Method of updating interests

• US 20040039814A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: OʼDonogue, John, Titmuss, Richard J, Crabtree, Ian B, Loffler, Alexander, Polaine, Matthew J, Bowskill, Jeremy M
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a method of changing a profile representing subject matter of interest to a user, where the profile includes a plurality of sets of subject-related data. The method of the invention includes the steps of

(i) suggesting a change to the profile to the user, which suggestion includes one or more selection choices representative of the suggested change,

(ii) receiving one or more selection choices from the user,

(iii) modifying the user profile in accordance with the or each selection choice,

(iv) monitoring user action in respect of the modification, and, if the user action satisfies predetermined criteria,

(v) permanently changing the profile in accordance with the or each selection choice.

Claims

1. A method of changing a profile representing subject matter of interest to a user, the profile including a plurality of sets of subject-related data, the method including the steps of

(i) suggesting a change to contents of the profile to the user, which suggestion includes one or more selection choices representative of the suggested change,

(ii) receiving one or more selection choices from the user,

(iii) modifying the user profile in accordance with the or each selection choice,

(iv) monitoring user action in respect of the modification, and, if the user action satisfies predetermined criteria,

(v) permanently changing the profile in accordance with the or each selection choice.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the monitoring step (iv) includes the steps of

presenting the user with at least one further selection choice,

receiving the or each further selection choice, and

comparing the or each further selection choice with the predetermined criteria.

3. A method according to claim 2, in which the or each further selection choice comprises affirmation of the one or more selection choices representative of the suggested change suggested in step (i).

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the monitoring step (iv) includes the steps of counting a number of times the user accesses information relating to the selection choice, and comparing the said number with a threshold number.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the monitoring step (iv) includes the steps of observing patterns of user access relating to the selection choice, and comparing the observed pattern with one or more predetermined patterns.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the monitoring step (iv) occurs with a frequency that is configurable by the user.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising performing at least one of comparative analysis and/or cluster analysis between profiles of two or more users, and receiving output therefrom, which output provides at least one of the selection choices representative of the suggested change.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising evaluating confidence values associated with the output from the comparative analysis and/or cluster analysis, and in which the step (i) of suggesting a change to the contents of the profile based on the said output is performed in dependence on the evaluated confidence values associated therewith.

9. A method according to claim 7 or claim 8, further comprising comparing the output with a list of changes that are deemed not to be relevant to the user, and, if any of the selection choices in the output matches any on the list, discarding the matching selection choices from the output.

10. A computer program, or a suite of computer programs, comprising a set of instructions to cause a computer, or a suite of computers, to perform the method steps according to any one of claims 1 to 9.