Patents by Inventor William R. Maschmeyer

William R. Maschmeyer 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: 10614084
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity, accessing a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity, generating one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively, and sending, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Aaron Sittig, Craig S. Campbell
  • Patent number: 10402419
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user, a text query comprising a character string of n characters, generating a plurality of suggested queries based on the text query, where each suggested query comprises the character string of the text query and one or more query tokens, and where at least one of the query tokens of each suggested query partially matches the character string of the text query, and sending, to the client system responsive to receiving the nth character of the text query, instructions for displaying one or more suggested queries to the first user, where at least one of the suggested queries is displayed with a preview of one or more search results matching the suggested query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Sue Yee Young, Joshua Keith Duck, Sadi Khan, William R. Maschmeyer, Yuval Kesten, Keith L. Peiris, Kathryn Hymes
  • Publication number: 20190197064
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes, by one or more computing systems sending, to a client system of a user, query tokens to be presented to the user, wherein each query token is based on a natural-language string and comprises references to objects associated with an online social network, and wherein the query tokens are selected based on user preferences of the user, receiving, from the client system, a selection of a query token of the query tokens, determining completion tokens that correspond with the selected query token based on the references associated with the selected query token, sending, to the client system, the completion tokens to be presented to the user, receiving, from the client system, a structured query comprising the selected query token and a selected completion token, and sending, to the client system, instructions for presenting search results matching the structured query to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Tao Xie, Rousseau Newaz Kazi, William R. Maschmeyer, Colin William Dunn, Maxime Boucher, Christopher Joseph Kalani
  • Patent number: 10282377
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system, a character string having n characters entered by the first user into a query field, wherein a term comprising the nth character of the character string is an ambiguous term, identifying one or more objects corresponding to the ambiguous term based on a calculated probability that the ambiguous term corresponds to the identified objects, sending instructions for presenting a set of suggested queries to the first user, each suggested query from the set of suggested queries corresponding to one of the identified objects and comprising a reference to the corresponding identified object, receiving a selection of a suggested query corresponding to a first object of the identified objects, and sending, responsive to receiving the selection of the suggested query, instructions for modifying the ambiguous term in the query field to include a reference to the first object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Joshua Keith Duck
  • Patent number: 10268649
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a query input from a client system comprising one or more n-grams, sending instructions for presenting one or more suggested modifications for the query input, each suggested modification comprising references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the suggested modifications, parsing the query input and the selected suggested modification using a context-free grammar model to generate an executable query command, and sending instructions to the client system for presenting one or more search results corresponding to the query command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas S. Whitnah, Olivier Chatot, Erik N. Vee, William R. Maschmeyer, Keith L. Peiris, Alexander Langenfeld
  • Patent number: 10268765
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes presenting, by a client system, grammar tokens, each grammar token being based on a natural-language string and comprising references to objects associated with an online social network, receiving, at the client system, a selection of one of the presented grammar tokens, the selected grammar token being based on a first natural-language string, presenting, by the client system, completion tokens, wherein each completion token is based on a natural-language string corresponding to the first natural-language string and comprises references to objects associated with the online social network, receiving, at the client system, a selection of one of the completion tokens, the selected completion token being based on a second natural-language string, and generating, by the client system, a structured query corresponding to the selected grammar and completion tokens, the structured query comprising references to the objects referenced in the selected grammar and completion tokens
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Xie, Rousseau Newaz Kazi, William R. Maschmeyer, Colin William Dunn, Maxime Boucher, Christopher Joseph Kalani
  • Publication number: 20180232378
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field associated with a profile interface of a first entity, accessing a relational database to identify one or more second entities related to the first entity, generating one or more suggested queries based on the first entity, each suggested query comprising a name string of the first entity and one or more second name strings of one or more of the identified second entities, respectively, and sending, to the client system, responsive to the user accessing the query field, instructions for displaying one or more of the suggested queries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Aaron Sittig, Craig S. Campbell
  • Patent number: 9959318
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Aaron Sittig, Craig S. Campbell
  • Patent number: 9946772
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user, a text query inputted by the first user, generating a plurality of structured queries based on the text query, each structured query comprising references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, generating one or more search results corresponding to at least one of the structure queries, and sending, to the client system responsive to receiving the text query, one or more of the structured queries for display, at least one of the structured queries being displayed with a preview of one or more of the search results corresponding to the structured query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Sue Yee Young, Joshua Keith Duck, Sadi Khan, William R. Maschmeyer, Yuval Kesten, Keith L. Peiris, Kathryn Hymes
  • Patent number: 9852444
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user, a text query inputted by the first user, generating a plurality of structured queries based on the text query, each structured query comprising references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, wherein at least one of the structured queries is a sponsored query comprising a reference to an object associated with an advertiser, and sending, to the client system responsive to receiving the text query, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, wherein at least one of the sent structured queries is a sponsored query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Sue Yee Young, Joshua Keith Duck, Sadi Khan, William R. Maschmeyer, Yuval Kesten, Keith L. Peiris, Kathryn Hymes
  • Patent number: 9753995
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a user, an indication of the user accessing a query field at the client device of the user, generating a plurality of structured queries that each comprise references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, calculating a score for each structured query based on one or more user-engagement factors, and sending, to the client system responsive to the indication of the user accessing the query field, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the user, each suggested structured query having a score greater than a threshold score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Sue Yee Young, Joshua Keith Duck, Sadi Khan, William R. Maschmeyer, Yuval Kesten, Keith L. Peiris, Kathryn Hymes
  • Publication number: 20170249307
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a query input from a client system comprising one or more n-grams, sending instructions for presenting one or more suggested modifications for the query input, each suggested modification comprising references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the suggested modifications, parsing the query input and the selected suggested modification using a context-free grammar model to generate an executable query command, and sending instructions to the client system for presenting one or more search results corresponding to the query command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas S. Whitnah, Olivier Chatot, Erik N. Vee, William R. Maschmeyer, Keith L. Peiris, Alexander Langenfeld
  • Patent number: 9690872
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user of an online social network, a first structured query comprising a natural-language string generated by a grammar model and references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, generating one or more query modifications for the first structured query, each query modification comprising references to one or more modifying objects associated with the online social network, and sending, to the client system of the first user, one or more of the query modifications as suggested modifications to the first structured query for display to the first user, each query modification being selectable by the first user to modify the natural-language string of the first structured query to further comprise references to the one or more of the modifying objects referenced in the selected query modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas S. Whitnah, Olivier Chatot, Erik N. Vee, William R. Maschmeyer, Keith L. Peiris, Alexander Langenfeld
  • Patent number: 9589011
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a prior structured query previously selected by a first user of an online social network, where the prior structured query corresponds to a first set of search results and comprises references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, identifying changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query, and sending, to a client system of the first user, one or more suggested structured queries for display to the first user, where at least one of the suggested structured queries is a dynamic query comprising at least a portion of the prior structured query and a reference to the identified changes to the first set of search results corresponding to the prior structured query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yigal Dan Rubinstein, Sue Yee Young, Joshua Keith Duck, Sadi Khan, William R. Maschmeyer, Yuval Kesten, Keith L. Peiris, Kathryn Hymes
  • Publication number: 20170039210
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system, a character string having n characters entered by the first user into a query field, wherein a term comprising the nth character of the character string is an ambiguous term, identifying one or more objects corresponding to the ambiguous term based on a calculated probability that the ambiguous term corresponds to the identified objects, sending instructions for presenting a set of suggested queries to the first user, each suggested query from the set of suggested queries corresponding to one of the identified objects and comprising a reference to the corresponding identified object, receiving a selection of a suggested query corresponding to a first object of the identified objects, and sending, responsive to receiving the selection of the suggested query, instructions for modifying the ambiguous term in the query field to include a reference to the first object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Joshua Keith Duck
  • Publication number: 20170011122
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes presenting, by a client system, grammar tokens, each grammar token being based on a natural-language string and comprising references to objects associated with an online social network, receiving, at the client system, a selection of one of the presented grammar tokens, the selected grammar token being based on a first natural-language string, presenting, by the client system, completion tokens, wherein each completion token is based on a natural-language string corresponding to the first natural-language string and comprises references to objects associated with the online social network, receiving, at the client system, a selection of one of the completion tokens, the selected completion token being based on a second natural-language string, and generating, by the client system, a structured query corresponding to the selected grammar and completion tokens, the structured query comprising references to the objects referenced in the selected grammar and completion tokens
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Tao Xie, Rousseau Newaz Kazi, William R. Maschmeyer, Colin William Dunn, Maxime Boucher, Christopher Joseph Kalani
  • Patent number: 9514218
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving an unstructured text query comprising an ambiguous n-gram, identifying nodes and edges that correspond to the ambiguous n-gram, generating a first set of structured queries corresponding to the identified second nodes and edges, receiving from the first user a selection of a first structured query form the first set, and generating a second set of structured queries based on the selected first structured query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Yofay Kari Lee, Keith L. Peiris, William R. Maschmeyer, Lars Eilstrup Rasmussen, Joshua Keith Duck
  • Patent number: 9477760
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a set of nodes of a social graph of an online social network. The social graph includes a number of nodes and a number of edges connecting the nodes. Each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them. The nodes include a first node that corresponds to the first user and a number of nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network. The method also includes accessing one or more grammar tokens. Each grammar token includes references to zero or more nodes and one or more edges. Each grammar token corresponds to a particular type of completion token. Each grammar token may be based on a natural-language string. The method also includes receiving from the first user a selection of one or more of the grammar tokens and one or more of the completion tokens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Xie, Rousseau Newaz Kazi, William R. Maschmeyer, Colin William Dunn, Maxime Boucher, Christopher Joseph Kalani
  • Publication number: 20160203237
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user of an online social network, a first structured query comprising a natural-language string generated by a grammar model and references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, generating one or more query modifications for the first structured query, each query modification comprising references to one or more modifying objects associated with the online social network, and sending, to the client system of the first user, one or more of the query modifications as suggested modifications to the first structured query for display to the first user, each query modification being selectable by the first user to modify the natural-language string of the first structured query to further comprise references to the one or more of the modifying objects referenced in the selected query modification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Thomas S. Whitnah, Olivier Chatot, Erik N. Vee, William R. Maschmeyer, Keith L. Peiris, Alexander Langenfeld
  • Patent number: 9361363
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving a structured query that includes references to selected nodes and edges, and generating one or more query modification for the structured query, where each query modification includes references to modified nodes or modified edges from the plurality of nodes and edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas S. Whitnah, Olivier Chatot, Erik N. Vee, William R. Maschmeyer, Keith L. Peiris, Alexander Langenfeld