Search system and methods with integration of user annotations from a trust network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10726019-B2
Application number	US-201715810507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2004
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

Computer systems and methods incorporate user annotations (metadata) regarding various pages or sites, including annotations by a querying user and by members of a trust network defined for the querying user into search and browsing of a corpus such as the World Wide Web. A trust network is defined for each user, and annotations by any member of a first user's trust network are made visible to the first user during search and/or browsing of the corpus. Users can also limit searches to content annotated by members of their trust networks or by members of a community selected by the user.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method implemented on a machine having at least one processor, storage, and a communications platform connected to a network for responding to a request, the method comprising:
obtaining at least one search result based on a first request;
selecting one or more users from a social network based on a reputation score of each of the one or more users, wherein the reputation score is based on a participation level of a corresponding user within the social network and a rating associated with at least one annotation provided by the corresponding user;
determining content in the at least one search result that was previously accessed by at least one of the one or more users;
providing a representation of the social network;
receiving an indication that a first user of the one or more users is to be excluded from the social network;
generating search result data based at least in part on the indication such that annotations of the first user are blocked from inclusion in the search result data, and wherein the search result data comprises first information indicating that the content had previously been accessed by the at least one of the one or more users and at least one of the annotations provided by the at least one of the one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
populating, automatically, a list of users from the social network based on a relationship between each of the one or more users and a requesting user associated with the first request, wherein one or more additional users connected to each of the one or more users are included in the list based on the relationship.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a list of users from the social network, wherein a flag is associated with each user of the list, the flag indicating whether annotations provided by that user are to be ignored.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein blocking annotations associated with the first user maintains the social network in a same format as prior to the first user being blocked.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a list of friends based on interactions between a requesting user associated with the first request and the one or more users of the social network.

6. A system having at least one processor, storage, and a communications platform connected to a network for responding to a request, the system comprising:
a search control logic configured to obtain at least one search result based on a first request;
a trust network control logic configured to select one or more users from a social network based on a reputation score of each of the one or more users, wherein the reputation score is based on a participation level of a corresponding user within the social network and a rating associated with at least one annotation provided by the corresponding user, and wherein the trust network control logic is further configured to provide a representation of the social network and to receive an indication that a first user of the one or more users is to be excluded from the social network;
a personalization control logic configured to determine content in the at least one search result that was previously accessed by at least one of the one or more users; and
a reporting control logic configured to generate search result data based at least in part of the indication such that annotations of the first user are blocked from inclusion in the search result data, wherein the search result data comprises first information indicating that the content had previously been accessed by the at least one of the one or more users and at least one of the annotations provided by the at least one of the one or more users.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the trust network control logic is further configured to:
populate, automatically, a list of users from the social network based on a relationship between each of the one or more users and a requesting user associated with the first request, wherein one or more additional users connected to each of the one or more users are included in the list based on the relationship.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the trust network control logic is further configured to:
determine a list of users from the social network, wherein a flag is associated with each user of the list, the flag indicating whether annotations provided by that user are to be ignored.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the trust network control logic being configured to block annotations associated with the first user maintains the social network in a same format as prior to the first user being blocked.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the trust network control logic is further configured to:
generate a list of friends based on interactions between a requesting user associated with the first request and the one or more users of the social network.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least on processor of a machine, cause the machine to:
obtain at least one search result based on a first request;
select one or more users from a social network based on a reputation score of each of the one or more users, wherein the reputation score is based on a participation level of a corresponding user within the social network and a rating associated with at least one annotation provided by the corresponding user;
determine content in the at least one search result that was previously accessed by at least one of the one or more users; and
provide a representation of the social network;
receive an indication that a first user of the one or more users is to be excluded from the social network;
generate search result data based at least in part on the indication such that annotations of the first user are blocked from inclusion in the search result data, and wherein the search result data comprises first information indicating that the content had previously been accessed by the at least one of the one or more users and at least one of the annotations provided by the at least one of the one or more users.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the machine to:
populate, automatically, a list of users from the social network based on a relationship between each of the one or more users and a requesting user associated with the first request, wherein one or more additional users connected to each of the one or more users are included in the list based on the relationship.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the machine to:
determine a list of users from the social network, wherein a flag is associated with each user of the list, the flag indicating whether annotations provided by that user are to be ignored.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the machine to:
generate a list of friends based on interactions between a requesting user associated with the first request and the one or more users of the social network.

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lu Qi
• Walther Eckart
• Ku David
• Tam Chung-Man
• Lee Kevin
• Xu Zhichen
• Diab Ali
• Norton Kenneth
• Mao Jianchang

Classifications

• G06F16/24573 Primary

  using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata · CPC title

• H04L51/52 Primary

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title

• G06F16/957

  Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation · CPC title

• G06F16/9535

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• H04L51/32

  Electricity · mapped topic