Real-world view of location-associated social data

• US 9,712,574 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosworth, Andrew Garrod, Toksvig, Michael John McKenzie, Garcia, David Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Clayton R
• Application Number:
  US13/600,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Particular embodiments maintain social-networking information associated with a user, wherein the user is represented by a user node in a social graph. One or more nodes of the social graph may be associated with respective locations. A request for social information related to a location may be received from a computing device. The request may comprise a location of the computing device, an orientation of the computing device, and an identifier for the user. A relevance score may be determined for one or more proximate nodes based on the request, the social-networking information associated with the user, and the location information for the respective proximate node. Each proximate node may be associated with at least one location within a threshold distance from the location of the computing device. Particular embodiments may provide social-networking information associated with at least one of the proximate nodes for display in conjunction with an image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, by one or more computing devices associated with a social-networking system, a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, wherein;

the nodes comprise;

a plurality of user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with a concept, and each of the one or more concept nodes is associated with a respective location;

receiving, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, a request from a computing device associated with a requesting user for social information, wherein the request comprises;

a location of the computing device associated with the requesting user;

an orientation of the computing device associated with the requesting user; and

an identifier for the requesting user;

determining, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, a relevance score for each of one or more concept nodes associated with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, wherein;

the relevance scores are determined based on;

the request;

a time value for each of the one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the time value based on whether a current time is within a delivery time range assigned to the concept node;

social-networking information associated with the requesting user, maintained by the social-networking system; and

the respective locations associated with the concept nodes; and

based on the relevance scores, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, causing to be displayed on the computing device associated with the requesting user social-networking information associated with at least one of the concept nodes within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, in conjunction with a live video image of at least one location associated with one or more of the concept nodes within the threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device associated with the requesting user comprises a screen, a heads-up display, a camera, a gyroscope, a compass, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the social-networking information comprises:

affinity information for the requesting user according to one or more categories; and

a plurality of connections between the requesting user and other users of the social-networking system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relevance score comprises:

combining a location value, an interest value, a connection value, and a time value to determine the relevance score.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relevance score comprises determining a location value for each of one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the location value based on (1) a proximity between the location associated with the concept node and the location of the computing device associated with the requesting user, (2) the orientation of the computing device associated with the requesting user, or (3) any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relevance score comprises determining an interest value for each of one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the interest value based on whether a category associated with the concept node is included in the one or more categories associated with the affinity information for the requesting user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the relevance score comprises:

determining a connection value for each of one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the connection value based on a number of the requesting user'"'"'s connections with the concept node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery time range assigned to the concept node has an action associated with it, where the action can be performed by the requesting user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery time range assigned to the concept node indicates whether the concept node is eligible to be received by the requesting user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving location information comprising a location of a computing device associated with the requesting user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the location information is received from the computing device at predetermined intervals.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a requesting user exposure to a node of the social graph.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting the relevance scores of at least one of the concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user based on the requesting user exposure to the at least one of the concept nodes.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the concept nodes by their relevance scores.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving indication of an action by the requesting user in association with at least one of the concept nodes within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with requesting user; and

updating the social graph in response to the indication.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes of the social graph comprise information provided by third-parties, information about interactions of users with the social networking system, or any combination thereof.

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

maintain, by one or more computing devices associated with a social-networking system, a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, wherein;

the nodes comprise;

a plurality of user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with a concept, and each of one or more of the concept nodes is associated with a respective location;

receive, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, a request from a computing device associated with a requesting user for social information, wherein the request comprises;

a location of the computing device associated with the requesting user;

an orientation of the computing device associated with the requesting user; and

an identifier for the requesting user;

determine, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, a relevance score for each of one or more concept nodes associated with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, wherein;

the relevance scores are determined based on;

the request;

a time value for each of the one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the time value based on whether a current time is within a delivery time range assigned to the concept node;

social-networking information associated with the requesting user, maintained by the social-networking system; and

the respective locations associated with the proximate concept nodes; and

based on the relevance scores, by one or more computing devices associated with the social-networking system, causing to be displayed on the computing device associated with the requesting user social-networking information associated with at least one of the concept nodes within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, in conjunction with a live video image of at least one location associated with one or more of the concept nodes within the threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user.

18. A social-networking system comprising:

one or more processors associated with the social-networking system; and

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

maintain a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, wherein

the nodes comprise;

a plurality of user nodes that are each associated with a user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with a concept, and each of the one or more concept nodes is associated with a respective location;

receive a request from a computing device associated with a requesting user for social information, wherein the request comprises;

a location of the computing device associated with the requesting user;

an orientation of the computing device associated with the requesting user; and

an identifier for the requesting user;

determine a relevance score for each of one or more concept nodes associated with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, wherein;

the relevance scores are determined based on;

the request;

a time value for each of the one or more concept nodes with respective locations within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, the time value based on whether a current time is within a delivery time range assigned to the concept node;

social-networking information associated with the requesting user, maintained by the social-networking system; and

the respective locations associated with the concept nodes; and

based on the relevance scores, causing to be displayed on the computing device associated with the requesting user social-networking information associated with at least one of the concept nodes within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user, in conjunction with a live video image of at least one location associated with one or more of the concept nodes within the threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the social-networking information associated with at least one concept nodes within a threshold distance of the computing device associated with the requesting user is provided to a computing device associated with the requesting user.