Patents by Inventor Robert Michael Baldwin

Robert Michael Baldwin 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: 8650497
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Patent number: 8589807
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Patent number: 8522152
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Publication number: 20130151347
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that allows questions to be associated with social networking system objects. A question is received from a questioning user. A question term is identified, and an object associated with the question term is identified. The identified object is then associated with the question, and this association is stored. Question terms can be identified by the questioning user, or automatically, using contextual information. Question objects may also be identified by using template questions or sample questions provided by the social networking system. The stored association may be used to collection information about answering users, to auto-populate answers, and to generate social networking system stories. The stored association may also be used to collect information about the object of the stored association, to recommend an object to a user, to target advertising to users, and to recommend answers to users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin
  • Publication number: 20130139070
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Publication number: 20120246575
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Publication number: 20120246576
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Publication number: 20120246578
    Abstract: A social networking system includes a question and answer system that displays to a viewing user questions and answers provides by other users of the social networking system. The question and answer system may display answers to a particular question in a way that visually indicates both the global answer set and a subset of the global answer set, such as the viewing user's friends. The social networking system may also display to a viewing user news stories about another user asking or answering a question, where the format of the displayed new stories is based on an affinity that the viewing user has for the user who provided the question or answer mentioned in the news story. The displayed questions and/or answers may be associated with an object in the social networking system, where the user interface provides additional information about those objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Adrian A. Graham, Drew W. Hamlin, Benjamin E. Hiller
  • Publication number: 20120072855
    Abstract: Members of a social networking system group are provided multiple interfaces to communicate within the group. A first communication interface allows a user to upload a first content item; in response to this, the first content item is transmitted via a first communication channel to online members of the group. A second communication interface allows a user to upload a second content item; in response to this, the second content item is transmitted via a second communication channel to online and offline members of the group. Transmission via a first communication channel may comprise sending an instant message containing the first content item. Transmission via a second communication channel may comprise displaying the second content item on a group message board. Both interfaces may be contained within the group's web page or may be contained within another web page within the social networking system or outside of it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Robert Michael Baldwin, Daniel Sunil Chai, Elliot Michael Lynde, Andrew G. Bosworth, Soleio Cuervo, Peter Deng