Patents by Inventor Gregory M. Marra

Gregory M. Marra 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: 10657165
    Abstract: Inferring membership in a group may include receiving one or more queries from a user, where the one or more queries have a feature that is independent of a subject matter of the one or more queries and that distinguishes the one or more queries from other queries received from the use. Inferring membership may include identifying the feature; and, in response to identifying the feature, making an inference that the user is a member of a group based on the subject matter of the one or more queries, where the group has one or more characteristics associated therewith. Inferring membership may further include attributing the one or more characteristics to the user based on the inference; and selecting the user for distribution of electronic content based on the one or more characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gregory M. Marra, Frances B. Haugen
  • Patent number: 10560461
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing electronic messages of users in a social network. One method includes an operation for receiving attributes of a profile of a person with a person account that has started following an entity with an entity account, in the social network. Further, the person is added to one or more groups in the entity account based on the attributes. Each of the groups is associated with defined properties for adding persons to each group. Furthermore, messages, created by the entity and addressed to the one or more groups, are distributed to a stream of the person account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Pavan Desikan, Jean-Christophe E. Lilot, Dennis Troper, Gregory M. Marra, Abhishek Sethi, David M. Byttow
  • Publication number: 20180350009
    Abstract: A method performed by one or more processing devices includes receiving a request for social media content that is relevant to one or more search terms; identifying, based on a social graph of a user, social media content with connections in the social graph to the user, wherein the social media content is associated with metadata; identifying metadata that is associated with the identified social media content and that has at least a threshold amount of relevance to the one or more search terms; generating a summarization of contents of the metadata identified and contents of the social media content identified; and transmitting, to the device used by the user who sent the request, the summarization for presentation to the user, in response to the request for social media content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Frances B. Haugen, Gregory M. Marra
  • Patent number: 10146852
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving user input associated with a resource of a plurality of resources, storing the user input as a factor associating the resource with a user, receiving a search query, the search query identifying the user, processing data based on the search query and the factor to generate one or more search results, the one or more search results including an indicator associated with the resource, the indicator indicating that the one or more search results are associated with the user, and transmitting the one or more search results for display on a computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Justin Chu, David Nachum, Gregory M. Marra, Richard P. Klau
  • Patent number: 9971829
    Abstract: Techniques for inferring membership in a group may include receiving one or more queries from a user, where the one or more queries have a feature that is independent of a subject matter of the one or more queries and that distinguishes the one or more queries from other queries received from the use. The techniques may include identifying the feature; and, in response to identifying the feature, making an inference that the user is a member of a group based on the subject matter of the one or more queries, where the group has one or more characteristics associated therewith. The techniques may further include attributing the one or more characteristics to the user based on the inference; and selecting the user for distribution of electronic content based on the one or more characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gregory M. Marra, Frances B. Haugen
  • Patent number: 9462004
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing electronic messages of users in a social network. One method includes an operation for receiving attributes of a profile of a person with a person account that has started following an entity with an entity account, in the social network. Further, the person is added to one or more groups in the entity account based on the attributes. Each of the groups is associated with defined properties for adding persons to each group. Furthermore, messages, created by the entity and addressed to the one or more groups, are distributed to a stream of the person account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Pavan Desikan, Jean-Christophe E. Lilot, Dennis Troper, Gregory M. Marra, Abhishek Sethi, David M. Byttow
  • Patent number: 9313082
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, including actions of, for each user of a plurality of users of a social networking service, determining a user activity score, the user activity score being based on activity of each user within the social networking service, determining that a first user activity score of a first user is greater than or equal to a first threshold user activity score and that a second user activity score of a second user is less than a second threshold user activity score, and, in response to the first user activity score being greater than or equal to the first threshold user activity score and the second user activity score being less than the second threshold user activity score, transmitting instructions to display a prompt to the first user to encourage the first user to interact with the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory M. Marra
  • Patent number: 9299059
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, using one or more processing devices, one or more search terms; searching, in a social network using the one or more processing devices, for items of social media content with at least a predefined amount of relevance to the one or more search terms; identifying, based on searching using the one or more processing devices, the items of social media content with at least the predefined amount of relevance to the one or more search terms; and generating, using the one or more processing devices, a summary of content in the identified items of social media content; wherein the summary comprises a subset of the content in the identified items of social media content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Marra, Frances B. Haugen
  • Patent number: 9223835
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a plurality of items to be displayed to a user, each item including digital content and being associated with a respective timestamp, receiving a plurality of scores, each score being associated with an item of the plurality of items, determining a subset of items to be displayed to the user based on the plurality of scores, the subset of items including items of the plurality of items, grouping items in the subset of items based on respective timestamps to provide a plurality of item groups, for each item group, determining an order of items based on respective scores, and transmitting instructions to display items to the user based on the plurality of item groups and in the order within each item group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Boris Mazniker, Andrew A. Bunner, Jonathan Terleski, Shimrit Ben-Yair, Gregory M. Marra, Ryo Misha Urano
  • Patent number: 9183259
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a method for displaying content. The method comprises receiving content items that are publishable to an activity stream in a social networking application for a user in a social network. The method further comprises evaluating the received content items using social criteria, including determining a social quality score for each content item. The method further comprises filtering the received content items to remove content items having social quality scores below a predetermined threshold. The method further comprises ranking remaining content items according to their associated social quality scores. The method further comprises publishing the remaining content items in the activity stream for the user in an order based at least in part on the ranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Marra, Jonathan Terleski
  • Patent number: 9063972
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for engaging a user in a previously-submitted search query in a social networking system are disclosed. The method includes receiving a search query from a user, receiving search results responsive to the search query, providing search results for display to the user, receiving one or more user interactions associated with the search results, and generating a search interaction score based on the one or more user interactions. The method further includes determining that the search interaction score exceeds a threshold search interaction score, receiving a reminder event relating to the search query, and in response to determining that the search interaction score exceeds the threshold search interaction score and the reminder event, providing a notification to the user relating to the search query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Marra, Frances B. Haugen, Christopher J. Marra
  • Patent number: 9037563
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving user input associated with a resource of a plurality of resources, storing the user input as a factor associating the resource with a user, receiving a search query, the search query identifying the user, processing data based on the search query and the factor to generate one or more search results, the one or more search results including an indicator associated with the resource, the indicator indicating that the one or more search results are associated with the user, and transmitting the one or more search results for display on a computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Chu, David Nachum, Gregory M. Marra, Richard P. Klau
  • Patent number: 9026592
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, including actions of, for each user of a plurality of users of a social networking service, determining a user activity score, the user activity score being based on activity of each user within the social networking service, determining that a first user activity score of a first user is greater than or equal to a first threshold user activity score and that a second user activity score of a second user is less than a second threshold user activity score, and, in response to the first user activity score being greater than or equal to the first threshold user activity score and the second user activity score being less than the second threshold user activity score, transmitting instructions to display a prompt to the first user to encourage the first user to interact with the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory M. Marra
  • Patent number: 8990194
    Abstract: Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for adjusting content delivery based on user submissions. The method includes analyzing user submissions comprising photographs, the analyzing comprising: for each of the user submissions: identifying a time the user submission occurred; identifying objects represented in the photograph; determining a subject matter of the user submission based at least in part on the objects; determining a geographic location associated with the subject matter of the user submission; determining clusters of the user submissions, each user submission in a particular cluster being similar to each other user submission in the particular cluster based on the times the user submissions occurred, the subject matters of the user submissions, and the geographic locations associated with the user submissions; and adjusting content delivery to members of a network based on the determination of one or more of the clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Frances B. Haugen, Gregory M. Marra
  • Publication number: 20140365466
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting instructions to display a user profile page associated with a user, receiving user input associated with a resource of a plurality of resources, the user input being provided through the user profile page, storing the user input as a factor associating the resource with a user, receiving a search query, the search query identifying the user, processing data stored in a database based on the search query and the factor to generate one or more search results, the one or more search results including an indicator associated with the resource, the indicator indicating that the one or more search results are associated with the user, and transmitting the one or more search results for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Justin Chu, David Nachum, Gregory M. Marra, Richard P. Klau
  • Patent number: 8887245
    Abstract: A device receives, from an online provider device, content of a website and connection information associated with the website, and provides the content of the website for display to a user. The device also receives, from the user, information requested by the website and a request to provide the information to the online provider device, and determines whether the information includes sensitive information. The device further provides the information to the online provider device, based on the request, when the information does not include sensitive information, and determines, when the information includes sensitive information, whether the website is safe or unsafe based on the connection information. The device provides a warning for display to the user, when the information includes sensitive information and when the website is an unsafe website, where the warning indicates that sensitive information is to be transmitted to the unsafe website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Wiltzius, Gideon Wald, Gregory M. Marra, Kathryn Cushing
  • Patent number: 8843491
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a plurality of items to be displayed to a user, each item including digital content and being associated with a respective timestamp, receiving a plurality of scores, each score being associated with an item of the plurality of items, determining a subset of items to be displayed to the user based on the plurality of scores, the subset of items including items of the plurality of items, grouping items in the subset of items based on respective timestamps to provide a plurality of item groups, for each item group, determining an order of items based on respective scores, and transmitting instructions to display items to the user based on the plurality of item groups and in the order within each item group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Boris Mazniker, Andrew A. Bunner, Jonathan Terleski, Shimrit Ben-Yair, Gregory M. Marra, Ryo Misha Urano
  • Publication number: 20140129625
    Abstract: Methods, and systems, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable storage mediums, including a method for adjusting content delivery based on user submissions. The method includes analyzing user submissions comprising photographs, the analyzing comprising: for each of the user submissions: identifying a time the user submission occurred; identifying objects represented in the photograph; determining a subject matter of the user submission based at least in part on the objects; determining a geographic location associated with the subject matter of the user submission; determining clusters of the user submissions, each user submission in a particular cluster being similar to each other user submission in the particular cluster based on the times the user submissions occurred, the subject matters of the user submissions, and the geographic locations associated with the user submissions; and adjusting content delivery to members of a network based on the determination of one or more of the clusters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Inventors: Frances B. Haugen, Gregory M. Marra
  • Publication number: 20140129544
    Abstract: A method performed by one or more processing devices includes receiving a request for social media content that is relevant to one or more search terms; identifying, based on a social graph of a user, social media content with connections in the social graph to the user, wherein the social media content is associated with metadata; identifying metadata that is associated with the identified social media content and that has at least a threshold amount of relevance to the one or more search terms; generating a summarization of contents of the metadata identified and contents of the social media content identified; and transmitting, to the device used by the user who sent the request, the summarization for presentation to the user, in response to the request for social media content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Frances B. Haugen, Gregory M. Marra
  • Publication number: 20130124504
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a query for content within a user interface of a social networking service, obtaining search results based on the query, the search results including a set of items distributed by users of the social networking service, transmitting instructions to display the search results in a search stream provided in the user interface, the set of items being included in the search stream, receiving first user input, the first user input defining an item data set associated with an item to be provided in the search results, and transmitting instructions to display revised search results including the item in one or more search streams, the one or more search streams including the search stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Frances B. Haugen, Daniel M. Crichton, Joseph M. Rozier, Gregory M. Marra