Fuzzy content network management and access

• US 20010047358A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manyworlds Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Manyworlds Incorporated
• Inventors: Flinn, Steven D., Moneypenny, Naomi F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/36 Creation of semantic tools, e.g. ontology or thesauri
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/02 using fuzzy logic computing arrangements based on biological models G06N3/00; computing arrangements using knowledge-based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and a method for managing information encapsulates the information as objects. The objects are related by a degree to other objects in a content network. The relationships between the objects may be established and enhanced by various human or automatic means. An attractive user interface facilitates use and management of the network by many users. Access to the content network may be customized for distinct user groups.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

encapsulating information in an object, wherein the object is in a network of objects;

establishing a degree of relationship to another object;

relating the object to the other object in the network; and

accessing any object in the network.

2. The method of

claim 1

, encapsulating information in the object further comprising generating a content object comprising the information and meta-information about the information.

3. The method of

claim 1

, encapsulating information in the object further comprising generating a content object comprising a pointer to the information and meta-information about the information.

4. The method of

claim 1

, encapsulating information in the object further comprising generating a topic object comprising meta-information.

5. The method of

claim 1

, establishing a degree of relationship to another object further comprising:

establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators.

6. The method of

claim 5

, establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators further comprising:

establishing one relationship indicator between a first object and a second object to indicate a degree of relationship relative to the first object; and

establishing a second relationship indicator between the first object and the second object to indicate a degree of relationship relative to the second object.

7. The method of

claim 5

, establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators further comprising:

establishing multiple relationship indicators for any pair of objects.

8. The method of

claim 5

, establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators further comprising:

generating a set of relationship indicators based upon human judgment.

9. The method of

claim 5

, establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators further comprising:

generating a set of relationship indicators based upon a pattern matching algorithm.

10. The method of

claim 5

, establishing a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators further comprising:

generating a set of relationship indicators based upon network usage.

11. The method of

claim 1

, accessing any object in the network further comprising accessing the object and its associated relationships in the network.

12. The method of

claim 11

, accessing the object and its associated relationships in the network further comprising:

receiving an access request;

navigating the network using information, meta-information, and relationships based upon the access request; and

retrieving the object.

13. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

accessing the network of objects;

tracking the accesses using a transaction log; and

matching the accesses to the objects.

14. The method of

claim 12

, retrieving the object further comprising:

retrieving an object summary, the object summary including an object encapsulation and a list of related objects.

15. The method of

claim 14

, further comprising:

presenting the information to a display interface, wherein the information is from the list of related objects.

16. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising:

receiving a relevancy control for the access request; and

retrieving the network of related objects according to the relevancy control.

17. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising:

presenting a graphical content network display comprising a graphical representation of the objects of the network and their associated relationship indicators.

18. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising:

presenting a content affinity matrix comprising a matrix of the objects of the network and their associated relationship indicators.

19. The method of

claim 18

, further comprising:

presenting a plurality of content affinity matrices, wherein each of the plurality of content affinity matrices represents a distinct set of relationship indicators.

20. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising:

accessing the network through a portal by a predetermined group of users, wherein the portal restricts the predetermined group of users from accessing a portion of the network.

21. The method of

claim 20

, further comprising:

allocating portions of the network to portals through selection of topic objects and related content objects.

22. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of subsets of the network; and

applying logical set operators on the subsets.

23. The method of

claim 22

, applying logical set operators further comprising:

performing a union among two or more of the plurality of subsets; and

generating a new subset based upon the union.

24. The method of

claim 22

, applying logical set operators further comprising:

performing an intersection among two or more of the plurality of subsets; and

generating a new subset based upon the intersection.

25. The method of

claim 22

, applying logical set operators further comprising:

performing a difference among two or more of the plurality of subsets; and

generating a new subset based upon the difference.

26. A system comprising:

an object, wherein the object encapsulates information; and

a plurality of relationship indicators between the object and one or more other objects, wherein the relationship indicators relate the objects by a degree.

27. The system of

claim 26

, wherein the object may include multiple sets of relationship indicators and each set of relationship indicators comprises:

a first relationship indicator between a first object and a second object, wherein the first relationship indicator is relative to the first object; and

a second relationship indicator between the first object and the second object, wherein the second relationship indicator is relative to the second object.

28. The system of

claim 27

, further comprising a display interface, wherein the display interface interrelates the objects and the relationship indicators.

29. The system of

claim 27

, wherein a set of relationship indicators is generated by a user of the system.

30. The system of

claim 27

, wherein a set of relationship indicators is generated based on access patterns to the objects by one or more users.

31. The system of

claim 27

, wherein a set of relationship indicators is generated automatically by a software program.

32. The system of

claim 26

, wherein the objects are distributed over multiple computers on a computer network.

33. The system of

claim 28

, wherein the display interface presents a content affinity matrix of the objects and the relationship indicators.

34. The system of

claim 26

, wherein the objects further include:

topic objects comprising meta-information; and

content objects comprising meta-information and either information or a pointer to information.

35. An article comprising a medium storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

encapsulate information in an object, wherein the object is in a network of objects;

establish a degree of relationship to another object;

relate the object to the other object in the network; and

access any object in the network.

36. The article of

claim 35

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

generate a content object comprising encapsulated objects; and

generate a topic object comprising meta-information.

37. The article of

claim 36

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

establish a plurality of directionally distinct relationship indicators.

38. The article of

claim 37

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

establish one relationship indicator between a first object and a second object to indicate a degree of relationship relative to the first object; and

establish a second relationship indicator between the first object and the second object to indicate a degree of relationship relative to the second object.

39. The article of

claim 38

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

establish multiple relationship indicators for any pair of objects.

40. The article of

claim 39

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

receive a relevancy control for an access request; and

retrieve the network of related objects according to the relevancy control.

41. The article of

claim 40

, further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:

provide a display interface, wherein the display interface interrelates the objects and the relationship indicators.