Controlling devices by social networking

• US 9,967,259 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G., Kowalewski, Damian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/335,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes analyzing information received from a first network-enabled device to identify instructions for a second network-enabled device associated with a second user of a social-networking system, the first network-enabled device being associated with a first user of the social-networking system. The method also includes determining (1) that the first user is connected to the second user with respect to a social graph of the social-networking system and (2) that the first user has authorization to provide instructions to the second network-enabled device, where the authorization is based on social-networking information. The method further includes providing the instructions to the second network-enabled device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

analyzing, by a computing device of a social-networking system, information received from a first network-enabled device to identify instructions comprising control commands for a second network-enabled device associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the first network-enabled device being associated with a first user of the social-networking system, the information comprising information identifying the first user to the social-networking system;

authorizing, by the computing device of the social-networking system, without explicit authorization of the second user by the first user and without any user input by the first user, the first network-enabled device to control the second network-enabled device based on determining that an affinity coefficient between a node representing the first user in a social graph and a node representing the second user in the social graph exceeds a specified threshold, wherein;

the affinity coefficient comprises a plurality of factors and is calculated based on (1) one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or (2) a type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user;

the affinity coefficient is a higher when the node representing the first user is within a threshold degree of separation from the node representing the second user;

each factor of the plurality of factors is assigned a weight and the factors are then combined together according to their respective weights to determine the affinity coefficient;

the weight for each factor is based at least in part on a decay factor that causes the weight to decay with time; and

more recent actions have more relevance when determining the affinity coefficient; and

based on the authorizing, providing, by the computing device of the social-networking system, the identified instructions to control the second network-enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being a social-graph connection of an owner of the first network-enabled device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being an owner of the first network-enabled device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that changes to a physical environment of the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system, wherein the changes in the environment were detected by sensors of the first network-enabled device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that input information received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that user input received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizing the first network-enabled device to control the second network-enabled device further comprises:

determining that the node representing the first user is connected to the node representing the second user with respect to the social graph within a threshold degree of separation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to the first network-enabled device, a user interface to control the second network-enabled device, wherein the first network-enabled device is capable of receiving user input and sending information associated with the user input to a network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network-enabled device is associated with the first user through a secure authentication process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the affinity coefficient based on one or more recent actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or based on a change in the type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user comprise viewing a profile page, creating or posting content, interacting with content, tagging or being tagged in an image, joining a group, listing or confirming attendance at an event, checking-in at a location, liking a particular page, creating a page, or interacting with a particular type of content associated with the first user.

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

analyze information received from a first network-enabled device to identify instructions comprising control commands for a second network-enabled device associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the first network-enabled device being associated with a first user of the social-networking system, the information comprising information identifying the first user to the social-networking system;

authorize without explicit authorization of the second user by the first user and without any user input by the first user, the first network-enabled device to control the second network-enabled device based on determining that an affinity coefficient between a node representing the first user in a social graph and a node representing the second user in the social graph exceeds a specified threshold, wherein;

the affinity coefficient comprises a plurality of factors and is calculated based on (1) one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or (2) a type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user;

the affinity coefficient is a higher when the node representing the first user is within a threshold degree of separation from the node representing the second user;

each factor of the plurality of factors is assigned a weight and the factors are then combined together according to their respective weights to determine the affinity coefficient;

the weight for each factor is based at least in part on a decay factor that causes the weight to decay with time; and

more recent actions have more relevance when determining the affinity coefficient; and

based on the authorizing, provide the identified instructions to control the second network-enabled device.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being a social-graph connection of an owner of the first network-enabled device.

14. The media of claim 12, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being an owner of the first network-enabled device.

15. The media of claim 12, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that changes to a physical environment of the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system, wherein the changes in the environment were detected by sensors of the first network-enabled device.

16. The media of claim 12, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that input information received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

17. The media of claim 12, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that user input received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

18. The media of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable to:

determine that the node representing the first user is connected to the node representing the second user with respect to the social graph within a threshold degree of separation.

19. The media of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable to:

provide, to the first network-enabled device, a user interface to control the second network-enabled device, wherein the first network-enabled device is capable of receiving user input and sending information associated with the user input to a network.

20. The media of claim 12, wherein the first network-enabled device is associated with the first user through a secure authentication process.

21. The media of claim 12, wherein the software is further operable to update the affinity coefficient based on one or more recent actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or based on a change in the type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user.

22. The media of claim 12, wherein the one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user comprise viewing a profile page, creating or posting content, interacting with content, tagging or being tagged in an image, joining a group, listing or confirming attendance at an event, checking-in at a location, liking a particular page, creating a page, or interacting with a particular type of content associated with the first user.

23. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

analyze information received from a first network-enabled device to identify instructions comprising control commands for a second network-enabled device associated with a second user of the social-networking system, the first network-enabled device being associated with a first user of the social-networking system, the information comprising information identifying the first user to the social-networking system;

authorize without explicit authorization of the second user by the first user and without any user input by the first user, the first network-enabled device to control the second network-enabled device based on determining that an affinity coefficient between a node representing the first user in a social graph and a node representing the second user in the social graph exceeds a specified threshold, wherein;

the affinity coefficient comprises a plurality of factors and is calculated based on (1) one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or (2) a type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user the affinity coefficient is a higher when the node representing the first user is within a threshold degree of separation from the node representing the second user;

each factor of the plurality of factors is assigned a weight and the factors are then combined together according to their respective weights to determine the affinity coefficient;

the weight for each factor is based at least in part on a decay factor that causes the weight to decay with time; and

more recent actions have more relevance when determining the affinity coefficient; and

based on the authorizing, provide the identified instructions to control the second network-enabled device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being a social-graph connection of an owner of the first network-enabled device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user comprises the first user being an owner of the first network-enabled device.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that changes to a physical environment of the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system, wherein the changes in the environment were detected by sensors of the first network-enabled device.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that input information received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the information further comprises information indicating that user input received at the first network-enabled device triggered transmission of the information to the social-networking system.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the processors are further operable to:

determine that the node representing the first user is connected to the node representing the second user with respect to the social graph within a threshold degree of separation.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the processors are further operable to provide, to the first network-enabled device, a user interface to control the second network-enabled device, wherein the first network-enabled device is capable of receiving user input and sending information associated with the user input to a network.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the first network-enabled device being associated with the first user through a secure authentication process.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the processors are further operable to update the affinity coefficient based on one or more recent actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user or based on a change in the type of the relationship between the node representing the first user and the node representing the second user.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more actions between the node representing the first user and performed by the second user comprise viewing a profile page, creating or posting content, interacting with content, tagging or being tagged in an image, joining a group, listing or confirming attendance at an event, checking-in at a location, liking a particular page, creating a page, or interacting with a particular type of content associated with the first user.