Patents by Inventor Samuel Lessin

Samuel Lessin 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).

  • Publication number: 20170041279
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Publication number: 20170026428
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Samuel Lessin, Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton
  • Patent number: 9515968
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of a method comprise providing one or more ideograms (e.g., written characters, symbols or images that represent an idea or thing) for insertion into a message. A request may be received from a user for a restricted one of the ideograms. A determination may be made as to whether the user is authorized to access the restricted ideogram. This determination may be based on whether the user is a member of a group of authorized users, whether an attribute of the user meets a restriction requirement, or whether the request comprises an authorization code or token. If the user is authorized to access the restricted ideogram, then the restricted ideogram may be displayed to the user in association with the message. Otherwise, a restricted-content response may be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ebersman, Samuel Lessin, Thomas Stocky, Michael Vernal
  • Patent number: 9514192
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: 9491207
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Lessin, Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton
  • Publication number: 20160321370
    Abstract: A social networking system obtains specific structured data about a user via a composer interface having textual content with incomplete portions and input fields corresponding to the incomplete portions. The input fields map to data fields in the user's profile and are selected based on the social networking system's need for the information associated with the data fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Samuel Lessin, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton, Ryan Case
  • Patent number: 9436687
    Abstract: A social networking system obtains specific structured data about a user via a composer interface having textual content with incomplete portions and input fields corresponding to the incomplete potions. The input fields map to data fields in the user's profile and are selected based on the social networking system's need for the information associated with the data fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Samuel Lessin, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton, Ryan Case
  • Publication number: 20160112432
    Abstract: When a request to connect a requesting user to a target user is received by the social networking system, information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user is retrieved. A fraud probability score indicating a probability that the requesting user is impersonating a user connected to the target user is determined based on the information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user. Based on the fraud probability score, a determination is made whether the requesting user is a suspected imposter and remedial action is taken if imposter is suspected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Nicholas Hudack, Samuel Lessin
  • Publication number: 20160048870
    Abstract: A social graph, which records the actions of users in a social networking system platform, may be modeled at least in part as a collection of claims that may be exported to other systems, such as third party publishers, based on permissions granted by users and entities. The social networking system may also act as a publisher, enabling web applications and mobile applications to publish claims to a variety of audiences based on the permissions granted by users and entities, or agents of the social networking system. Permissions may be granted based on agreed-upon terms of service between agents, agents and publishers, agents and the social networking system platform, and publishers and the social networking system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: 9262610
    Abstract: When a request to connected a requesting user to a target user is received by the social networking system, information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user is retrieved. A fraud probability score indicating a probability that the requesting user is impersonating a user connected to the target user is determined based on the information associated with the requesting user and with users connected to the target user. Based on the fraud probability score, a determination is made whether the requesting user is a suspected imposter and remedial action is taken if imposter is suspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Hudack, Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: 9256621
    Abstract: A social networking system allows its users to perform a structured search that returns objects (e.g., other users and pages) in the social networking system. A searching user may remove or add objects to the search by interacting with the returned objects. Adding or removing an object generates a claim stored by the social networking system that an object has or does not have, respectively, characteristics based on the search query. Additionally, the searching user may also request presentation of the search query to other users, which may be selected by the social networking system based on their predicted expertise. A dialog between the searching user and a selected other user may be provided to allow the searching user to provide the search query to the selected other user and to receive a response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Publication number: 20150373067
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Samuel Lessin, Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton
  • Patent number: 9215289
    Abstract: A social networking system manages the accessibility of content items provided by users and directed to various audiences in the social networking system. An author provides the social networking system with a content item, a content item tag indicating an association between the content item and a tagged user, and a definition of a first audience who may view the content item. The social networking system then allows the tagged user to provide a definition of a second audience who may view the content item, where the second audience may contains users who are not in the first audience defined by the original author. The social networking system then determines whether a viewing user may view the posted content item (and tag) based on whether the viewing user is in at least one of the first audience and the second audience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Sittig, Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: 9201836
    Abstract: A social graph, which records the actions of users in a social networking system platform, may be modeled at least in part as a collection of claims that may be exported to other systems, such as third party publishers, based on permissions granted by users and entities. The social networking system may also act as a publisher, enabling web applications and mobile applications to publish claims to a variety of audiences based on the permissions granted by users and entities, or agents of the social networking system. Permissions may be granted based on agreed-upon terms of service between agents, agents and publishers, agents and the social networking system platform, and publishers and the social networking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: 9131019
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Lessin, Robert Taaffe Lindsay, Justin Alexander Shaffer, Nicholas Felton
  • Publication number: 20150222617
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of a method comprise providing one or more ideograms (e.g., written characters, symbols or images that represent an idea or thing) for insertion into a message. A request may be received from a user for a restricted one of the ideograms. A determination may be made as to whether the user is authorized to access the restricted ideogram. This determination may be based on whether the user is a member of a group of authorized users, whether an attribute of the user meets a restriction requirement, or whether the request comprises an authorization code or token. If the user is authorized to access the restricted ideogram, then the restricted ideogram may be displayed to the user in association with the message. Otherwise, a restricted-content response may be generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ebersman, Samuel Lessin, Thomas Stocky, Michael Vernal
  • Publication number: 20150222586
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of a method comprise analyzing a message to perform sentiment analysis with respect to at least a portion of the message. One or more sentiments associated with the at least a portion of the message may then be identified. One or more ideograms (e.g., written characters, symbols or images that represent an idea or thing), each corresponding to an identified sentiment, may then be suggested to a user for insertion into a message. Upon receiving a user selection of one or more of the ideograms in relation to some portion of the message, an association may be saved in a user-specific dictionary linking the user-selected one or more of the ideograms with the portion of the message. In particular embodiments, the sentiment analysis may incorporate social-networking information and/or historical ideogram usage information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ebersman, Samuel Lessin, Thomas Stocky, Michael Vernal
  • Publication number: 20150220774
    Abstract: Particular embodiments of a method comprise analyzing an image to classify an expression displayed on a face shown in a captured image. Image analysis may include detecting the face in the image, generating a characterization of features of the face, and classifying the expression based on the characterization. The characterization of facial features may be based on benchmark metrics for a particular expression. One or more ideograms (e.g., written characters, symbols or images that represent an idea or thing) may be selected based on the expression. The selection may be based on one or more match scores for the expression. The match scores may be determined based on an ideogram dictionary or an ideogram usage history. The selected ideograms may then be presented, in association with the face, on a screen for the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ebersman, Samuel Lessin, Thomas Stocky, Michael Vernal
  • Publication number: 20150149486
    Abstract: A social networking system presents questions to a user on an interface associated with the social networking system to elicit information about the user that is missing from the user's profile or is otherwise outdated. The questions are selected based on a number of factors, such as the need for or value of the information item, probability of a response, or cost of collecting the information item. In presenting the selected question, the social networking system prompts a user for information about the user in a an interface associated with a page from the social networking system, an application external to the social networking system, or using a push notification or prompt. The questions may be formatted in various ways, such as an explicit question, confirmation, a selection of responses, or social context to encourage the user to respond to the question.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Samuel Lessin
  • Patent number: D747329
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Lessin, Stefan Parker, Nicholas Felton, Mark E. Zuckerberg