Geo-Social Content Surfacing via Dynamic Radius Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing geo-social networking systems fail to effectively surface relevant content to users based on their current location and familiarity with that location, often providing either too broad or too narrow a range of content, which can lead to user disengagement.

Innovation Solution

A geo-social networking system that calculates a novelty score for a user's location based on their past interactions and distance traveled, adjusting the geographic and temporal radius for surfacing content to ensure relevance, with content ranking and delivery tailored to the user's familiarity with their surroundings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a fixed geographic radius is used for surfacing content, then the system implementation is simple, but the content relevance to user's current situation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem implementation simplicityVSAvoidcontent relevance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static fixed geographic radius to a dynamic adaptive radius that changes based on user behavior. The system continuously adjusts the search radius according to user movement patterns, time spent at locations, and interaction history, making the content surfacing mechanism responsive to real-time user context rather than using a predetermined fixed range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the geographic radius parameter based on multiple factors including user movement distance, time spent at current location, and historical interaction data. The system dynamically adjusts this parameter to optimize content relevance, changing it from a constant value to a variable that adapts to user situation and behavior patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Quantity of substance

If a large geographic radius is used for content search, then more content is available, but the content becomes less relevant to user's immediate context

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent availabilityVSAvoidcontent relevance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making content relevance dependent on the user's specific local context. Instead of uniformly applying the same search radius to all users, the system tailors the geographic scope to each user's immediate situation, adjusting the search area based on their movement patterns, location familiarity, and contextual behavior to provide locally optimized content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the geographic search radius based on real-time user behavior data. When users exhibit patterns indicating familiarity with an area, the radius decreases to provide more localized relevant content. When users show signs of being new to an area or actively exploring, the radius expands to provide broader content options, making the balance between quantity and relevance adaptive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If content is surfaced based on multiple geo-social factors, then content relevance improves, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent relevanceVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing user behavior patterns, movement histories, and interaction data during normal system operation. This pre-processing allows the system to quickly retrieve and apply pre-analyzed user profiles rather than performing complex computations in real-time when surfacing content, reducing computational complexity while maintaining high relevance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor user interactions with surfaced content and adjust the geo-social factors accordingly. User engagement data feeds back into the system to refine the weighting and application of various factors, optimizing the balance between relevance and computational efficiency through iterative learning and adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3474222B1Content surfacing based on geo-social factors
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 META PLATFORMS INC
  • EP3474222B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3474222B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3474222B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In one embodiment, a geo-social networking system determines a user's current location, calculates a novelty score for the location representing the user's degree of familiarity, and surfaces content within a geographic and temporal radius based on the novelty score for display to the user.