Computer implemented methods and apparatus for configuring and performing a custom rule to process a preference indication

• US 9,152,725 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Matthew, Chan, Kim Man
• Primary Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US13/589,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable media for processing a preference indication for a feed item of an information feed. In some implementations, a preference indication associated with a feed item is received. In some instances, it is determined whether the feed item is associated with a custom rule, where the custom rule defines one or more actions to modify information associated with feed items of designated one more content types. In some instances, one or more actions are selected to perform based on an identified content type of the feed item in response to the determination that the feed item is associated with the custom rule.

Claims

1. A method of processing a personal preference indication submitted by a user for a feed item of a social network feed established through an associated database system having at least one server, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server of the database system from a computing device associated with the user, a personal preference indication submitted by the user to apply to a first feed item of the social network feed, the personal preference indication indicating that the user feels positive or negative about information indicated by the first feed item, the social network feed being displayable on computing devices of one or more users of the social network;

identifying, using a server of the database system, a characteristic of the first feed item;

identifying, using a server of the database system, one or more further feed items of the social network feed as being related to the first feed item based on the feed item characteristic, the one or more further feed items not being a count of personal preference indications;

determining, using a server of the database system, one or more computing actions operative to modify data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed based on the first feed item characteristic and on the received personal preference indication; and

causing performance of, using a server of the database system, the one or more computing actions to modify the data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a custom rule associated with the first feed item defines a custom display component operable to transmit the personal preference indication for the first feed item from the computing device to one or more servers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the custom display component is a selectable graphical component capable of being displayed on a display of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, using a server of the database system, the one or more computing actions based on a content type of the first feed item and on status information of the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the one or more computing actions to perform is further based on profile information of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a quantitative value to represent the personal preference indication for the first feed item.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the quantitative value is weighted based on status information of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the feed item characteristic is a relevance measure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a further feed item as being related to the first feed item includes one or more of:

determining whether a content type of the further feed item is the same as a content type of the first feed item, determining whether the user follows the further feed item, determining whether profile information of the user includes information related to the further feed item, determining whether the user indicated a preference for the further feed item, and determining whether historical information related to the user includes information related to the further feed item.

10. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the database system is part of an on-demand service environment through which a plurality of organizations can access on-demand computing services.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the first feed item and the one or more further feed items are stored in a multi-tenant database accessible to one or more of a plurality of tenants in communication with the on-demand service environment.

12. One or more computing devices comprising:

one or more processors capable of executing instructions configured to cause;

identifying, using a database system, a characteristic of a first feed item of a social network feed, the first feed item having an associated personal preference indication submitted by a user to apply to the first feed item, the personal preference indication indicating that the user feels positive or negative about information indicated by the first feed item, the social network feed being displayable on computing devices of one or more users of the social network;

identifying, using the database system, one or more further feed items of the social network feed as being related to the first feed item based on the feed item characteristic, the one or more further feed items not being a count of personal preference indications;

determining, using the database system, one or more computing actions operative to modify data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed based on the first feed item characteristic and on the received personal preference indication; and

causing performance of, using the database system, the one or more computing actions to modify the data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed.

13. The one or more computing devices of claim 12, the one or more processors capable of executing instructions further configured to cause:

selecting, using the database system, the one or more computing actions based on a content type of the first feed item and on status information of the user.

14. The one or more computing devices of claim 12, the one or more processors capable of executing instructions further configured to cause:

determining a quantitative value to represent the personal preference indication for the first feed item.

15. The one or more computing devices of claim 14, wherein the quantitative value is weighted based on status information of the user.

16. The one or more computing devices of claim 14, wherein the quantitative value is determined using a multiplier based on profile information of the user.

17. A system comprising:

database system software stored on a non-transitory data storage medium for execution by at least one server of a database system, the database system software operable to cause;

identifying, using the database system, a characteristic of a first feed item of a social network feed, the first feed item having an associated personal preference indication submitted by a user to apply to the first feed item, the personal preference indication indicating that the user feels positive or negative about information indicated by the first feed item, the social network feed being displayable on computing devices of one or more users of the social network;

identifying, using the database system, one or more further feed items of the social network feed as being related to the first feed item based on the feed item characteristic, the one or more further feed items not being a count of personal preference indications;

determining, using the database system, one or more computing actions operative to modify data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed based on the first feed item characteristic and on the received personal preference indication; and

causing performance of, using the database system, the one or more computing actions to modify the data contained in or attached to the one or more further feed items of the social network feed.

18. The system of claim 17, the database system software further operable to cause:

selecting, using a server of the database system, the one or more computing actions based on a content type of the first feed item and on status information of the user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein

the feed item characteristic is a relevance measure.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein identifying a further feed item as being related to the first feed item includes one or more of:

determining whether a content type of the further feed item is the same as a content type of the first feed item, determining whether the user follows the further feed item, determining whether profile information of the user includes information related to the further feed item, determining whether the user indicated a preference for the further feed item, and determining whether historical information related to the user includes information related to the further feed item.