Facebook Patent | Systems And Methods For Enhancing Content

Patent: Systems And Methods For Enhancing Content

Publication Number: 20190206102

Publication Date: 20190704

Applicants: Facebook

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media can determine at least one visual overlay associated with audio content identified by a computing device. A selection of the at least one visual overlay for insertion into at least one content item can be determined. The at least one visual overlay can be inserted into the at least one content item, wherein the at least one visual overlay references the identified audio content.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present technology relates to the field of content provisioning. More particularly, the present technology relates to techniques for enhancing content in a computer networking environment.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Today, people often utilize computing devices (or systems) for a wide variety of purposes. Users can use their computing devices, for example, to interact with one another, create content, share content, and view content. In some cases, a user can utilize his or her computing device to access a social networking system (or service). The user can provide, post, share, and access various content items, such as status updates, images, videos, audios, articles, and links, via the social networking system.

SUMMARY

[0003] Various embodiments of the present disclosure can include systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media configured to determine at least one visual overlay associated with audio content identified by a computing device. A selection of the at least one visual overlay for insertion into at least one content item can be determined. The at least one visual overlay can be inserted into the at least one content item, wherein the at least one visual overlay references the identified audio content.

[0004] In an embodiment, the at least one visual overlay reflects graphical content associated with audio content being played by the computing device.

[0005] In an embodiment, the audio content is identified by an operating system running on the computing device.

[0006] In an embodiment, the at least one visual overlay reflects graphical content associated with ambient audio content detected by the computing device.

[0007] In an embodiment, the ambient audio content is identified using one or more audio databases or third-party music services.

[0008] In an embodiment, the graphical content reflects artwork associated with an artist, an album, or a song.

[0009] In an embodiment, the visual overlay corresponds to augmented reality content.

[0010] In an embodiment, the augmented reality content is overlaid in a reality environment represented in the at least one content item.

[0011] In an embodiment, the selection of the at least one visual overlay allows access to the identified audio content.

[0012] In an embodiment, the computing device provides options for resizing and repositioning the visual overlay.

[0013] It should be appreciated that many other features, applications, embodiments, and/or variations of the disclosed technology will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the following detailed description. Additional and/or alternative implementations of the structures, systems, non-transitory computer readable media, and methods described herein can be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosed technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system including an example content provider module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an example visual overlay module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an example audio module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate example diagrams, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a network diagram of an example system that can be utilized in various scenarios, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a computer system that can be utilized in various scenarios, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] The figures depict various embodiments of the disclosed technology for purposes of illustration only, wherein the figures use like reference numerals to identify like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated in the figures can be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosed technology described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Approaches for Enhancing Content

[0022] People use computing devices (or systems) for a wide variety of purposes. Computing devices can provide different kinds of functionality. Users can utilize their computing devices to produce information, access information, and share information. In some cases, users can utilize computing devices to interact or engage with a social networking system (e.g., a social networking service, a social network, etc.). A social networking system may provide resources through which users can publish content items. In one example, a content item can be published through a profile page of a user. As another example, a content item can be published through content feeds for users to access. As yet another example, a user can publish content items as part of a story (or story feed).

[0023] A social networking system may also provide resources through which a user may create and share content. For example, a user can create a content item in which captured subject matter is reflected. The user can provide a caption to indicate a general mood or some other expression relating to the subject matter represented in the content item, for example. The created content item and caption can be posted (or shared) through a social networking system. In some instances, such conventional forms of expression may not be sufficient for users to fully express themselves. Accordingly, such conventional approaches may not be effective in addressing these and other problems arising in computer technology.

[0024] An improved approach rooted in computer technology overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages associated with conventional approaches specifically arising in the realm of computer technology. In various embodiments, users can access and insert visual overlays into content items. In some embodiments, visual overlays can be graphical overlays (e.g., stickers, frames, etc.) that can be inserted into content items. In some embodiments, visual overlays can correspond to augmented reality content that can be inserted into content items. In some embodiments, when being inserted into a content item, augmented reality content can be overlaid within a real world environment represented in a content item. In some embodiments, visual overlays can reference audio content (e.g., music content corresponding to an artist, album, song, etc.). For example, a user can insert a visual overlay that references audio content within a content item. In various embodiments, inserted visual overlays can be interactive. In the foregoing example, a user accessing the content item can select the inserted visual overlay to access the referenced audio content. More details relating to the disclosed technology are provided below.

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system 100 including an example content provider module 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the example of FIG. 1, the example content provider module 102 can include a content module 104, a story module 106, and a visual overlay module 108. In some instances, the example system 100 can include at least one data store 110. The components (e.g., modules, elements, etc.) shown in this figure and all figures herein are exemplary only, and other implementation may include additional, fewer, integrated, or different components. Some components may not be shown so as not to obscure relevant details.

[0026] In some embodiments, the content provider module 102 can be implemented, in part or in whole, as software, hardware, or any combination thereof. In general, a module as discussed herein can be associated with software, hardware, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, one or more functions, tasks, and/or operations of modules can be carried out or performed by software routines, software processes, hardware, and/or any combination thereof. In some cases, the content provider module 102 or at least a portion thereof can be implemented using one or more computing devices or systems that include one or more servers, such as network servers or cloud servers. In some instances, the content provider module 102 can, in part or in whole, be implemented within or configured to operate in conjunction with a social networking system (or service), such as a social networking system 630 of FIG. 6. In some instances, the content provider module 102 can be, in part or in whole, implemented within or configured to operate in conjunction or be integrated with a client computing device, such as a user device 610 of FIG. 6. For example, the content provider module 102 can be implemented as or within a dedicated application (e.g., app), a program, or an applet running on a user computing device or client computing system. The application incorporating or implementing instructions for performing some, or all, functionality of the content provider module 102 can be created by a developer. The application can be provided to or maintained in a repository. In some cases, the application can be uploaded or otherwise transmitted over a network (e.g., Internet) to the repository. For example, a computing system (e.g., server) associated with or under control of the developer of the application can provide or transmit the application to the repository. The repository can include, for example, an “app” store in which the application can be maintained for access or download by a user. In response to a command by the user to download the application, the application can be provided or otherwise transmitted over a network from the repository to a computing device associated with the user. For example, a computing system (e.g., server) associated with or under control of an administrator of the repository can cause or permit the application to be transmitted to the computing device of the user so that the user can install and run the application. The developer of the application and the administrator of the repository can be different entities in some cases, but can be the same entity in other cases. It should be understood that many variations are possible.

[0027] In some embodiments, the content provider module 102 can be configured to communicate and/or operate with the at least one data store 110, as shown in the example system 100. The at least one data store 110 can be configured to store and maintain various types of data. For example, the data store 110 can store information corresponding to various visual overlays that can be inserted into content items. In some implementations, the at least one data store 110 can store information associated with the social networking system (e.g. the social networking system 630 of FIG. 6). The information associated with the social networking system can include data about users, social connection, social interactions, locations, geo-fenced areas, maps, places, events, pages, groups, posts, communications, content, feeds, account settings, privacy settings, a social graph, and various other types of data. In some implementations, the at least one data store 110 can store information associated with users, such as user identifiers, user information, profile information, user locations, user specified settings, content produced or posted by users, and various other types of user data. In some embodiments, the at least one data store 110 can store information that is utilized by the content provider module 102. Again, it is contemplated that there can be many variations or other possibilities.

[0028] The content module 104 can be configured to provide users with access to content (e.g., content items) that is available through a social networking system. In some instances, this content can include content items that are posted in one or more content feeds (e.g., story feeds) accessible through the social networking system. For example, the content module 104 can provide a first user with access to content items through an interface that is provided by a software application (e.g., a social networking application) running on a computing device of the first user. The first user can also interact with the interface to post content items to the social networking system. Such content items may include text, images, audio, and videos, for example. For example, the first user can submit a post to be published through the social networking system. In some embodiments, the post can include, or reference, one or more content items.

[0029] In various embodiments, other users of the social networking system can access content items posted by the first user. In one example, the other users can access the content items by searching for the first user, for example, by user name through an interface provided by a software application (e.g., a social networking application, browser, etc.) running on their respective computing devices. In some instances, some users may want to see content items posted by the first user in their respective content feeds. To cause content items posted by the first user to be included in their respective content feed, a user can select an option through the interface to subscribe to, or “follow”, the first user. As a result, some or all content items that are posted by the first user can automatically be included in the respective content feed of the user. If the user decides that they no longer want to see content from the first user in their respective content feed, the user can select an option through the interface to “unfollow” the first user.

[0030] The story module 106 can provide an option that allows users to post their content as stories. In some embodiments, each user has a corresponding story in which the user can post content. When a user’s story is accessed by another user, the story module 106 can provide content posted in the story to the other user for viewing. In general, content posted in a user’s story feed may be accessible by any user of the social networking system. In some embodiments, content posted in a user’s story may only be accessible to followers of the user. In some embodiments, user stories expire after a pre-defined time interval (e.g., every 24 hours). In such embodiments, content posted in stories is treated as ephemeral content that is made inaccessible once the pre-defined time interval has elapsed. In contrast, content posted in a user’s content feed can be treated as non-ephemeral content that remains accessible for an indefinite period of time.

[0031] In various embodiments, users can enhance content to be published through the social networking system. For example, in some embodiments, users can insert visual overlays into their content items. The visual overlays may include, for example, graphical overlays and/or augmented reality content. In some embodiments, visual overlays are associated with audio content (e.g., musical content corresponding to an artist, album, song, etc.). In such embodiments, users can identify visual overlays to be inserted into content items based on audio content. For example, in some embodiments, audio content of interest can be specified by a user or can be automatically identified. In such embodiments, one or more visual overlays can be suggested for the audio content. The user can select the one or more of the visual overlays for insertion into a given content item. More details regarding the visual overlay module 108 will be provided below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates an example visual overlay module 202, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the visual overlay module 108 of FIG. 1 can be implemented with the visual overlay module of 202. As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the visual overlay module 202 can include an audio module 204, a lookup module 206, and an insertion module 208.

[0033] In various embodiments, the audio module 204 can be configured to identify audio content. For example, the audio module 204 can identify audio content based on audio content being played. In some embodiments, the audio module 204 can identify audio content being played by a computing device. In some embodiments, the audio module 204 can detect and identify ambient audio content (e.g., background music). More details regarding the audio module 204 will be discussed below with reference to FIG. 3.

[0034] The lookup module 206 can be configured to obtain and provide visual overlays associated with audio content identified by the audio module 204. In some embodiments, visual overlays reflect graphical content (e.g., album art, cover art, etc.) associated with audio content identified by the audio module 204. For example, in some embodiments, a visual overlay may be a graphical overlay that reflects graphical content (e.g., album art, cover art, etc.) associated with some identified audio content (e.g., a song). Similarly, in some embodiments, a visual overlay may be augmented reality content that reflects graphical content (e.g., album art, cover art, etc.) associated with some identified audio content. In various embodiments, the lookup module 206 can obtain visual overlays associated with identified audio content from various audio databases and/or application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by third-party music services. The association between audio content and corresponding visual overlays can be determined by the third-party music services, creators of the audio content, or others. In general, the lookup module 208 can provide access to obtained visual overlays through an interface. The interface may be provided by a software application running on a computing device, for example. In some embodiments, the lookup module 206 may add animation to the obtained visual overlays through the interface. A user operating the computing device can interact with the interface to select and insert visual overlays into content items, as described below in reference to FIGS. 4A-4C.

[0035] The insertion module 208 can be configured to insert visual overlays into content items. For example, a user may cause the insertion module 208 to insert a visual overlay that references some audio content (e.g., song) into a content item to express a mood or feeling. Further, in some embodiments, a user accessing the content item in which the visual overlay has been inserted can select the visual overlay to access (e.g., play, download, purchase, etc.) the referenced audio content. For example, upon selecting the visual overlay, the user may be directed to a third-party music service from which the referenced audio content can be accessed. In some embodiments, the insertion module 208 can insert a visual overlay as augmented reality content into content items reflecting reality, such as a live broadcast or other capture of a real environment. In general, inserted visual overlays can be resized and/or repositioned. For example, a visual overlay can be dragged and positioned by performing various touchscreen gestures (e.g., drag gesture) applied to an interface through which the visual overlay is presented. In some embodiments, a user also can resize inserted visual overlays, for example, by performing various touchscreen gestures (e.g., pinch or spread gesture). It is contemplated that many variations are possible.

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates an example audio module 302, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the audio module 204 of FIG. 2 can be implemented with the audio module 302. As shown in FIG. 3, the audio module 302 can include a device audio module 304 and an ambient audio module 306.

[0037] As mentioned, the audio module 302 can be configured to identify audio content. For example, in some embodiments, the device audio module 304 can identify audio content (e.g., a song) being played by a computing device. In this example, the computing device may be operated by a user sharing content items through the social networking system. The audio content can be identified based on conventional audio identification or recognition techniques. In some embodiments, the audio content can be identified by snooping from an operating system running on the computing device. For example, the audio content can be identified by making a call to an application programming interface (API) provided by the operating system running on the computing device. In some embodiments, the audio content can be identified by communication with an application or content player through which the audio content is being presented. Likewise, the application or the content player can provide an interface through which the audio module 302 can request and receive an identification of the audio content. Many variations are possible.

[0038] In some embodiments, the ambient audio module 306 can identify ambient audio content. For example, the ambient audio module 306 can detect audio content (e.g., music) playing in an environment in which a computing device is located. The computing device can detect the music using one or more microphones of the computing device. In general, the audio content can be identified using conventional techniques. For example, information describing the detected audio content can be matched against information accessible through one or more audio databases. Such audio databases may store information describing known (or previously identified) audio content. In some embodiments, the ambient audio module 306 can identify ambient audio content from various content providers (e.g., third-party music services, etc.) using various available APIs. In various embodiments, the ambient audio module 306 can be instructed to identify ambient audio content by a user operating a computing device. In some embodiments, the user can cause the ambient audio module 306 to identify ambient audio content by selecting (e.g., long-pressing) an option (e.g., button) provided by an interface, as illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 4A-4C. In such embodiments, the ambient audio module 306 can provide a pulsating animation in the interface to indicate that ambient audio content is being detected and identified. Many variations are possible.

[0039] FIG. 4A illustrates an example diagram 400, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The example diagram 400 illustrates operation of the content provider module 102. In the example of FIG. 4A, a user operating a computing device 402 has identified a content item 404 to be published through a social networking system. The content item 404 can be presented in an interface 406 that is accessible through a display screen of the computing device 402. The interface 406 may be provided by an application (e.g., a web browser, a social networking application, etc.) running on the computing device 402. In some embodiments, the interface 406 can include a region 408 in which various visual overlay options 410 can be displayed. In such embodiments, the user can swipe (e.g., swipe right and/or left, swipe up and/or down) to access additional visual overlays 410.

[0040] In some embodiments, audio content being played through the computing device 402 can be identified, as described above. In such embodiments, the computing device 402 can automatically identify the audio content being played. The computing device 402 can determine any visual overlays associated with the identified audio content and can provide options for inserting those visual overlays into the content item 404. For example, the interface 406 may provide an option 412 for inserting a visual overlay 416 (e.g., augmented reality content) that references the identified audio content, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 4B. In some embodiments, the option 412 can animate. For example, as illustrated here, the option 412 can have three pulsating bars (e.g., pulsating sound or volume bars) to indicate that the visual overlay 416 associated with the audio content being played has been identified by the computing device 402. In some embodiments, the option 412 and the visual overlay 416 can reflect same graphical content. In the example shown, the user operating the computing device 402 has selected the option 412 and accordingly caused insertion of the visual overlay 416 into the content item 404. In some embodiments, the user can insert the visual overlay 416 by dragging the option 412 to a center ring 414 in the interface 406. In this example, the visual overlay 416 corresponds to augmented reality content that represents album art associated with the identified audio content. As discussed, the location and the size of the visual overlay 416 can be manipulated by various interactions with the interface 406. Further, when the content item 404 including the visual overlay 416 is presented to other users, selection of the visual overlay 416 can allow the other users to access the referenced audio content. In some embodiments, the visual overlays may be masks or frames associated with the audio content. In some embodiments, the graphical overlays may be pre-determined and need not be associated with the audio content. Many variations are possible.

[0041] In some embodiments, ambient audio content can be detected and used to identify visual overlays, as described above. In some embodiments, ambient audio content can be detected and identified in response to the user selecting (e.g., long-pressing) the center ring 414, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 4C. For example, selecting the center ring 414 can instruct the computing device 402 to detect and identify the ambient audio content. In this example, a visual indicator 418 can be displayed in the interface 406 to indicate that the computing device 402 is detecting and identifying the ambient audio content. In some embodiments, the visual indicator 418 can animate. For example, the visual indicator 418 can pulsate while ambient audio content is being detected and identified by the computing device 402. Once the ambient audio content is identified, an option 420 corresponding to a visual overlay 422 can be provided in the interface 406. Here, the visual overlay 422 is associated with the identified ambient audio content. Similarly, in some embodiments, the option 420 can animate. For example, the option 420 can have three pulsating bars (e.g., pulsating sound or volume bars) to indicate that the visual overlay 422 associated with the ambient audio content has been identified. In some embodiments, the option 420 and the visual overlay 422 can reflect same graphical content. As shown, the user operating the computing device 402 has selected the option 420 to insert the visual overlay 422 into the content item 404. In some embodiments, the user can insert the visual overlay 422 by dragging the option 420 to the center ring 414 in the interface 406. In some embodiments, instead of the center ring 414, the interface 406 can include a dedicated option that can be selected to instruct the computing device 402 to detect and identify ambient audio content. Many variations are contemplated.

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates an example method 500, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that there can be additional, fewer, or alternative steps performed in similar or alternative orders, or in parallel, within the scope of the various embodiments unless otherwise stated.

[0043] At block 502, the example method 500 can determine at least one visual overlay associated with audio content identified by a computing device. At block 504, the example method 500 can determine a selection of the at least one visual overlay for insertion into at least one content item. At block 506, the example method 500 can insert the at least one visual overlay into the at least one content item, wherein the at least one visual overlay references the identified audio content.

[0044] It is contemplated that there can be many other uses, applications, features, possibilities, and/or variations associated with the various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, in some instances, the disclosed technology can provide the one or more visual overlays based on music previously played by users using machine learning techniques. The disclosed technology can also suggest visual overlays based on what followers of the users are listening to. Additionally, in some cases, users can choose whether or not to opt-in to utilize the disclosed technology. The disclosed technology can, for instance, also ensure that various privacy setting and preferences are maintained and can prevent private information from being divulged. In another example, various embodiments of the present disclosure can learn, improve, and/or be refined over time.

Social Networking System–Example Implementation

[0045] FIG. 6 illustrates a network diagram of an example system 600 that can be utilized in various scenarios, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 600 includes one or more user devices 610, one or more external systems 620, a social networking system (or service) 630, and a network 650. In an embodiment, the social networking service, provider, and/or system discussed in connection with the embodiments described above may be implemented as the social networking system 630. For purposes of illustration, the embodiment of the system 600, shown by FIG. 6, includes a single external system 620 and a single user device 610. However, in other embodiments, the system 600 may include more user devices 610 and/or more external systems 620. In certain embodiments, the social networking system 630 is operated by a social network provider, whereas the external systems 620 are separate from the social networking system 630 in that they may be operated by different entities. In various embodiments, however, the social networking system 630 and the external systems 620 operate in conjunction to provide social networking services to users (or members) of the social networking system 630. In this sense, the social networking system 630 provides a platform or backbone, which other systems, such as external systems 620, may use to provide social networking services and functionalities to users across the Internet.

[0046] The user device 610 comprises one or more computing devices (or systems) that can receive input from a user and transmit and receive data via the network 650. In one embodiment, the user device 610 is a conventional computer system executing, for example, a Microsoft Windows compatible operating system (OS), Apple OS X, and/or a Linux distribution. In another embodiment, the user device 610 can be a computing device or a device having computer functionality, such as a smart-phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, a wearable device (e.g., a pair of glasses, a watch, a bracelet, etc.), a camera, an appliance, etc. The user device 610 is configured to communicate via the network 650. The user device 610 can execute an application, for example, a browser application that allows a user of the user device 610 to interact with the social networking system 630. In another embodiment, the user device 610 interacts with the social networking system 630 through an application programming interface (API) provided by the native operating system of the user device 610, such as iOS and ANDROID. The user device 610 is configured to communicate with the external system 620 and the social networking system 630 via the network 650, which may comprise any combination of local area and/or wide area networks, using wired and/or wireless communication systems.

[0047] In one embodiment, the network 650 uses standard communications technologies and protocols. Thus, the network 650 can include links using technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), 3G, 4G, CDMA, GSM, LTE, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc. Similarly, the networking protocols used on the network 650 can include multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), and the like. The data exchanged over the network 650 can be represented using technologies and/or formats including hypertext markup language (HTML) and extensible markup language (XML). In addition, all or some links can be encrypted using conventional encryption technologies such as secure sockets layer (SSL), transport layer security (TLS), and Internet Protocol security (IPsec).

[0048] In one embodiment, the user device 610 may display content from the external system 620 and/or from the social networking system 630 by processing a markup language document 614 received from the external system 620 and from the social networking system 630 using a browser application 612. The markup language document 614 identifies content and one or more instructions describing formatting or presentation of the content. By executing the instructions included in the markup language document 614, the browser application 612 displays the identified content using the format or presentation described by the markup language document 614. For example, the markup language document 614 includes instructions for generating and displaying a web page having multiple frames that include text and/or image data retrieved from the external system 620 and the social networking system 630. In various embodiments, the markup language document 614 comprises a data file including extensible markup language (XML) data, extensible hypertext markup language (XHTML) data, or other markup language data. Additionally, the markup language document 614 may include JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data, JSON with padding (JSONP), and JavaScript data to facilitate data-interchange between the external system 620 and the user device 610. The browser application 612 on the user device 610 may use a JavaScript compiler to decode the markup language document 614.

[0049] The markup language document 614 may also include, or link to, applications or application frameworks such as FLASH.TM. or Unity.TM. applications, the Silverlight.TM. application framework, etc.

[0050] In one embodiment, the user device 610 also includes one or more cookies 616 including data indicating whether a user of the user device 610 is logged into the social networking system 630, which may enable modification of the data communicated from the social networking system 630 to the user device 610.

[0051] The external system 620 includes one or more web servers that include one or more web pages 622a, 622b, which are communicated to the user device 610 using the network 650. The external system 620 is separate from the social networking system 630. For example, the external system 620 is associated with a first domain, while the social networking system 630 is associated with a separate social networking domain. Web pages 622a, 622b, included in the external system 620, comprise markup language documents 614 identifying content and including instructions specifying formatting or presentation of the identified content. As discussed previously, it should be appreciated that there can be many variations or other possibilities.

[0052] The social networking system 630 includes one or more computing devices for a social network, including a plurality of users, and providing users of the social network with the ability to communicate and interact with other users of the social network. In some instances, the social network can be represented by a graph, i.e., a data structure including edges and nodes. Other data structures can also be used to represent the social network, including but not limited to databases, objects, classes, meta elements, files, or any other data structure. The social networking system 630 may be administered, managed, or controlled by an operator. The operator of the social networking system 630 may be a human being, an automated application, or a series of applications for managing content, regulating policies, and collecting usage metrics within the social networking system 630. Any type of operator may be used.

[0053] Users may join the social networking system 630 and then add connections to any number of other users of the social networking system 630 to whom they desire to be connected. As used herein, the term “friend” refers to any other user of the social networking system 630 to whom a user has formed a connection, association, or relationship via the social networking system 630. For example, in an embodiment, if users in the social networking system 630 are represented as nodes in the social graph, the term “friend” can refer to an edge formed between and directly connecting two user nodes.

[0054] Connections may be added explicitly by a user or may be automatically created by the social networking system 630 based on common characteristics of the users (e.g., users who are alumni of the same educational institution). For example, a first user specifically selects a particular other user to be a friend. Connections in the social networking system 630 are usually in both directions, but need not be, so the terms “user” and “friend” depend on the frame of reference. Connections between users of the social networking system 630 are usually bilateral (“two-way”), or “mutual,” but connections may also be unilateral, or “one-way.” For example, if Bob and Joe are both users of the social networking system 630 and connected to each other, Bob and Joe are each other’s connections. If, on the other hand, Bob wishes to connect to Joe to view data communicated to the social networking system 630 by Joe, but Joe does not wish to form a mutual connection, a unilateral connection may be established. The connection between users may be a direct connection; however, some embodiments of the social networking system 630 allow the connection to be indirect via one or more levels of connections or degrees of separation.

[0055] In addition to establishing and maintaining connections between users and allowing interactions between users, the social networking system 630 provides users with the ability to take actions on various types of items supported by the social networking system 630. These items may include groups or networks (i.e., social networks of people, entities, and concepts) to which users of the social networking system 630 may belong, events or calendar entries in which a user might be interested, computer-based applications that a user may use via the social networking system 630, transactions that allow users to buy or sell items via services provided by or through the social networking system 630, and interactions with advertisements that a user may perform on or off the social networking system 630. These are just a few examples of the items upon which a user may act on the social networking system 630, and many others are possible. A user may interact with anything that is capable of being represented in the social networking system 630 or in the external system 620, separate from the social networking system 630, or coupled to the social networking system 630 via the network 650.

[0056] The social networking system 630 is also capable of linking a variety of entities. For example, the social networking system 630 enables users to interact with each other as well as external systems 620 or other entities through an API, a web service, or other communication channels. The social networking system 630 generates and maintains the “social graph” comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of edges. Each node in the social graph may represent an entity that can act on another node and/or that can be acted on by another node. The social graph may include various types of nodes. Examples of types of nodes include users, non-person entities, content items, web pages, groups, activities, messages, concepts, and any other things that can be represented by an object in the social networking system 630. An edge between two nodes in the social graph may represent a particular kind of connection, or association, between the two nodes, which may result from node relationships or from an action that was performed by one of the nodes on the other node. In some cases, the edges between nodes can be weighted. The weight of an edge can represent an attribute associated with the edge, such as a strength of the connection or association between nodes. Different types of edges can be provided with different weights. For example, an edge created when one user “likes” another user may be given one weight, while an edge created when a user befriends another user may be given a different weight.

[0057] As an example, when a first user identifies a second user as a friend, an edge in the social graph is generated connecting a node representing the first user and a second node representing the second user. As various nodes relate or interact with each other, the social networking system 630 modifies edges connecting the various nodes to reflect the relationships and interactions.

[0058] The social networking system 630 also includes user-generated content, which enhances a user’s interactions with the social networking system 630. User-generated content may include anything a user can add, upload, send, or “post” to the social networking system 630. For example, a user communicates posts to the social networking system 630 from a user device 610. Posts may include data such as status updates or other textual data, location information, images such as photos, videos, links, music or other similar data and/or media. Content may also be added to the social networking system 630 by a third party. Content “items” are represented as objects in the social networking system 630. In this way, users of the social networking system 630 are encouraged to communicate with each other by posting text and content items of various types of media through various communication channels. Such communication increases the interaction of users with each other and increases the frequency with which users interact with the social networking system 630.

[0059] The social networking system 630 includes a web server 632, an API request server 634, a user profile store 636, a connection store 638, an action logger 640, an activity log 642, and an authorization server 644. In an embodiment of the invention, the social networking system 630 may include additional, fewer, or different components for various applications. Other components, such as network interfaces, security mechanisms, load balancers, failover servers, management and network operations consoles, and the like are not shown so as to not obscure the details of the system.

[0060] The user profile store 636 maintains information about user accounts, including biographic, demographic, and other types of descriptive information, such as work experience, educational history, hobbies or preferences, location, and the like that has been declared by users or inferred by the social networking system 630. This information is stored in the user profile store 636 such that each user is uniquely identified. The social networking system 630 also stores data describing one or more connections between different users in the connection store 638. The connection information may indicate users who have similar or common work experience, group memberships, hobbies, or educational history. Additionally, the social networking system 630 includes user-defined connections between different users, allowing users to specify their relationships with other users. For example, user-defined connections allow users to generate relationships with other users that parallel the users’ real-life relationships, such as friends, co-workers, partners, and so forth. Users may select from predefined types of connections, or define their own connection types as needed. Connections with other nodes in the social networking system 630, such as non-person entities, buckets, cluster centers, images, interests, pages, external systems, concepts, and the like are also stored in the connection store 638.

[0061] The social networking system 630 maintains data about objects with which a user may interact. To maintain this data, the user profile store 636 and the connection store 638 store instances of the corresponding type of objects maintained by the social networking system 630. Each object type has information fields that are suitable for storing information appropriate to the type of object. For example, the user profile store 636 contains data structures with fields suitable for describing a user’s account and information related to a user’s account. When a new object of a particular type is created, the social networking system 630 initializes a new data structure of the corresponding type, assigns a unique object identifier to it, and begins to add data to the object as needed. This might occur, for example, when a user becomes a user of the social networking system 630, the social networking system 630 generates a new instance of a user profile in the user profile store 636, assigns a unique identifier to the user account, and begins to populate the fields of the user account with information provided by the user.

[0062] The connection store 638 includes data structures suitable for describing a user’s connections to other users, connections to external systems 620 or connections to other entities. The connection store 638 may also associate a connection type with a user’s connections, which may be used in conjunction with the user’s privacy setting to regulate access to information about the user. In an embodiment of the invention, the user profile store 636 and the connection store 638 may be implemented as a federated database.

[0063] Data stored in the connection store 638, the user profile store 636, and the activity log 642 enables the social networking system 630 to generate the social graph that uses nodes to identify various objects and edges connecting nodes to identify relationships between different objects. For example, if a first user establishes a connection with a second user in the social networking system 630, user accounts of the first user and the second user from the user profile store 636 may act as nodes in the social graph. The connection between the first user and the second user stored by the connection store 638 is an edge between the nodes associated with the first user and the second user. Continuing this example, the second user may then send the first user a message within the social networking system 630. The action of sending the message, which may be stored, is another edge between the two nodes in the social graph representing the first user and the second user. Additionally, the message itself may be identified and included in the social graph as another node connected to the nodes representing the first user and the second user.

[0064] In another example, a first user may tag a second user in an image that is maintained by the social networking system 630 (or, alternatively, in an image maintained by another system outside of the social networking system 630). The image may itself be represented as a node in the social networking system 630. This tagging action may create edges between the first user and the second user as well as create an edge between each of the users and the image, which is also a node in the social graph. In yet another example, if a user confirms attending an event, the user and the event are nodes obtained from the user profile store 636, where the attendance of the event is an edge between the nodes that may be retrieved from the activity log 642. By generating and maintaining the social graph, the social networking system 630 includes data describing many different types of objects and the interactions and connections among those objects, providing a rich source of socially relevant information.

[0065] The web server 632 links the social networking system 630 to one or more user devices 610 and/or one or more external systems 620 via the network 650. The web server 632 serves web pages, as well as other web-related content, such as Java, JavaScript, Flash, XML, and so forth. The web server 632 may include a mail server or other messaging functionality for receiving and routing messages between the social networking system 630 and one or more user devices 610. The messages can be instant messages, queued messages (e.g., email), text and SMS messages, or any other suitable messaging format.

[0066] The API request server 634 allows one or more external systems 620 and user devices 610 to call access information from the social networking system 630 by calling one or more API functions. The API request server 634 may also allow external systems 620 to send information to the social networking system 630 by calling APIs. The external system 620, in one embodiment, sends an API request to the social networking system 630 via the network 650, and the API request server 634 receives the API request. The API request server 634 processes the request by calling an API associated with the API request to generate an appropriate response, which the API request server 634 communicates to the external system 620 via the network 650. For example, responsive to an API request, the API request server 634 collects data associated with a user, such as the user’s connections that have logged into the external system 620, and communicates the collected data to the external system 620. In another embodiment, the user device 610 communicates with the social networking system 630 via APIs in the same manner as external systems 620.

[0067] The action logger 640 is capable of receiving communications from the web server 632 about user actions on and/or off the social networking system 630. The action logger 640 populates the activity log 642 with information about user actions, enabling the social networking system 630 to discover various actions taken by its users within the social networking system 630 and outside of the social networking system 630. Any action that a particular user takes with respect to another node on the social networking system 630 may be associated with each user’s account, through information maintained in the activity log 642 or in a similar database or other data repository. Examples of actions taken by a user within the social networking system 630 that are identified and stored may include, for example, adding a connection to another user, sending a message to another user, reading a message from another user, viewing content associated with another user, attending an event posted by another user, posting an image, attempting to post an image, or other actions interacting with another user or another object. When a user takes an action within the social networking system 630, the action is recorded in the activity log 642. In one embodiment, the social networking system 630 maintains the activity log 642 as a database of entries. When an action is taken within the social networking system 630, an entry for the action is added to the activity log 642. The activity log 642 may be referred to as an action log.

[0068] Additionally, user actions may be associated with concepts and actions that occur within an entity outside of the social networking system 630, such as an external system 620 that is separate from the social networking system 630. For example, the action logger 640 may receive data describing a user’s interaction with an external system 620 from the web server 632. In this example, the external system 620 reports a user’s interaction according to structured actions and objects in the social graph.

[0069] Other examples of actions where a user interacts with an external system 620 include a user expressing an interest in an external system 620 or another entity, a user posting a comment to the social networking system 630 that discusses an external system 620 or a web page 622a within the external system 620, a user posting to the social networking system 630 a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or other identifier associated with an external system 620, a user attending an event associated with an external system 620, or any other action by a user that is related to an external system 620. Thus, the activity log 642 may include actions describing interactions between a user of the social networking system 630 and an external system 620 that is separate from the social networking system 630.

[0070] The authorization server 644 enforces one or more privacy settings of the users of the social networking system 630. A privacy setting of a user determines how particular information associated with a user can be shared. The privacy setting comprises the specification of particular information associated with a user and the specification of the entity or entities with whom the information can be shared. Examples of entities with which information can be shared may include other users, applications, external systems 620, or any entity that can potentially access the information. The information that can be shared by a user comprises user account information, such as profile photos, phone numbers associated with the user, user’s connections, actions taken by the user such as adding a connection, changing user profile information, and the like.

[0071] The privacy setting specification may be provided at different levels of granularity. For example, the privacy setting may identify specific information to be shared with other users; the privacy setting identifies a work phone number or a specific set of related information, such as, personal information including profile photo, home phone number, and status. Alternatively, the privacy setting may apply to all the information associated with the user. The specification of the set of entities that can access particular information can also be specified at various levels of granularity. Various sets of entities with which information can be shared may include, for example, all friends of the user, all friends of friends, all applications, or all external systems 620. One embodiment allows the specification of the set of entities to comprise an enumeration of entities. For example, the user may provide a list of external systems 620 that are allowed to access certain information. Another embodiment allows the specification to comprise a set of entities along with exceptions that are not allowed to access the information. For example, a user may allow all external systems 620 to access the user’s work information, but specify a list of external systems 620 that are not allowed to access the work information. Certain embodiments call the list of exceptions that are not allowed to access certain information a “block list”. External systems 620 belonging to a block list specified by a user are blocked from accessing the information specified in the privacy setting. Various combinations of granularity of specification of information, and granularity of specification of entities, with which information is shared are possible. For example, all personal information may be shared with friends whereas all work information may be shared with friends of friends.

[0072] The authorization server 644 contains logic to determine if certain information associated with a user can be accessed by a user’s friends, external systems 620, and/or other applications and entities. The external system 620 may need authorization from the authorization server 644 to access the user’s more private and sensitive information, such as the user’s work phone number. Based on the user’s privacy settings, the authorization server 644 determines if another user, the external system 620, an application, or another entity is allowed to access information associated with the user, including information about actions taken by the user.

[0073] In some embodiments, a content provider module 646 can be implemented in the social networking system 630. The content provider module 646 can, for example, be implemented as the content provider module 102 of FIG. 1 in whole or in part. In some embodiments, a content provider module 618 can be implemented in the user device 610. The content provider module 618 can, for example, be implemented as the content provider module 102 of FIG. 1 in whole or in part. As discussed previously, it should be appreciated that there can be many variations or other possibilities.

Hardware Implementation

[0074] The foregoing processes and features can be implemented by a wide variety of machine and computer system architectures and in a wide variety of network and computing environments. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a computer system 700 that may be used to implement one or more of the embodiments described herein in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The computer system 700 includes sets of instructions for causing the computer system 700 to perform the processes and features discussed herein. The computer system 700 may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the computer system 700 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. In an embodiment of the invention, the computer system 700 may be the social networking system 630, the user device 610, and the external system 620, or a component thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, the computer system 700 may be one server among many that constitutes all or part of the social networking system 630.

[0075] The computer system 700 includes a processor 702, a cache 704, and one or more executable modules and drivers, stored on a computer-readable medium, directed to the processes and features described herein. Additionally, the computer system 700 includes a high performance input/output (I/O) bus 706 and a standard I/O bus 708. A host bridge 710 couples processor 702 to high performance I/O bus 706, whereas I/O bus bridge 712 couples the two buses 706 and 708 to each other. A system memory 714 and one or more network interfaces 716 couple to high performance I/O bus 706. The computer system 700 may further include video memory and a display device coupled to the video memory (not shown). Mass storage 718 and I/O ports 720 couple to the standard I/O bus 708. The computer system 700 may optionally include a keyboard and pointing device, a display device, or other input/output devices (not shown) coupled to the standard I/O bus 708. Collectively, these elements are intended to represent a broad category of computer hardware systems, including but not limited to computer systems based on the x86-compatible processors manufactured by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., and the x86-compatible processors manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., as well as any other suitable processor.

[0076] An operating system manages and controls the operation of the computer system 700, including the input and output of data to and from software applications (not shown). The operating system provides an interface between the software applications being executed on the system and the hardware components of the system. Any suitable operating system may be used, such as the LINUX Operating System, the Apple Macintosh Operating System, available from Apple Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., UNIX operating systems, Microsoft.RTM. Windows.RTM. operating systems, BSD operating systems, and the like. Other implementations are possible.

[0077] The elements of the computer system 700 are described in greater detail below. In particular, the network interface 716 provides communication between the computer system 700 and any of a wide range of networks, such as an Ethernet (e.g., IEEE 802.3) network, a backplane, etc. The mass storage 718 provides permanent storage for the data and programming instructions to perform the above-described processes and features implemented by the respective computing systems identified above, whereas the system memory 714 (e.g., DRAM) provides temporary storage for the data and programming instructions when executed by the processor 702. The I/O ports 720 may be one or more serial and/or parallel communication ports that provide communication between additional peripheral devices, which may be coupled to the computer system 700.

[0078] The computer system 700 may include a variety of system architectures, and various components of the computer system 700 may be rearranged. For example, the cache 704 may be on-chip with processor 702. Alternatively, the cache 704 and the processor 702 may be packed together as a “processor module”, with processor 702 being referred to as the “processor core”. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the invention may neither require nor include all of the above components. For example, peripheral devices coupled to the standard I/O bus 708 may couple to the high performance I/O bus 706. In addition, in some embodiments, only a single bus may exist, with the components of the computer system 700 being coupled to the single bus. Moreover, the computer system 700 may include additional components, such as additional processors, storage devices, or memories.

[0079] In general, the processes and features described herein may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or series of instructions referred to as “programs”. For example, one or more programs may be used to execute specific processes described herein. The programs typically comprise one or more instructions in various memory and storage devices in the computer system 700 that, when read and executed by one or more processors, cause the computer system 700 to perform operations to execute the processes and features described herein. The processes and features described herein may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit), or any combination thereof.

[0080] In one implementation, the processes and features described herein are implemented as a series of executable modules run by the computer system 700, individually or collectively in a distributed computing environment. The foregoing modules may be realized by hardware, executable modules stored on a computer-readable medium (or machine-readable medium), or a combination of both. For example, the modules may comprise a plurality or series of instructions to be executed by a processor in a hardware system, such as the processor 702. Initially, the series of instructions may be stored on a storage device, such as the mass storage 718. However, the series of instructions can be stored on any suitable computer readable storage medium. Furthermore, the series of instructions need not be stored locally, and could be received from a remote storage device, such as a server on a network, via the network interface 716. The instructions are copied from the storage device, such as the mass storage 718, into the system memory 714 and then accessed and executed by the processor 702. In various implementations, a module or modules can be executed by a processor or multiple processors in one or multiple locations, such as multiple servers in a parallel processing environment.

[0081] Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices; solid state memories; floppy and other removable disks; hard disk drives; magnetic media; optical disks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs)); other similar non-transitory (or transitory), tangible (or non-tangible) storage medium; or any type of medium suitable for storing, encoding, or carrying a series of instructions for execution by the computer system 700 to perform any one or more of the processes and features described herein.

[0082] For purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the description. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, modules, structures, processes, features, and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the description. In other instances, functional block diagrams and flow diagrams are shown to represent data and logic flows. The components of block diagrams and flow diagrams (e.g., modules, blocks, structures, devices, features, etc.) may be variously combined, separated, removed, reordered, and replaced in a manner other than as expressly described and depicted herein.

[0083] Reference in this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “other embodiments”, “one series of embodiments”, “some embodiments”, “various embodiments”, or the like means that a particular feature, design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of, for example, the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, whether or not there is express reference to an “embodiment” or the like, various features are described, which may be variously combined and included in some embodiments, but also variously omitted in other embodiments. Similarly, various features are described that may be preferences or requirements for some embodiments, but not other embodiments.

[0084] The language used herein has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.