Facebook Patents Granted
Patents granted to Facebook by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8938512Abstract: Based on information associated with users, a social networking system recommends one or more groups for a target user to join or to create. Characteristics of the target user, characteristics of users connected to the target user, characteristics of candidate groups in the social networking system may be used to identify groups for recommendation. The social networking system may provide questions to the target user and recommend a group to the target user based on received answers to the questions. For example, the answers to the provided question identify one or more characteristics of the target user, which are used to select a group for recommendation. Additionally, the social networking system may recommend additional users for the target user to add or invite to a group based on characteristics of the target user, the additional users, and/or the group.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2012Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Todd Christopher Jackson, William Russell Maschmeyer, Bin Jiang, Kenneth M. Lau, Michael Novati
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Patent number: 8937405Abstract: The need for backup diesel generators in a data center is obviated by using fuel cells to convert a fuel to electrical energy, which provide backup power to equipment in a data center, which may include the servers in the data center and other important systems that normally use utility power. When the utility power fails, the equipment switches to backup power that is provided by fuel cells supplied with fuel (such as natural gas), possibly using a source of temporary power (e.g., a UPS or direct tie-in of batteries) while the fuel cells come online. The fuel may also be used to power a turbine or generator, coupled to a chiller for providing a cooled liquid to a cooling system.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2009Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Seung Hoon Park
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Patent number: 8938455Abstract: A method and search engine for classifying a source publishing a document on a portion of a network, includes steps of electronically receiving a document, based on the document, determining a source which published the document, and assigning a code to the document based on whether data associated with the document published by the source matches with data contained in a database. An intelligent geographic- and business topic-specific resource discovery system facilitates local commerce on the World-Wide Web and also reduces search time by accurately isolating information for end-users. Distinguishing and classifying business pages on the Web by business categories using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes is achieved through an automatic iterative process.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2012Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Ajaipal Singh Virdy
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Patent number: 8935341Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer system creates for a first user a location-triggered note specific for a second user and for a particular location, determines the second user's location, and transmits the location-triggered note to the second user if the second user is at the particular location.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Garrod Bosworth, David Harry Garcia, Kenneth M. Lau
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Patent number: 8935271Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a search query requesting first search results of a first object type. The search query includes an inner query requesting second search results of a second object type. The method includes accessing an inverted index of a data store corresponding to the second object type; retrieving the second search results requested by the inner query using the inverted index of the data store corresponding to the second object type; accessing a forward index of the data store corresponding to the second object type; retrieving the first search results requested by the search query using the second search results and the forward index of the data store corresponding to the second object type.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Soren Bogh Lassen, Sandhya Kunnatur, Michael Curtiss
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Patent number: 8935237Abstract: In one embodiment, identify a set of search results in response to a search query; display the set of search results; receive a user interaction in connection with a first search result from the set of search results; and in response to the user interaction, if the first search result is associated with one or more first information items, then expand the first search result, comprising display the one or more first information items associated with the first search result.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Rasmus Mathias Andersson, Rose Yao, Erick Tseng
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Patent number: 8935346Abstract: Based on information associated with users, a social networking system recommends one or more groups for a target user to join or to create. Characteristics of the target user, characteristics of users connected to the target user, characteristics of candidate groups in the social networking system may be used to identify groups for recommendation. The social networking system may provide questions to the target user and recommend a group to the target user based on received answers to the questions. For example, the answers to the provided question identify one or more characteristics of the target user, which are used to select a group for recommendation. Additionally, the social networking system may recommend additional users for the target user to add or invite to a group based on characteristics of the target user, the additional users, and/or the group.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Todd Christopher Jackson, William Russell Maschmeyer, Bin Jiang, Kenneth M. Lau, Michael Novati
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Patent number: 8934661Abstract: A social photo curation system is used to automatically identify a subset of photos for an album to provide to a viewing user. The album and its photos are associated with metadata indicating information about the photos, such as individuals tagged in the photos, locations where the photos were taken, keywords or concepts associated with the photos, and the quality and variety of the photos. The social photo curation system uses this metadata to score and select the photos for a particular viewing user. The scoring and selection of photos for the album may be independent of the viewing user, or it may be customized based on the viewing user's interests and connections to other users in a social networking system.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Jennifer Dolson, Paul Francois Carduner
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Patent number: 8934877Abstract: In one embodiment, a first computing device communicating with a second computing device through a communications channel transmits an out-of-band message indicative of the urgency of the communication through a notification channel. In particular embodiments, a server acts as a proxy for relaying the out-of-band message from the first device to the second device. The second device calculates an implicit urgency score based on the communication characteristics, and combines the implicit score with the explicit urgency indicator to determine whether a call is urgent. In particular embodiments, the server calculates an implicit urgency score based on a number of factors, and the score is composited with the overall urgency score. In particular embodiments, communication handling may be affected by the determination of urgency.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Michael John McKenzie Toksvig, David Harry Garcia, Eglia Nair Flores
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Patent number: 8935299Abstract: Embodiments of the invention improve the ability of a social networking system to determine which types of data—hereinafter referred to as “fields”—are relevant to which types of user pages. Specifically, a social networking system assigns page types to different user pages, and likewise stores information on different types of fields. By analyzing the relationships of different pages and fields, the social networking system determines which types of fields are particularly well-suited for inclusion on different types of pages. Using the learned information about page types and field types, the social networking system can better aid page administrators in specifying data to add to their pages. For example, the social networking system can recommend to administrators the addition of certain types of fields or automatically add the fields. Further, the social networking system can specialize a search for social networking system data to field types.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Cameron Alexander Marlow, Robert William Cathcart, Jeffrey Scott Dunn, Rafael Linden Sagula, Venkataramanan Iyer Nandagopal, Siddharth Kar, Jonathan Chang
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Patent number: 8935255Abstract: In one embodiment, one or more computing devices assign each of a plurality of nodes of a graph of a social-networking system to one of a plurality of search indices. Each search index corresponds to a node type, and each node assigned to a search index is of the node type that the search index corresponds to. For each search index, the one or more computing devices determine a value for each node assigned to the search index based at least in part on edges connected to the node in the graph and rank the nodes assigned to the search index based at least in part on their values. The one or more computing devices provide the search indices for storage to facilitate responding to queries encompassing objects represented by the nodes assigned to the search indices.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Sriram Sankar, Gintaras Andrius Woss, Rajat Raina, Maxim Gubin
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Patent number: 8935261Abstract: In one embodiment, a social-networking system accesses a social graph with a plurality of user nodes and a plurality of location nodes, receives a search query with location parameters, identifies a set of location nodes based on the search query, and determines a value for each location nodes in the set based on the edges connected to the location nodes in the social graph.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2011Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Brian Piepgrass, Rohit Dhawan, Nicolas Andrij Bushak, Thomas Giovanni Carriero
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Patent number: 8930837Abstract: Particular embodiments include a method comprising accessing location data representing a first location of a first user wherein the first location corresponds to geographic coordinates, retrieving image data defining a graphical map from a remote server based on the first location accessing a search query inputted by the first user, retrieving one or more second locations in response to the search query, where the one or more second locations correspond to geographic coordinates, and displaying a first view comprising a list of the one or more second locations overlaying at least a portion of the graphical map, wherein the graphical map includes indicators for the first location and at least one of the one or more second locations in accordance with their respective geographic coordinates.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Brandon Marshall Walkin, Zhen Fang
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Patent number: 8930243Abstract: A process, system and computer software are provided to facilitate at least one recommendation to one or more users and/or one or more applications using multidimensional data. In particular, a multidimensional space is defined, wherein each dimension is capable of providing variable information. At least one dimension corresponds to user profiles. The multidimensional space is filled with multidimensional data corresponding to dimensions of the multidimensional space. Then, information from the multidimensional space is retrieved. Further, the recommendation is generated based on the retrieved information. In addition, it is possible to generate a recommendation-specific query. This can be performed by generating the recommendation-specific query to access a multidimensional cube and retrieve data stored therein. Then, the recommendation can be issued based on the data retrieved from the multidimensional cube.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2012Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Tuzhilin, Gediminas Adomavicius
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Patent number: 8930378Abstract: Particular embodiments of a social-networking system maintain one or more data stores storing a social graph comprising user nodes, concept nodes, and edges connecting the nodes. Particular embodiments may determine a confidence score with respect to a user node and a concept node, wherein the confidence score is based at least in part on affinity scores associated with the edges along a sequence of nodes between the user node and the concept node in the social graph. The confidence score may be based on an overall probability that a random walk starting at the user node will end at the concept node. This overall probability may be determined by calculating, for each edge in the random walk, the probability of taking that edge during the random walk, based on the affinity score associated with that edge.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Pierre Moreels, Tudor Andrei Cristian Alexandrescu
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Patent number: 8930237Abstract: A system and method are provided for augmenting information on business directory databases and communicating with businesses is disclosed. Using the enriched business directory database and Web mining technology, customized email message are sent inviting businesses to enter their enriched business information into the directory or even subscribe to other paid services provided by the directory service.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2012Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Narendra Gupta, Mazin Gilbert, Benjamin J. Stern
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Patent number: 8930480Abstract: A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contacts). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists (e.g., address book, buddy list, and/or white list) are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Barry Appelman
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Patent number: 8929615Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to calculating a probability that a user or set of users will engage with a multimedia object for customizing content in a social networking system. In one embodiment, a generative model representing all users is utilized to calculate the probability that all users will interact with a given multimedia object. In another embodiment, the same generative model is utilized to calculate a user-specific engagement probability for a given multimedia object. In particular embodiments, the generative model uses Bayesian probability. In particular embodiments, one or more policies are applied to the photos to customize the browsing experience for users.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: David Harry Garcia, Justin Mitchell
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Patent number: 8929299Abstract: A communications terminal is provided, which includes a reading device which reads in access information recorded on a prescribed recording medium, the access information being necessary for acquiring content which can be played back by a playback device from a prescribed server via a network; and a playback control device which controls the playback device and the reading device. The playback control device controls receiving the content and metadata from the server, and playing back the content according to the metadata, if the content corresponding to the read access information is not stored in the storage device when the reading device reads in the access information; and the playback control device controls playing back the content stored in the storage device according to the metadata stored in the storage device in association with the content, if the content corresponding to the read access information is stored in the storage device.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Tetsuya Matsumoto
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Patent number: 8929806Abstract: A wireless device includes an RF interface, logic circuitry, power circuitry, an impedance matching transformer, and a transducer. The RF interface is configured to receive an RF signal and provide an output data signal derived from the RF signal. The logic circuitry is configured to receive the output data signal and provide an output analog signal. The power circuitry is coupled to the RF interface and configured to provide DC operating power derived from the RF signal to the RF interface and the logic circuitry. The impedance matching transformer has an input coupled to the logic circuitry and an output. The transducer is coupled to the output of the impedance matching transformer and is configured to produce an audio signal based on the output analog signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Yael Maguire
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Patent number: 8924148Abstract: A computer-implemented method for identifying a route that is configured to travel through multiple points of interest includes receiving a query that includes an origin location, a destination location, and at least a first point of interest and a second point of interest. The method also includes identifying a perimeter that surrounds the received origin and destination locations in response to the query. The perimeter is then used to identify a set of locations for each of the first and second points of interest.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: David W. Nesbitt, W. Karl Renner
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Patent number: 8924264Abstract: A process, system and computer software are provided to facilitate at least one recommendation to one or more users and/or one or more applications using multidimensional data. In particular, a multidimensional space is defined, wherein each dimension is capable of providing variable information. At least one dimension corresponds to user profiles. The multidimensional space is filled with multidimensional data corresponding to dimensions of the multidimensional space. Then, information from the multidimensional space is retrieved. Further, the recommendation is generated based on the retrieved information. In addition, it is possible to generate a recommendation-specific query. This can be performed by generating the recommendation-specific query to access a multidimensional cube and retrieve data stored therein. Then, the recommendation can be issued based on the data retrieved from the multidimensional cube.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Alexander Tuzhilin, Gediminas Adomavicius
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Patent number: 8924406Abstract: Particular embodiments access a search query submitted by a first user; identify one or more sponsored web pages in response to the search query, wherein each sponsored web page is associated with a hyperlink; determine whether one or more of the sponsored web pages has been accessed by one or more second users, wherein the one or more second users are connected in a graph structure to the first user within a threshold degree of separation; and send a response comprising a hyperlink for at least one of the sponsored web pages in response to the search query, wherein the response further includes a visual tag or a reference to the visual tag for the hyperlink if the sponsored web page has been accessed by at least one of the one or more second users.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2010Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Lunt, Nicholas Galbreath, Jeffrey Winner
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Patent number: 8924326Abstract: Techniques to optimize messages sent to a user of a social networking system. In one embodiment, information about the user may be collected by the social networking system. The information may be applied to train a model for determining likelihood of a desired action by the user in response to candidate messages that may be provided for the user. The social networking system may provide to the user a message from the candidate messages with a selected likelihood of causing the desired action.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Lex Arquette, David Y. Chen, Emily Grewal, Denise Moreno, Florin Ratiu, Yanxin Shi, Kiranjit Singh Sidhu, Ching-Chih Weng, Huan Yang
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Patent number: 8924860Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided that allows a user to automatically add content, such as an event, to a container, such as, a calendar without directly accessing the container. Second and third preferred embodiments are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: December 30, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Tony Espinoza, Debra Lavoy, Ben Quigley, Dave Sobotka, Mike Sugarbaker, Mary Wolf
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Patent number: 8918638Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving access data from an application on a mobile device of a particular user. The access data includes authentication data associated with a shared device and a digital credential associated with the mobile device. The shared device is configured for use by at least a number users. The method also includes authenticating the access data based on a comparison of the access data with verification data stored by the verification authority; and transmitting to the shared device a digital certificate signed by the verification authority in response to the authentication. The signed digital certificate provides the particular user access to the shared device.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Luke St. Clair
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Patent number: 8918460Abstract: Organizing a participant list includes maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system. Communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list are determined. The users included in the participant list are organized based on the corresponding communications strengths. Communications strengths may be determined for users included in a group within a participant list, and the users within the group may be organized within the group based on communications strength. An additional group in the participant list in which some or all of the users included in the participant list are organized based on communications strength may be provided.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2010Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Barry Appelman, Edmund J. Fish
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Patent number: 8918463Abstract: One or more computing devices receive, from each of multiple users, a current location and an indication of one or more content objects for uploading; the computing devices identify a first event tag based on social and spatio-temporal proximity between a subset of the users; the computing devices present the first event tag to at least one of the subset of the users; in response to one or more users of the subset of the users, the computing devices also associate the first event tag to the content objects from each of the subset of the users.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2011Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: David Harry Garcia, Robert Sean Goodlatte, Samuel Odio
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Patent number: 8918771Abstract: In one embodiment, a decision tree is evaluated in interpreted mode while statistics are collected. The decision tree is then represented as source code, and each decision in the decision tree is annotated with instructions determined based on the collected statistics. The source code is compiled into machine code, and the machine code is optimized based on the instructions annotating each decision in the decision tree.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey S. Dunn, Rafael L. Sagula
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Patent number: 8918339Abstract: A social networking system user may associate an emoji representing the user's emotional reaction with a content item presented by the social networking system. The user is presented with one or more emoji maintained by the social networking system and selects an emoji for associating with the content item. If certain emoji are selected, the social networking system prompts the user for compensation or requests compensation from an entity associated with the selected emoji. The selected emoji is associated with the content item and a connection, or other information, between the user and the object identifying the selected emoji is stored by the social networking system. The selected emoji may be displayed with the content item to the user and to other users connected to the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Abhishek Doshi, Reshma Khilnani Ebberson, Cole Gleason
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Patent number: 8918727Abstract: Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2011Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Noel Enete, Wayne Packard, Harry W. Morris
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Patent number: 8918418Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, identifying a nodes corresponding to a page currently accessed by a first user, generating one or more structured queries, where each structured query comprises a reference to the identified node and one or more edges that are connected to the identified node, and transmitting one or more of the structured queries to the first user for display on the page.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2012Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Aaron Sittig, Craig S. Campbell
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Patent number: 8911251Abstract: A chassis includes floating bus bars providing power and a sliding tray included in the chassis includes a power terminal and connecting fingers contacting the floating bus bars. As the sliding tray moves in a direction of motion, the connecting fingers remain in contact with the floating bus bars, providing power to components included on the sliding tray while it is repositioned. The floating bus bars are mounted inside the chassis in a direction parallel to the sliding direction of the sliding tray, and may be positioned within the chassis in a location that does not significantly impede airflow within the chassis.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Jon Brian Ehlen
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Patent number: 8914875Abstract: Particular embodiments of a computing device associated with a user may detect an event using a sensor of the computing device. The event may be a lock-triggering event or an unlock-triggering event. The computing device may assess a state of the device. The computing device may also access further information associated with the user. The computing device may also monitor activity on the computing device to detect further events if such further monitoring is warranted. Based on the gathered information, the computing device may update a lock status of the device to lock or unlock access interfaces of the computing device, functionality of the computing device, or content accessible from the computing device. If the event comprised the computing device detecting an attempt by a third party to use the device, the device may attempt to identify the third party to determine if they are authorized to use the device.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Jonathan Arie Matus
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Patent number: 8914442Abstract: In one embodiment, a user of a social networking system requests to look up a contact's communication channel information in the user's address book. The social networking system provides to the user the contact's communication channels in an ordered sequence based on the user's social graph and communication information.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2014Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Erick Tseng
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Patent number: 8914393Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a map comprising a plurality of tiles representing a plurality of geographic areas, respectively, where each tile comprises a plurality of objects having locations within the tile, and each tile has below a threshold number of objects located within the tile; receiving a first query from a first user that includes a first location within a first tile; identifying one or more objects corresponding to the first query, where each identified object has a location within the first tile; and generating search results comprising references to one or more of the identified objects.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Sriram Sankar, Stanislav Basovnik
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Patent number: 8914390Abstract: Processing repetitive database queries may include receiving a database query having a connection identifier, determining whether a queue for database queries contains an earlier database query matching the received database query, identifying the second database query as matching the first database query if the queue contains an earlier matching database query, receiving query results for the earlier matching database query from a database server, and forwarding query results to the clients associated with both database queries using corresponding connection identifiers.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2011Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Daniel Nota Peek
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Patent number: 8911250Abstract: A floating bus bar connector connects a computing asset to bus bars using a connecting clip and a conducting terminal that is coupled to the connecting clip and to an electronic component inside the computing asset. To simplify connection to the bus bars, the floating bus bar connector is mounted to a chassis of the computing asset so that the entire connector is movable, relative to the chassis, in a direction perpendicular to the bus bar. Thus, if the floating bus bar connector and bus bars become misaligned when the computing asset is being connected to the bus bars, the floating bus bar connector may move to realign with the bus bars.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Jon Brian Ehlen, Pierluigi Sarti
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Patent number: 8913377Abstract: A retention mechanism is provided for removably securing a smaller sized server or other rack-mounting computing asset into a larger sized server tray and rack, which are larger in width than the computing asset. The tray includes an edge configured to align and couple with the end of one or more clips, which may be removably installed on the tray. The clips include a bowed portion that contacts the surface of the computing asset when installed so as to apply a securing force on the computing asset and into the tray. The resulting friction between the server and the clip and between the server and the tray secures the server in place in the tray.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2011Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Steven J. Furuta
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Patent number: 8914392Abstract: Particular embodiments access a search query submitted by a first user of a social-networking system; identify one or more web pages in response to the search query; for each of the one or more web pages, determine a value indicating a number of user clicks associated with the web page by one or more second users of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the social-networking system; and send a set of hyperlinks for the one or more web pages, wherein hyperlinks for web pages where the value is greater than zero are visually emphasized over other hyperlinks.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2012Date of Patent: December 16, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Lunt, Nicholas Galbreath, Jeffrey Winner
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Patent number: 8910056Abstract: Entries within a participant list of an electronic communications system may be categorized automatically into one or more groups based on attributes of users represented in the participant list. Categorizing users includes maintaining a list of identifiers that are selected by a first user and for which online presence information is made perceivable through the list. The list includes one or more categories into which the identifiers are categorized. At least one attribute associated with an identifier for which online presence information is to be made perceivable through the list and attributes stored relative to at least one of the categories are accessed. The attributes associated with the identifier are compared to the stored attributes. Based on results of the comparison, at least one category within the list that corresponds to the identifier is identified, and the identifier is categorized into the identified category.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2010Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Judson Valeski
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Patent number: 8910251Abstract: A social CAPTCHA is presented to authenticate a member of the social network. The social CAPTCHA includes one or more challenge questions based on information available in the social network, such as the user's activities and/or connections in the social network. The social information selected for the social CAPTCHA may be determined based on affinity scores associated with the member's connections, so that the challenge question relates to information that the user is more likely to be familiar with. A degree of difficulty of challenge questions may be determined and used for selecting the CAPTCHA based on a degree of suspicion.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2009Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Luke Jonathan Shepard, William Chen, Todd Perry, Lev Popov
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Patent number: 8909637Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device may access a search query provided by a user; identify a set of search results in response to the search query, wherein one or more search results in the set are associated with a feature of a social-networking system; rank the set of search results based on one or more factors; boost one or more ranks of the one or more search results associated with the feature to bring the feature to the user's attention; and present the set of search results to the user in order of its ranking.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Ryan Patterson, Michael Dudley Johnson, Erick Tseng
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Patent number: 8910059Abstract: A facility for coordinating an online discussion is described. The facility receives an indication that a user has captured a machine-readable symbol encoding an identifier that identifies a particular online discussion. In response, the facility incorporates into an online forum that hosts this online discussion an indication that this user captured a symbol encoding an identifier that identifies this online discussion. Having captured the machine-readable symbol, the user may interact with the content associated with the identifier encoded in the machine-readable symbol. On capturing the machine-readable symbol, an advertisement related to the content associated with the identifier encoded in the machine-readable symbol may be displayed to the user.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2013Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: John-Alistair George, Adam Connelly
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Patent number: 8909515Abstract: A social networking system includes a mechanism for integrating user actions on objects outside of the social networking system in the social graph. External system operators include widgets that, when executed by user devices, record user interactions that correspond to a defined structure of actions and objects. Third party operators utilize a tool provided by the social networking system to define the structure of actions and objects, verb tenses of action types, and noun forms object types. External actions are recorded by the social networking system for publishing to the social graph in dynamically generated sentences formed using the structure of the actions and objects.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Edward Kenneth O'Neil, Vladimir Fedorov, Paul Tarjan, Brynn Shepherd, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Michael Steven Vernal, Carl Philip Sjogreen
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Patent number: 8910052Abstract: A user profile for a user of a social networking system may include experiences, such as work, educational, travel, and interests. The social networking system provides a profile page for a user's user profile that allows the user to tag other users as being involved in or otherwise associated with the user's experiences. Once another user is tagged in an experience, a corresponding tag is added to the tagged user's user profile, and that experience is added as well if not already included in the profile. Tagging users in experiences allows a viewer to see connections between experiences of users of the social networking system and promotes more detailed user profiles that contain experiences.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2010Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Peter Deng, William Joseph Flynn, III, Josh Wiseman, Matthew Cahill, Philip Sanghoon Rha, Martin Smith
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Patent number: 8909706Abstract: In particular embodiments, a gaming kiosk may be granted federated access to social networking information of a user, initiated upon activation of a physical access token. A user may initiate a workflow, by activating a physical token, that establishes a federated access session between a gaming kiosk and a social networking system to allow the gaming kiosk to augment the user's experience with social networking information and to publish gaming information to the social networking system.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Joel Benjamin Seligstein, Richard Kenneth Zadorozny, Niket Biswas
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Patent number: 8910132Abstract: A method of operation of a bundle management system includes: generating a resource bundle with client-based script code based on a client device condition of a potential client device; generating a condition map correlating the client device condition to the resource bundle; generating a bundle set including the resource bundle based on a developer version of the client-based script code; uploading the condition map to a web service system; and configuring the web service system to operate a web service corresponding to the developer version of the bundle set.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Kolesnikov, Andrey Sukhachev
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Patent number: 8910035Abstract: In one embodiment, a first device sends a request to a second device, the request causing a dialog to be displayed on the first device. The second device selects a rendered dialog template corresponding to the dialog; constructs a web page that includes the rendered dialog template; and sends the web page to the first device. The first device displays the web page including the dialog.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventors: Wei Zhu, Nikolay A. Valtchanov
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Patent number: D721092Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2012Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Facebook, Inc.Inventor: Brandon Marshall Walkin