Patents by Inventor Daniel Ferrante

Daniel Ferrante has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11875161
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a statistical approach, a win share approach, used to assign a win share value to content items. User interaction with content items is tracked, and a win share value is assigned to content items in response to a “winning” action performed by a user. Win shares associated with content items are used to identify content items that are to be presented, and can further be used to identify an optimal presentation, e.g., layout, presentation frequency, etc., of content items that is to be presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: YAHOO AD TECH LLC
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah
  • Patent number: 10587705
    Abstract: Techniques introduced here include a system and method for determining whether to provide a user of a social networking system with candidate users (i.e., potential contacts) with whom the user does not already have any connections with. In some embodiments, the system generates a set of candidate users based on a value (e.g., to the social networking system) associated with each potential connection formed between the user and the set of candidate users. In one or more embodiments, the system ranks the candidate users based on their connection-value to the social networking system and provides the ranked candidate users as suggested new connections to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Paul Schultz, Brian Piepgrass, Ching-Chih Weng, Daniel Ferrante, Deeptanshu Verma, Peter Martinazzi, Thomas Alison, Ziqing Mao
  • Patent number: 10430419
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Wang, Jennifer Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Patent number: 9928280
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: James Wang, Jennifer Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20170153903
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a statistical approach, a win share approach, used to assign a win share value to content items. User interaction with content items is tracked, and a win share value is assigned to content items in response to a “winning” action performed by a user. Win shares associated with content items are used to identify content items that are to be presented, and can further be used to identify an optimal presentation, e.g., layout, presentation frequency, etc., of content items that is to be presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Sajjit THAMPY, Daniel FERRANTE, Amr AWADALLAH
  • Patent number: 9576001
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a statistical approach, a win share approach, used to assign a win share value to content items. User interaction with content items is tracked, and a win share value is assigned to content items in response to a “winning” action performed by a user. Win shares associated with content items are used to identify content items that are to be presented, and can further be used to identify an optimal presentation, e.g., layout, presentation frequency, etc., of content items that is to be presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah
  • Publication number: 20140289237
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: James Wang, Jennifer Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20140114774
    Abstract: Techniques introduced here include a system and method for determining whether to provide a user of a social networking system with candidate users (i.e., potential contacts) with whom the user does not already have any connections with. In some embodiments, the system generates a set of candidate users based on a value (e.g., to the social networking system) associated with each potential connection formed between the user and the set of candidate users. In one or more embodiments, the system ranks the candidate users based on their connection-value to the social networking system and provides the ranked candidate users as suggested new connections to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Paul Schultz, Brian Piepgrass, Ching-Chih Weng, Daniel Ferrante, Deeptanshu Verma, Peter Martinazzi, Thomas Alison, Ziqing Mao
  • Publication number: 20130311568
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Wang, Jennifer Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Patent number: 8521661
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: James Wang, Jen Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Patent number: 8433785
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems directed to detect Internet bots in communication networks. Some embodiments of the present invention allow an agent of a server to periodically record interaction events on a client system. The recorded interaction events are sent to a server and validated by a statistical test. Some embodiments of the present invention may be used to detect bots using server logs. In other embodiments, an agent of a server is able to detect and validate interaction events on a client system and the server periodically polls the agent to determine whether bots are detected on the client system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Amr Awadallah, Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20120166250
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to generating heat maps that facilitate analysis of user activity. In particular embodiments, a heat map represents activity intensity of time-based cohort groups over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Ferrante, Alexander Paul Schultz
  • Publication number: 20120041907
    Abstract: To suggest new connections to a user of a social networking system, the system generates a set of candidate users to whom the user has not already formed a connection. The system determines the likelihood that the user will connect to each candidate user if suggested to do so, and it also computes the value to the social networking system if the user does connect to the candidate user. Then, the system computes an expected value score for each candidate user based on the corresponding likelihood and the value. The candidate users are ranked and the suggestions are provided to the user based on the candidate users' expected value scores. The social networking system can suggest other actions to a user in addition to forming a new connection with other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventors: James Wang, Jen Burge, Lars Seren Backstrom, Florin Ratiu, Daniel Ferrante
  • Patent number: 8055470
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to simulation of bucket testing. In a particular implementation, cohort of users associated with a value for an engagement metric may be selected based at least in part on an intersection of first and second probability distributions. Behavior of the first and second groups may be compared based at least in part on the selected cohort of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo!, Inc.
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah
  • Publication number: 20100070620
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems directed to detect Internet bots in communication networks. Some embodiments of the present invention allow an agent of a server to periodically record interaction events on a client system. The recorded interaction events are sent to a server and validated by a statistical test. Some embodiments of the present invention may be used to detect bots using server logs. In other embodiments, an agent of a server is able to detect and validate interaction events on a client system and the server periodically polls the agent to determine whether bots are detected on the client system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Amr Awadallah, Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante
  • Publication number: 20090210195
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to simulation of bucket testing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah
  • Publication number: 20090113288
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a statistical approach, a win share approach, used to assign a win share value to content items. User interaction with content items is tracked, and a win share value is assigned to content items in response to a “winning” action performed by a user. Win shares associated with content items are used to identify content items that are to be presented, and can further be used to identify an optimal presentation, e.g., layout, presentation frequency, etc., of content items that is to be presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah
  • Publication number: 20090055200
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for an automatic discovery and validation analyzer that identifies factors that have a particular effect on members of a population in engaging in certain activities. A baseline set and a divergent set of members of the population are identified based on whether a member has experienced a significant change in magnitude of the particular effect during a particular period of time. Differences in behaviors of members of the baseline and divergent sets are then analyzed to identify a candidate factor that corresponds to exposure to an item. Such a candidate factor is then validated as to whether it is a cause of said significant change in magnitude of the particular effect experienced by the divergent set of members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Sajjit Thampy, Daniel Ferrante, Amr Awadallah