# US 2012/0239486 A1 · Suggesting deals to a user in a social networking system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0239486 A1 - Document ID: US20120239486A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/181,291 - Filed: 2011-07-12 - Published: 2012-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-14 - Inventors: Bo Hu; Yanxin Shi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120239486A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0269: {based on user profile or attribute} - G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users - G06Q 10/46: Determination of level of influence of users within social networking services - G06Q 10/48: using social graphs - G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates - G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A social networking system suggests deals relevant to a user. The deals are selected for suggestion based on social information associated with the user. Social information used for selecting candidate deals for a user includes information describing other users connected to the user and their associations with the candidate deals or with related deals, for example, deals from the same provider. Associations of connections of the user with the candidate deals may be determined based on actions associated with the candidate deals performed by the connections. The actions performed by the connections may be weighted based on types of the actions to determine a measure of relevance of the candidate deal for the user. Candidate deals are selected from a set of deals by applying deal targeting criteria received from deal providers. The deal targeting criteria specify attributes describing users to be targeted for a particular deal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for selecting deals for suggestion to a user of a social networking system, the method comprising: identifying a user of a social networking system for suggesting a deal from a plurality of candidate deals; determining a measure of relevance to the user for each of the candidate deals, wherein the measure of relevance to the user for a particular candidate deal is determined based on information describing an association between the candidate deal and one or more other users with whom the user is connected in the social networking system; selecting a deal to suggest to the user based on the determined measures of relevance for the candidate deals; and sending information describing the selected deal to the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the association between the candidate deal and the other users with whom the user is connected is determined by matching interests of the other users with the candidate deal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the interests of the other users with whom the user is connected are described in a user profile of the connection stored in the social networking system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the interests of the other users with whom the user is connected are determined from actions of the other users performed via the social networking system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the association between the candidate deal and the other users is determined by matching the other users with deals matching the candidate deal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the association between the candidate deal and the other users is determined by matching the other users with deals offered by the provider of the deal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the association between the candidate deal and the other users is determined based on actions performed by the other users, the actions associated with the candidate deal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein actions associated with the candidate deal comprise one or more of purchasing the candidate deal, participating in the candidate deal, liking the candidate deal, commenting on the candidate deal, posting an image associated with the candidate deal, or checking into a location associated with the candidate deal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein determining the measure of relevance of the candidate deal comprises weighing actions performed by the other users connected to the user based on a type of the action. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein an action comprising purchasing a particular deal is weighted more than an action comprising commenting on the particular deal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein an action comprising checking in to a location associated with a particular deal is weighted more than an action comprising commenting on the particular deal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein an action comprising commenting on a particular deal is weighted more than an action comprising liking the particular deal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein information describing an association between the other users connected to the user and the candidate deal is weighted by affinity between the other users and the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the association between the other users and the candidate deal comprises information describing users connected to the other users via the social networking system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the measure of relevance of the candidate deal is determined based on an association between the user and other deals associated with the candidate deal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the plurality of candidate deals, the determining comprising: applying one or more deal targeting criteria to a set of deals, the deal targeting criteria matching candidate deals with target users. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the other users connected to the user are determined by applying deal targeting criteria associated with the candidate deal to a set of users connected to the user. ### Claim 18 A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for selecting deals for suggestion to a user of a social networking system, the code comprising: a suggestion module configured to: identify a user of a social networking system for suggesting a deal from a plurality of candidate deals; determine a measure of relevance to the user for each of the candidate deals, wherein the measure of relevance to the user for a particular candidate deal is determined based on information describing an association between the candidate deal and one or more other users with whom the user is connected in the social networking system; select a deal to suggest to the user based on the determined measures of relevance for the candidate deals; and send information describing the selected deal to the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the suggestion module is further configured to: determine the plurality of candidate deals, the determining comprising: applying one or more deal targeting criteria to a set of deals, the deal targeting criteria matching candidate deals with target users. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the association between the candidate deal and the other users is determined based on actions performed by the other users, the actions associated with the candidate deal.