Identifying Nodes and Adjusting Weights Associated with Edges in Social Graph of Sharing Activity of Users of the Open Web

Abstract

A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. Building of the social graph can include creating an edge in the social graph that is representative of a particular category type. This includes identifying nodes in a social graph corresponding to sharing activity and adjusting weights associated with edges.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving first activity information for a sender of a first link to at least one recipient collected by a collection resource at a Web site, wherein no personally identifiable information of the sender is collected in the first activity information;   storing the first activity information at a storage server;   receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender corresponding to the first activity information stored at the storage server, wherein no personally identifiable information of the recipient is collected in the second activity information;   using at least one processor, using the first activity information to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of the sender;   using the second activity information to identify a second node in the social graph as being representative of the recipient;   determining a category for the first link as a first category type;   in the social graph, identifying a first edge between the first and second nodes as being representative of the first category type;   determining a first value associated with the first edge based on at least one of the first or second activity information; and   adjusting the first value to create a second value associated with the first edge based on a passage of time from at least one of the first or second activity information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first value associated with the first edge is reduced to the second value in proportion to how recent the first or second activity information occurred. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second activity information comprises the recipient making a purchase associated with the first link. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  comprising making a real-time bid on a content serving opportunity to the recipient based on the second value associated with the first edge. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 based on the social graph including the first and second nodes, making a bid to an ad exchange for an ad associated with the second node. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  comprising:
 based on the social graph including the first and second nodes, making a bid to an ad exchange for an ad associated with the first node. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a sharing widget. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a URL shortening. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises an instant messenger application. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the receiving first activity information for a sender of a first link to at least one recipient comprises:
 sending of an e-mail including the first link by the sender via a mobile device. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender comprises:
 receiving of the e-mail including the first link by the recipient via a mobile device. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender comprises:
 receiving of the e-mail including the first link by the recipient via a nonmobile device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the receiving first activity information for a sender of a first link to at least one recipient comprises:
 sending of an e-mail including the first link by the sender via a nonmobile device. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender comprises:
 receiving of the e-mail including the first link by the recipient via a mobile device. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender comprises:
 receiving of the e-mail including the first link by the recipient via a nonmobile device. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 at a first time, storing the first value in the social graph associated with the first edge. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 at a second time after the first time, replacing the stored first value in the social graph associated with the first edge with the second value. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  comprising at a first time, serving personalized content to the recipient based on the first value associated with the first edge. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  comprising at a second time, serving personalized content to the recipient based on the second value associated with the first edge. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving first activity information for a sender of a first link to at least one recipient collected by a collection resource at a Web site, wherein no personally identifiable information of the sender is collected in the first activity information;   storing the first activity information at a storage server;   receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender corresponding to the first activity information stored at the storage server, wherein no personally identifiable information of the recipient is collected in the second activity information;   using at least one processor, using the first activity information to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of the sender;   using the second activity information to identify a second node in the social graph as being representative of the recipient;   determining a category for the first link as a first category type;   in the social graph, identifying a first edge between the first and second nodes as being representative of the first category type; and   updating a first value associated with the first edge to a second value based on a time elapsed from at least one of the first activity information or second activity information.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  comprising:
 reducing the second value associated with the first edge to a third value based on a time elapsed from the first or second activity information. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  comprising:
 reducing the second value associated with the first edge to a third value based on a first time elapsed from the first or second activity information, and 
 reducing the third value associated with the first edge to a fourth value based on a second time elapsed from the first or second activity information, wherein the second time elapsed is greater than the first time elapsed. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a sharing widget. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a URL shortening. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first activity information comprises sharing a video. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 before identifying a first edge between the first and second nodes as being representative of the first category type, determining a second edge in the social graph, coupling the first and second nodes, is associated with a second category type. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first value is dependent upon a type of sharing activity by the sender to the at least one recipient, wherein the type of sharing activity comprises at least one of posting onto a social networking service, an e-mail, an instant message, or messaging in a chat to the at least one recipient. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20  comprising at a first time, serving personalized content to the recipient based on the first value associated with the first edge. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 at a first time, storing the first value in the social graph associated with the first edge; and 
 at a second time after the first time, replacing the stored first value in the social graph associated with the first edge with the second value. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the receiving first activity information for a sender of a first link to at least one recipient comprises:
 sending of an e-mail including the first link by the sender via a mobile device, wherein the receiving second activity information when a recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender comprises: 
 receiving of the e-mail including the first link by the recipient via a mobile device.