# US 2013/0159403 A1 · Sponsored Stories Unit Creation from Organic Activity Stream

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2013/0159403 A1
- Document ID: US20130159403A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/327,557
- Filed: 2011-12-15
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: Facebook, Inc.
- Inventors: Philip Anastasios Zigoris; Nipun Mathur; Robert Kang-Xing Jin; Brian Boland
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130159403A1

## CPC

- G06Q 10/48: using social graphs
- G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
- G06F 16/9536: Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
- 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)
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to sponsored story generation from an organic activity stream in a social networking site. A user wishing to promote an entry from an organic activity stream may, using a sponsor user interface, specify the types of stories to promote to a portion of the home page displayed to a member of a social network.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising, by one or more computing systems:
receiving sponsor specifications designating a set of story characteristics comprising an object and one or more action types;
accessing a database of permissions for the object;
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories;
in response to a positive determination:
generating a set of modified story characteristics based on the permissions;
monitoring an organic activity stream for entries matching the modified story characteristics; and
upon finding a match, exporting the entry to a sponsored story system to be displayed as a sponsored story.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, generating the set of modified story characteristics comprising:
for each of the one or more actions in the story characteristics:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories based on the action;
in response to a positive determination, including the action in the modified story characteristics; and
in response to a negative determination, excluding the action from the modified story characteristics.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of story characteristics further comprises one or more object instances.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, generating the set of modified story characteristics comprising:
for each of the one or more object instances:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories for the object instance;
in response to a positive determination, including the instance in the modified story characteristics;
for each of the one or more actions in the story characteristics:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories based on the action;
in response to a positive determination, including the action/instance pair in the modified story characteristics; and
in response to a negative determination, excluding the action/instance pair from the modified story characteristics.
in response to a negative determination, excluding the instance from the modified story characteristics.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
periodically re-generating the set of modified story characteristics.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
monitoring the entry for changes in status, and updating the sponsored story to reflect any changes in the entry's status.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a change in status comprises deletion of the entry, and the sponsored story is deleted to reflect the change.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a change in status comprises altering the visibility of the entry, and the sponsored story visibility is altered to match the visibility of the entry.

### Claim 9

A method comprising, by one or more computing systems:
receiving sponsor specifications designating a set of story characteristics comprising an object and one or more action types;
monitoring an organic activity stream for entries matching the story characteristics; and
upon finding a match, accessing a database of permissions for the object;
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories for the story characteristics; and
exporting the entry to a sponsored story system to be displayed as a sponsored story.

### Claim 10

A non-transitory, computer-readable media comprising instructions operable, when executed by one or more computing systems, to:
receive sponsor specifications designating a set of story characteristics comprising an object and one or more action types;
access a database of permissions for the object;
determine if the object permissions permit sponsored stories;
in response to a positive determination:
generate a set of modified story characteristics based on the permissions;
monitor an organic activity stream for entries matching the modified story characteristics; and
upon finding a match, export the entry to a sponsored story system to be displayed as a sponsored story.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, generating the set of modified story characteristics comprising:
for each of the one or more actions in the story characteristics:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories based on the action;
in response to a positive determination, including the action in the modified story characteristics; and
in response to a negative determination, excluding the action from the modified story characteristics.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, wherein the set of story characteristics further comprises one or more object instances.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The media of claim 12, generating the set of modified story characteristics comprising:
for each of the one or more object instances:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories for the object instance;
in response to a positive determination, including the instance in the modified story characteristics;
for each of the one or more actions in the story characteristics:
determining if the object permissions permit sponsored stories based on the action;
in response to a positive determination, including the action/instance pair in the modified story characteristics; and
in response to a negative determination, excluding the action/instance pair from the modified story characteristics.
in response to a negative determination, excluding the instance from the modified story characteristics.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, the instructions further operable, when executed, to:
periodically re-generate the set of modified story characteristics.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, the instructions further operable, when executed, to:
monitor the entry for changes in status, and updating the sponsored story to reflect any changes in the entry's status.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The media of claim 15, wherein a change in status comprises deletion of the entry, and the sponsored story is deleted to reflect the change.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The media of claim 15, wherein a change in status comprises altering the visibility of the entry, and the sponsored story visibility is altered to match the visibility of the entry.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, wherein the object types and instances may be user-defined.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, wherein the action types may be user-defined.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The media of claim 10, wherein the organic activity stream includes actions performed on external systems.