations.

2. The system of claim 1, the database system further configurable to cause:

accessing, by the network communication application, profile information of the one or more other users, the profile information being associated with the social networking system and being stored as data objects in the database; and

displaying the profile information at the first computing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the network communication application is configured to store first information in a first schema and the profile information in a second schema, the second schema being different from the first schema.

4. The system of claim 3, the database system further configurable to cause:

converting the profile information to the first information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the first schema is extensible markup language (XML), and

the second schema is JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the profile information is stored in one or more data fields of a first one or more records in the database, the one or more data fields arranged according to a first configuration, and wherein the network communication application is configured to access and read a second one or more records in the database having one or more data fields arranged according to a second configuration.

7. The system of claim 6, the database system further configurable to cause:

mapping the profile information from the first configuration to the second configuration.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the profile information comprises one or more of:

a username, an email address, a phone number, an organization name, or an occupational title.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the feed items include a social media message;

and

the social media message comprises one or more of;

a post, a comment, audio data, video data, a status update, an uploaded file, a link to a file, a link to a web page, a link to a record, or an indication of a personal preference.

10. A method for integrating a social networking system implemented using a database system with a network communication application, the network communication application and the social networking system having one or more users, the network communication application being an email application accessible to a user via a computing device, the social networking system capable of providing, using the database system, one or more feeds to one or more users, each feed comprising a plurality of feed items, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first computing device associated with a first user indicating that the first user is creating, editing, or viewing a network communication message capable of being sent to or received from one or more other users via the network communication application, the information including an indication of at least one characteristic associated with the one or more other users, the network communication message being an email addressed to a second user of the one or more other users, each of the one or more other users corresponding to one or more existing email contacts of the first user in the network communication application;

identifying, using the database system, a plurality of feed items of a feed as being relevant to the at least one characteristic, each of the feed items being identifiable through one or more data objects in the database system;

determining that a first one of the feed items is of a first entity type, the first entity type indicating a relationship between the first user and at least one of the one or more other users;

determining that a second one of the feed items is of a second entity type different from the first entity type; and

causing, using the database system, the identified feed items to be displayed within the network communication application at the first computing device in an arrangement prioritizing the first feed item over the second feed item based on the determinations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network communication application is capable of communicating with the social networking system to access profile information of the one or more other users, and causing the profile information to be displayed on a display device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network communication application is configured to store first information in a first schema and the profile information in a second schema, the second schema being different from the first schema.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

converting the profile information to the first information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the first schema is extensible markup language (XML), and

the second schema is JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).

15. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configured to cause:

maintaining, using a database system, a database storing data objects, the database being accessible to a social networking system implemented using the database system and a network communication application, the network communication application and the social networking system having one or more users, the network communication application being an email application accessible to a user via a computing device, the social networking system capable of providing, using the database system, one or more feeds to one or more users, each feed comprising a plurality of feed items;

processing information received from a first computing device associated with a first user indicating that the first user is creating, editing, or viewing a network communication message capable of being sent to or received from one or more other users via the network communication application, the information including an indication of at least one characteristic associated with the one or more other users, the network communication message being an email addressed to a second user of the one or more other users, each of the one or more other users corresponding to one or more existing email contacts of the first user in the network communication application;

identifying, based on the information, a plurality of feed items of a feed as being relevant to the at least one characteristic, each of the feed items being identifiable through one or more data objects in the database;

determining that a first one of the feed items is of a first entity type, the first entity type indicating a relationship between the first user and at least one of the one or more other users;

determining that a second one of the feed items is of a second entity type different from the first entity type; and

displaying the identified feed items within the network communication application at the first computing device in an arrangement prioritizing the first feed item over the second feed item based on the determinations.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the instructions further configured to cause:

accessing, by the network communication application, profile information of the one or more other users, the profile information being associated with the social networking system and being stored as data objects in the database; and

displaying the profile information at the first computing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the network communication application is configured to store first information in a first schema and the profile information in a second schema, the second schema being different from the first schema.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the instructions further configured to cause:

converting the profile information to the first information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the first schema is extensible markup language (XML), and

the second schema is JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).