Visual tags for search results generated from social network information
AssigneeFacebook, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Lunt, Nicholas Galbreath, Jeffrey Winner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Search results, including sponsored links and algorithmic search results, are generated in response to a query, and are marked based on frequency of clicks on the search results by members of social network who are within a predetermined degree of separation from the member who submitted the query. The markers are visual tags and comprise either a text string or an image.
Claims18
In a social network, a method of processing requests from a third party, comprising:
- generating identification markers of records stored in a member database of the social network;
- receiving a request from a third party system that manages a third party database to identify relationship information of at least one member having a user record in the third party database, the request including an identification marker of the member;
- identifying the relationship information of the member having the identification marker in the member database of the social network by:
- (i) locating a record stored in the member database having an identification marker that matches the identification marker of the member, and
- (ii) identifying records stored in the member database corresponding to individuals related to the member;
- and
- returning the identified relationship information to the third party system, the identified relationship information including identification markers generated from records stored in the member database corresponding to individuals who are related to the member.
A system for processing requests from a third party in a social network, comprising:
- a member database storing data records of a plurality of members of the social network;
- and
- a processing unit configured to generate identification markers corresponding to data records stored in the member database,
- wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
- receive a request from a third party system that manages a third party database to identify relationship information of at least one member having a user record in the third party database, the request including an identification marker of the member,
- identify the relationship information of the member having the identification marker in the member database of the social network by locating a record stored in the member database having an identification marker that matches the identification marker of the member, and identifying records stored in the member database corresponding to individuals related to the member, and
- return the identified relationship information to the third party system, the identified relationship information including identification markers generated from records stored in the member database corresponding to individuals who are related to the member.
In a computer system for an online social network that includes a server computer and a database of registered users, a method for generating search results comprising:
- maintaining a database of registered users that stores for each registered user, a user ID of the registered user and a list that identifies other registered users who are related to the registered user in the online social network;
- receiving a search query;
- retrieving records that are responsive to the search query;
- for each retrieved record, determining a frequency of relevant clicks on a hyperlink associated with each retrieved record, wherein the relevant clicks are clicks by other registered users who are within at least two degrees of separation from the registered user in the online social network;
- sorting the retrieved records in the order of the frequency of relevant clicks associated with the retrieved records;
- and
- generating a search result page of the retrieved records sorted in the order of the frequency of relevant clicks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.