# US 9,436,709 B1 · Content discovery in a topical community > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,709 B1 - Document ID: US9436709B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 13/743,263 - Filed: 2013-01-16 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-16 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Mario Ventura Anima; Ralph Jacob Cressman; Kevin Ferguson; Mikhail Dhruv; Vinay Jain; Jeremy Lazarus; Benson Luk; Umanka Hebbar Karkada; Steve Tsai; James Rodgers; Fengjia Li; Paul Sowden; Jared Hirsch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436709B1 ## CPC - G06F 16/437: {Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution} - G06F 16/48: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The disclosure includes a system and method for discovering content in a topical community. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions when executed cause the system to: receive data indicating a first engagement action associated with a content item, the first engagement action performed by a first user; determine a topic associated with the content item; determine a topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more second engagement actions performed by one or more second users associated with the content item; determine that the topical reputation score satisfies a reputation threshold; unlock the topic for the first user responsive to the determination that the topical reputation score satisfies the reputation threshold and provide the first user an ability to curate other content items associated with the unlocked topic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving data indicating a first engagement action associated with a content item, the first engagement action performed by a first user; determining a topic associated with the content item; determining a first topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more second engagement actions performed by one or more second users associated with the content item; determining that first the topical reputation score of the first user satisfies a reputation threshold; unlocking the topic for the first user responsive to the determination that the first topical reputation score of the first user satisfies the reputation threshold; and responsive to unlocking the topic for the first user, providing the first user with an ability to curate another content item for the unlocked topic; receiving, from the first user, a management action including one of an approval and a rejection to include the another content item in the unlocked topic; and modifying a second topical reputation score related to the unlocked topic of another user based on the management action by the first user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first engagement action includes the first user publishing a uniform resource locator associated with the content item. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second engagement actions include an indication of whether the one or more second users approve of the content item. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: responsive to unlocking the topic for the first user, providing the first user with an ability to control how one or more second content items appear in a feed associated with the unlocked topic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more second content items are provided by one or more third users that are different than the first user. ### Claim 6 A method comprising: receiving data indicating an engagement action associated with a content item, the engagement action performed by a first user and the content item associated with a topic; determining a first topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more other engagement actions associated with the content item; receiving data describing a second management action performed by a second user on the content item, where the second user has abilities to curate content items associated with the topic, the second management action including one of an approval and a rejection to include the content item in the topic; determining a first set of impact scores for the second management action performed by the second user; and adjusting the first topical reputation score for the first user based on the first set of impact scores. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a first impact score generated by the second management action and a second impact score generated by a new engagement action established upon the second management action. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein adjusting the first topical reputation score comprises adjusting the first topical reputation score based on a weighted sum of the first impact score and the second impact score. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second management action includes an acknowledgement of relevance between the content item and the topic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a time-evolving modeling of one or more impact scores that affect the first topical reputation score. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the engagement action includes sharing a uniform resource locator associated with the content item. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: receive data indicating an engagement action associated with a content item, the engagement action performed by a first user and the content item associated with a topic; determine a first topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more other engagement actions associated with the content item; receive data describing a second management action performed by a second user on the content item, where the second user has abilities to curate content items associated with the topic, the second management action including one of an approval and a rejection to include the content item in the topic; determine a first set of impact scores for the second management action performed by the second user; and adjust the first topical reputation score for the first user based on the first set of impact scores. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a first impact score generated by the second management action and a second impact score generated by a new engagement action established upon the second management action. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein adjusting the first topical reputation score comprises adjusting the first topical reputation score based on a weighted sum of the first impact score and the second impact score. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the second management action includes an acknowledgement of relevance between the content item and the topic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a time-evolving modeling of one or more impact scores that affect the first topical reputation score. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the engagement action includes sharing a uniform resource locator associated with the content item. ### Claim 18 A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to: receive data indicating an engagement action associated with a content item, the engagement action performed by a first user and the content item associated with a topic; determine a first topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more other engagement actions associated with the content item; receive data describing a second management action performed by a second user on the content item, where the second user has abilities to curate content items associated with the topic, the second management action including one of an approval and a rejection to include the content item in the topic; determine a first set of impact scores for the second management action performed by the second user; and adjust the first topical reputation score for the first user based on the first set of impact scores. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a first impact score generated by the second management action and a second impact score generated by a new engagement action established upon the second management action. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first set of impact scores includes a time-evolving modeling of one or more impact scores that affect the first topical reputation score and adjusting the first topical reputation score comprises adjusting the first topical reputation score based on a weighted sum of the first impact score and the second impact score.