Social Network Event Creation via External Web Page Data Extraction

Solution Overview

Problem

Users of social networking systems face inconvenience when trying to create events based on external event information, as they need to manually reproduce event details within the system, rather than leveraging information from external sources.

Innovation Solution

The social networking system receives and utilizes information about an event from external web pages to create an event object, allowing users to easily create and invite others to events by communicating data through social plugins or markup language documents, enabling seamless integration of external content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually create events within the social networking system, then event creation is possible, but user effort and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of event creationVSAvoidtime for event creation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system copies event information from external web pages directly into the social networking system. Instead of requiring users to manually input event details, the system extracts and replicates event data (title, description, time, location) from external sources, creating event objects automatically within the social network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary component that bridges external web pages and the social networking system. This intermediary automatically extracts event information from external sources and translates it into the social network's event format, eliminating the need for manual user intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If users manually reproduce event information, then external event data can be used, but complexity of the process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to use external event informationVSAvoidcomplexity of event creation process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system copies event information from external web pages directly into the social networking system. Instead of requiring users to manually input event details, the system extracts and replicates event data (title, description, time, location) from external sources, creating event objects automatically within the social network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically extracting and processing event information from external web pages without requiring user intervention. The system autonomously identifies event data, formats it appropriately, and creates event objects within the social networking system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If manual event creation is required, then data accuracy can be controlled, but productivity of the system decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent creation efficiencyVSAvoidevent information accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system copies event information from external web pages directly into the social networking system. Instead of requiring users to manually input event details, the system extracts and replicates event data (title, description, time, location) from external sources, creating event objects automatically within the social network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms to verify the accuracy of copied event information. After automatically extracting event data from external sources, the system validates the information and provides feedback loops to ensure data integrity, allowing users to review and correct extracted information if needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10489025B2Incorporating external event information into a social networking system

Publication Date: 2019.11.26 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

A social networking system allows a user to create an event in the social networking system while viewing a web page from a third-party website from a domain different than the social networking system. A widget or other social plug-in is included in the web page, and user interaction with the widget communicates information from the web page to the social networking system. An event object is created in the social networking system from the information from the web page. The social networking system may perform various actions to increase user interaction with the created event object, such as identifying additional users to invite the event or identifying users attending the event to other users.