IP Library Granted Patent US 12,306,869
Granted Patent B2
US 12,306,869 · App. 18/632,620 · Granted May 20, 2025

Restoring integrity of a social media thread from a social network export

Inventor: Kyle Shay (Oakland, CA)
Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
G06F16/538G06F16/535G06F16/5866G06F16/972H04L51/216H04L51/52
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,306,869
App. No.
18/632,620
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for a service that can ingest a social network export and restore the integrity of threads within the social network export. The present technology can unite images in the social network export with the caption from the initial post, and with any comments within the thread. Likewise, images in the social network export can be enhanced to include metadata that reflects when the image was posted and any other contextual information that the social network provides in export file.

Claims (60)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a social network import service, an export file of user data from a social network, the export file comprising a directory of images and a plurality of comments on the social network;

analyzing, at the social network import service, the export file to determine that the export file includes data from the social network;

matching an image file from the directory of the images to data associated with at least one comment of the plurality of comments in the user data;

indexing the data associated with the at least one comment and the image file;

receiving a search including at least a part of the at least one comment; and

searching the indexed data to retrieve the image file based on the received search.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search for the image file is based on browsing a content directory containing the image file.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

parsing the export file, including the user data, to determine a source social network of the export file from a plurality of source social networks; and

based on the source social network of the export file, identifying the at least one comment of the plurality of comments.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of source social networks include different formats for the export file, wherein the user data on the source social network are related to the at least one comment with the image file.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request to open the image file after the data associated with the at least one comment has been stored as the metadata with the image file; and

presenting the image file along with the data associated with the at least one comment.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein presenting image file further includes presenting the image file with a background and formatting that replicates an appearance of the image file and the at least one comment when presented by the social network.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the data associated with the at least one comment as metadata in the image file prior to indexing the image file and the metadata of the image file.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

prior to indexing the image file and the metadata of the image file, receiving a request to open the image file after the data associated with the at least one comment has been stored as the metadata with the image file; and

presenting the image file along with the data associated with the at least one comment.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adding the image file along with metadata of the image file to an archive directory of social network comments that includes comments from multiple social networks.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed cause at least one processor to:

receive, by a social network import service, user data from a social network, the user data comprising a directory of images and a plurality of comments on the social network;

analyze, at the social network import service, the user data to determine that the user data includes data from the social network;

match an image file from the directory of the images to data associated with at least one comment of the plurality of comments in the user data;

index the data associated with the at least one comment and the image file;

receive a search including at least a part of the at least one comment; and

search the indexed data to retrieve the image file based on the received search.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the search for the image file is based on browsing a content directory containing the image file.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

parse the user data to determine a source social network of the user data from a plurality of source social networks; and

based on the source social network of the user data identify the at least one comment of the plurality of comments.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

receive a request to open the image file after the data associated with the at least one comment has been stored as metadata with the image file; and

present the image file along with the data associated with the at least one comment.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

storing the data associated with the at least one comment as metadata in the image file prior to indexing the image file and the metadata of the image file.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

prior to indexing the image file and the metadata of the image file, receiving a request to open the image file after the data associated with the at least one comment has been stored as the metadata with the image file; and

presenting the image file along with the data associated with the at least one comment.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

add the image file along with metadata of the image file to an archive directory of social network comments that includes comments from multiple social networks.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the at least one processor to:

receive, by a social network import service, an export file of user data from a social network, the export file comprising a directory of images and a plurality of comments on the social network;

analyze, at the social network import service, the export file to determine that the export file includes data from the social network;

match an image file from the directory of the images to data associated with at least one comment of the plurality of comments in the user data;

index the data associated with the at least one comment and the image file;

receive a search including at least a part of the at least one comment; and

search the indexed data to retrieve the image file based on the received search.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the search for the image file is based on browsing a content directory containing the image file.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the at least one processor to:

parse the export file including the user data to determine a source social network of the export file from a plurality of source social networks; and

based on the source social network of the export file identify the at least one comment of the plurality of comments.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the at least one processor to:

receive a request to open the image file after the data associated with the at least one comment has been stored as metadata with the image file; and

present the image file along with the data associated with the at least one comment.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2024
From: SHAY, KYLE
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 067075/0573 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18210860 · Jun 16, 2023
Continuation 16563453 · Sep 6, 2019
Related Publication 20240256596A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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