Social media post subscribe requests for buffer user accounts

• US 10,609,036 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2016
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, Nicholas R., Burfitt, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrahamson, Amanda C
• Application Number:
  US15/289,676
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

An approach for publishing posts on a social network through one or more user accounts with different levels of attribution is disclosed. A secure user account publishes a post through a programmatically linked buffer user account. The secure user account and the buffer user account are programmatically linked. Posts published via the buffer user account can be modified to add attribution image data or other visual indicators of the original post creator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, via one or more processors of a machine, a buffer user account of a social network site, the buffer user account configured to publish image posts received from a secure user account of the social network site, the image posts published by the buffer user account visually indicating that the image posts are published by the secure user account;

receiving an image post generated from the secure user account;

identifying metadata of the secure user account, the metadata indicating a pre-configured user interface element assigned to the secure user account;

generating a modified image post by overlaying the pre-configured user interface element specified by the metadata on the image post received from the secure user account;

publishing, on the social network site, by the buffer user account, the modified image post in a sequenced user post gallery that displays posts of other end-users of the social network site in sequence, the modified image post displaying the pre-configured user interface element on the image post generated from the secure user account;

receiving, from a client device of another end-user of the social network site that is viewing the modified image post on the client device, a subscribe request to subscribe to image posts from the secure user account; and

in response to receiving the subscribe request, subscribing the another end-user to image posts published by the buffer user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-configured user interface element specifies an icon that is unique to the secure user account on the social network site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified image post includes a layer of user interface elements as an overlay on the image post, the user interface elements including the pre-configured user interface element assigned to the secure user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure user account includes a username identifier, and wherein the metadata further includes search terms that are different from the username identifier, the one or more search terms used to suggest the buffer user account as a search result on the social network site.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a search request comprising one or more of the search terms; and

causing, on the client device, display of the buffer user account as a search result, the display comprising a subscription button configured to subscribe to posts published from the buffer user account on the social network site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified image post includes a message user interface configured to send messages to the buffer user account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the secure user account does not receive the messages sent through the message user interface to the buffer user account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image post is an ephemeral post configured to temporarily display one or more images submitted using the secure user account.

9. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a machine;

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising;

identifying a buffer user account of a social network site, the buffer user account configured to publish image posts received from a secure user account of the social network site, the image posts published by the buffer user account visually indicating that the image posts are published by the secure user account;

receiving an image post generated from the secure user account;

identifying metadata of the secure user account, the metadata indicating a pre-configured user interface element assigned to the secure user account;

generating a modified image post by overlaying the pre-configured user interface element specified by the metadata on the image post received from the secure user account;

publishing, on the social network site, by the buffer user account, the modified image post in a sequenced user post gallery that displays posts of other end-users of the social network site in sequence, the modified image post displaying the pre-configured user interface element on the image post generated from the secure user account;

receiving, from a client device of another end-user of the social network site that is viewing the modified image post on the client device, a subscribe request to subscribe to image posts from the secure user account; and

in response to receiving the subscribe request, subscribing the another end-user to image posts published by the buffer user account.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-configured user interface element specifies an icon that is unique to the secure user account on the social network site.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the modified image post includes a layer of user interface elements as an overlay on the image post, the user interface elements including the pre-configured user interface element assigned to the secure user account.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure user account includes a username identifier, and wherein the metadata further includes search terms that are different from the username identifier, the search terms used by the social network site to suggest the buffer user account as a search result on the social network site.

13. The system of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, a search request comprising one or more of the search terms; and

causing, on the client device, display of the buffer user account as a search result, the display comprising a subscription button configured to subscribe to posts published from the buffer user account on the social network site.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the modified image post includes a message user interface configured to send messages to the buffer user account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the secure user account does not receive the messages sent through the message user interface to the buffer user account.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the image post is an ephemeral post configured to temporarily display one or more images submitted using the secure user account.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device embodying instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying a buffer user account of a social network site, the buffer user account configured to publish image posts received from a secure user account of the social network site, the image posts published by the buffer user account visually indicating that the image posts are published by the secure user account;

receiving an image post generated from the user account;

identifying metadata of the secure user account, the metadata indicating a pre-configured user interface element assigned to the secure user account;

generating a modified image post by overlaying the pre-configured user interface element specified by the metadata on the image post received from the secure user account;

publishing, on the social network site, by the buffer user account, the modified image post in a sequenced user post gallery that displays posts of other end-users of the social network site in sequence, the modified image post displaying the pre-configured user interface element on the image post generated from the secure user account;

receiving, from a client device of another end-user of the social network site that is viewing the modified image post on the client device, a subscribe request to subscribe to image posts from the secure user account; and

in response to receiving the subscribe request, subscribing the another end-user to image posts published by the buffer user account.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the pre-configured user interface element specifies an icon that is unique to the secure user account on the social network site.