Systems and methods for providing dynamically selected media content to a user of an electronic device in a social network environment

• US 20080040474A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cahill, Matt, Sanghvi, Ruchi, Bosworth, Andrew, Cox, Chris, Zuckerberg, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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

Abstract

A system and method provides dynamically selected media content to someone using an electronic device in a social network environment. Items of media content are selected for the user based on his or her relationships with one or more other users. The user'"'"'s relationships with other users are reflected in the selected media content and its format. An order is assigned to the items of media content, for example, based on their anticipated importance to the user, and the items of media content are displayed to the user in the assigned order. The user may change the order of the items of media content. The user'"'"'s interactions with media content available in the social network environment are monitored, and those interactions are used to select additional items of media content for the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing dynamically selected media content to a user of an electronic device in a social network environment, comprising:

selecting for the user one or more items of media content regarding one or more other users based on any relationships with the one or more other users;

assigning an order to the one or more items of media content;

displaying the one or more items of media content to the user in the assigned order;

monitoring at least one interaction of the user with media content in the social network environment; and

utilizing the at least one interaction to select additional items of media content.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitored interaction is with the items of media content selected for the user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitored interaction is with the items of media content in the social network environment that has not been previously selected for the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitored interaction includes the user'"'"'s reading an email.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more items of media content are selected based on a user affinity.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to select media content preference settings.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising utilizing the user'"'"'s selected media content preference settings to select the one or more items of media.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising utilizing the user'"'"'s selected media content preference settings to assign an order to the one or more items of media.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the assigning an order is based at least in part on a ranking associated with user affinity.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to assign an order to the one or more items of media via interaction with the media content display.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional items of media content include an updated news story.

13. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more items of media content are selected based on a user affinity.

14. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the display engine is configured to allow the user to assign an order to the one or more items of media via interaction with the display.

15. The system recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a profile generator configured to create a profile for a user;

a communications interface configured to receive one or more media content preference setting selections from the user associated with the profile; and

a user profile database, in communication with the communications interface, the database configured to update the profile associated with the user to incorporate the one or more media content preference setting selections.

18. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the ranking engine is configured to assign the order based at least in part on user affinity.

20. The computer program recited in claim 15, wherein the one or more items of media content are selected based on a user affinity.

21. The computer program recited in claim 15, wherein the assigning an order is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s interaction with the media content display.

22. The computer program recited in claim 15, wherein the assigning an order is based at least in part on a ranking associated with user affinity.

23. The computer program recited in claim 15, further comprising allowing the user to select media content preference settings.

12. A system for providing dynamically selected media content to a user of an electronic device in a social network environment, comprising:

a media selector configured to select for the user one or more items of media content regarding one or more other users based on any relationships with the one or more other users;

a ranking engine, in communication with the media selector, the ranking engine configured to assign an order to the one or more items of media;

a display engine, in communication with the media selector, the display engine configured to display the one or more items of media content to the user in the assigned order; and

a monitoring module, in communication with the display engine and with the ranking engine, the monitoring module configured to monitor at least one interaction of the user with media content in the social network environment.

16. The system recited in claim 12, wherein the media selector is configured to select additional items of media content according to the media content preference setting selections.

17. The system recited in claim 12, wherein the display engine is configured to allow the user to assign an order to the one or more items of media via interaction with the display.

24. The computer program recited in claim 16, further comprising utilizing the user'"'"'s selected media content preference settings to select the one or more items of media.

19. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing a method for providing dynamically selected media to a user of an electronic device in a social network environment, the method comprising:

selecting for the user one or more items of media content regarding one or more other users based on any relationships with the one or more other users;

assigning an order to the one or more items of media content;

displaying the one or more items of media content to the user in the assigned order;

monitoring at least one interaction of the user with media content in the social network environment; and

utilizing the at least one interaction to select additional items of media content.