Dynamic characterization of nodes in a semantic network for desired functions such as search, discovery, matching, content delivery, and synchronization of activity and information

• US 10,547,698 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cricket Media Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cricket Media, Inc. (Cricket Media Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dozier, Linda T., Fish, Edmund J., Gilburne, Miles R., Zolt, Nina
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D
• Application Number:
  US11/937,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,464 Days
• Field of Search: 709243, 709241, 709239, 709233, 709223, 709222, 709200, 709250, 709238, 709231, 709229, 709224, 709230, 709249, 370401, 370400, 37039521, 370380, 370351, 370328, 370255, 370254, 370252, 370244, 370238, 370242, 370217, 370221, 715841, 715763, 715745, 715738, 715733, 715255, 715239, 715236, 715210, 726 23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/22 Games, e.g. card games
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

The present invention provides a system of computers on a wide area network that establishes connections between nodes on the basis of their multidimensional similarity at a particular point in time in a certain setting, such as a social learning network, and sends relevant information to the nodes. Dimensions in the definition of similarity include a plurality of attributes in time and community space. Examples of such dimensions and attributes may include a position in a learning community'"'"'s project cycle, titles of readings and projects, the genre or subject matter under consideration, age, grade or skill level of the participants, and language. The network'"'"'s nodes are represented as a vector of attributes and are searched efficiently and adaptively through a variety of multidimensional data structures and mechanisms. The system includes synchronization that can transform a participant'"'"'s time attributes on the network and coordinate the activities and information for each participant.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a dynamic, process-based learning experience for users in a network environment, comprising the steps of:

defining such a structured network environment having multiple nodes wherein the nodes each have a vector of dynamic attributes;

identifying relative positions for multiple nodes within the structured network environment based on a comparison of attributes associated with each of the multiple nodes, wherein the attributes are interests of, or activities participated in by, the multiple nodes, and measuring a distance between the multiple nodes based on a degree of similarity between the dynamic attributes of the multiple nodes and not based on a connected or not state;

clustering the multiple nodes based on the identified relative positions of the multiple nodes and allowing at least some of the multiple nodes to discover others of the multiple nodes;

synchronizing an activity of the multiple nodes based on the relative positions and the degree of similarity between the dynamic attributes of the multiple nodes, wherein the identification of the relative positions and the synchronization are performed without reference to the actual time;

managing state transitions between the multiple nodes based on information received from another of the multiple nodes indicating a change in a dynamic attribute of the node; and

serving content or information to the clustered multiple nodes based on the positions and on managed state transitions between the multiple nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-synchronizing the activity of multiple nodes to allow for changes in the relative positions of the nodes and then serving events based on the re-synchronization.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification of relative positions for multiple nodes occurs continuously to allow for re-synchronization.

4. A method for synchronizing nodes on a network wherein each node has a vector of dynamic attributes, said method comprising the steps of:

a. defining a structured network environment having multiple interdependent nodes;

b. identifying relative positions for multiple interdependent nodes within the structured network environment and measuring a distance between the multiple interdependent nodes based on a degree of similarity between the dynamic attributes of the nodes and not based on a connected or not state;

c. synchronizing the multiple nodes based on the relative positions based on a stage associated with each of the multiple nodes and the degree of similarity between the dynamic attributes of the nodes, wherein the identification of the relative positions and the synchronization are performed without reference to actual time;

d. allowing at least one of the relative positions for at least one of the multiple interdependent nodes to change, thereby causing at least one of the relative positions for one of the other multiple interdependent nodes to also change; and

e. managing state transitions between the multiple interdependent nodes based on information received from another of the multiple interdependent nodes indicating a change in a dynamic attribute of the node; and

f. serving events to the synchronized multiple nodes based on the positions and the managed state transitions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one first selected interdependent node cannot change at least one second selected interdependent node.

6. A method for synchronizing nodes on a network wherein the nodes each have a vector of dynamic attributes, said method comprising the steps of:

a. collecting event information from multiple node locations;

b. deriving a structured network environment from the collected information;

c. associating multiple nodes within the structured network environment by measuring a distance between the nodes based on a degree of similarity between the dynamic attributes of the nodes and not based on a connected or not state and wherein the associating is performed without reference to actual time;

d. managing state transitions between the multiple nodes based on information received from another of the multiple nodes indicating a change in a dynamic attribute of the node; and

e. serving one or more events to the multiple associated nodes based on the managed state transitions.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of creating a community of multiple nodes based on at least one of the events served.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of creating a community of multiple nodes based on participation in an event served.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising calculating a relative distance between the nodes based on a set of attributes corresponding to the nodes.