Method and system for providing evaluation of text-based products

• US 20040073625A1
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Chatani, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,149,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system for providing customized text content ratings and recommendations based on information concerning the text content that a customer has previously read. The system includes a book database, a customer database, a database server, and a web server. The customer performs a book registration function followed by a book rating function. In the registration function, information regarding texts that the customer has previously read is compiled and stored in the customer database. In the rating function, the customer establishes text product that he is considering buying. The server searches keyword data of the customer database based on keywords associated with the chosen product. The database server determines one or more books or other text product having the most matching keywords and ranks the products according to a scale, and presents a rating information for the chosen text product keyed to the closest text the customer has read.

Claims

1. A method for providing evaluation information to a customer using a system comprising a first database configured to store data concerning text content and a customer database configured to store data concerning text content read by the customer, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data exclusively concerning text content read by the customer in the customer database;

receiving a search request comprising a search item from the customer;

comparing data concerning the search item with data concerning text content previously read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request; and

transmitting the obtained rating data to the customer for display at a customer computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting similarity data to the customer for display at a customer computer, wherein the similarity data indicates the similarity of the search item with at least one item included in the text content previously read by the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the similarity data is a rating of the percentage similarity between the search item and at least one item included in the text content previously read by the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of registering information regarding the text content previously read by the customer in the customer database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of registering information includes receiving search item information from the customer computer, instructing a database server to search the first database, and generating a search results list.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the search item under consideration by the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of establishing the search item under consideration by the customer is accomplished by:

receiving search criteria information from the customer;

instructing the database server to search the first database; and

displaying potential text content items on a customer web browser.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a text content item selected by the customer is used in obtaining rating data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a text content item selected by the customer is used in obtaining similarity data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a text content item selected by the customer is used in obtaining similarity data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing data includes:

searching keyword fields in the customer database based on keywords of the search item; and

rating candidate text content according to an algorithm.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the algorithm rates text content having a greater number of keywords in common with the search item under consideration higher than text content sharing fewer keywords.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the algorithm rates text content having a substantial number of, but not too many, keywords in common with the search item under consideration as the highest-rated text content.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering text content read by the customer into the customer database.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the search results comprise evaluation search results including an initial list of text content items, presented to the customer as recommendation candidates, generated by matching keywords with a search item selected by the customer.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the evaluation search results further include an alternate list of text content items generated by matching text-content-related data other than keywords, said alternate list being created by the database server in the event the initial list of text content items is unsatisfactory to the customer.

14. A method for providing evaluation information to a customer using a system comprising a first database configured to store data concerning text content and a customer database configured to store data concerning text content read by the customer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request comprising a search item from the customer;

comparing data concerning the search item with data concerning text content previously read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request;

transmitting the obtained rating data to the customer for display at a customer computer; and

transmitting similarity data to the customer for display at a customer computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of registering information regarding the text content previously read by the customer in the customer database.

16. A method for providing evaluation information to a customer using a system comprising a first database configured to store data concerning text content and a customer database configured to store data concerning text content read by the customer, the method comprising the steps of:

registering information regarding the text content previously read by the customer in the customer database;

receiving a search request comprising a search item from the customer;

comparing data concerning the search item with data concerning text content previously read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request; and

transmitting the obtained rating data to the customer for display at a customer computer.

17. A system for providing evaluation information to a customer comprising:

a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request comprising a search item, and to display search results;

a first database configured to store data concerning text content;

a customer database configured to store data exclusively concerning text content read by the customer;

a database server, connected to the first and customer databases, programmed to compare data concerning the search item with data concerning text content read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the database server is further programmed to register information regarding the text content read by the customer into the customer database.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the database server is further programmed to transmit the rating data and similarity data to the customer for display on the customer computer.

20. A system for providing evaluation information to a customer comprising:

a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request comprising a search item, and to display search results;

a first database configured to store data concerning text content;

a customer database configured to store data concerning text content read by the customer;

a database server, connected to the first and customer databases, programmed to compare data concerning the search item with data concerning text content read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating and similarity data responsive to the search request.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the database server is further programmed to register information regarding the text content read by the customer into the customer database.

22. A system for providing evaluation information to a customer comprising:

a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request comprising a search item, and to display search results;

a first database configured to store data concerning text content;

a customer database configured to store data concerning text content read by the customer;

a database server, connected to the first and customer databases, programmed to;

register information regarding the text content read by the customer into the customer database; and

compare data concerning the search item with data concerning text content read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the database server is further programmed to transmit the rating data and similarity data to the customer for display on the customer computer.

24. An article of manufacture embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine, the program of instructions including instructions for:

receiving a search request comprising a search item from the customer;

comparing data concerning the search item with data concerning text content previously read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request; and

transmitting the obtained rating data to the customer for display at a customer computer;

wherein the customer database that is accessed stores only data concerning text content read by the customer.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 further including instructions for registering information regarding the text content previously read by the customer in the customer database.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25 further including instructions for transmitting similarity data to the customer for display at a customer computer, wherein the similarity data indicates the similarity of the search item with at least one item included in the text content previously read by the customer.

27. An article of manufacture embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine, the program of instructions including instructions for:

registering information regarding the text content previously read by the customer in the customer database;

receiving a search request comprising a search item from the customer;

comparing data concerning the search item with data concerning text content previously read by the customer by accessing the first database and the customer database to obtain rating data responsive to the search request; and

transmitting the obtained rating data to the customer for display at a customer computer.

28. A method for providing text content evaluation information to a customer computer in response to a request for search item evaluation information from the customer computer using a system comprising (1) a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request for text content evaluation information and to display the search results;

(2) a bidirectional network connection between said customer computer and a web server computer allowing data transfer therebetween;

(3) a first database for storing data concerning text content;

(4) a customer database for storing data concerning text content read by the customer operating the customer computer; and

(5) a database server, connected to the web server, programmed to receive customer computer search requests from the web server, to process search requests, to access the first database, to access the customer database, and to provide search results to the web server, the method comprising the steps of;

a) initiating a search request at the customer computer to evaluate a search item under consideration by the customer;

b) receiving the search request at the web server;

c) transmitting the search request from the web server to the database server, whereby the database server compares data concerning the search item stored in the first database with data concerning text content read by the customer operating the customer computer to obtain search item evaluation data responsive to the search request; and

d) transmitting the search item evaluation data from the database server to web server for display of the search item evaluation data at the customer computer.

30. A method for providing text content evaluation information to a customer computer in response to a request for search item evaluation information from the customer computer using a system comprising (1) a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request for text content evaluation information and to display the search results;

(2) a bi-directional network connection between said customer computer and a web server computer allowing data transfer therebetween;

(3) a first database for storing data concerning text content;

(4) a customer database for storing data concerning text content read by the customer operating the customer computer; and

(5) a database server, connected to the web server, programmed to receive customer computer search requests from the web server, to process search requests, to access the first database, to access the customer database, and to provide search results to the web server, the method comprising the steps of;

a) initiating a search request at the customer computer to evaluate a search item under consideration by the customer;

b) receiving the search request at the web server;

c) transmitting the search request from the web server to the database server, whereby the database server compares data concerning the search item under consideration with data concerning text content, both from the first database, to identify text content related to the search item under consideration;

d) transmitting related text content data from the database server to the web server for display of the related text content data at the customer computer;

e) registering text content items that have been read by the customer from the related text content data;

f) comparing data concerning the search item under consideration with data concerning the registered text content, both from the first database, to obtain search item evaluation data responsive to the search request; and

g) transmitting the search item evaluation data from the database server to web server for display of the search item evaluation data at the customer computer.

31. A system for providing text content evaluation information to a customer computer, in response to a request for search item evaluation information from the customer computer, comprising:

a customer computer programmed to transmit a search request for search item evaluation information and to display the search results;

a network connection between said customer computer and a web server computer allowing data transfer therebetween;

a first database for storing data concerning text content;

a customer database for storing data concerning text content read by the customer operating the customer computer; and

a database server, connected to the web server, programmed to receive customer computer search requests from the web server, to process search requests, to access the first database, to access the customer database, and to provide search results to the web server.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the search results comprise registration search results including a list of text content items presented to the customer as registration candidates, having the greatest number of keywords that match the keywords associated with a search item under consideration by the customer.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the search results comprise registration search results including a list of text content items presented to the customer as registration candidates, selected for having neither too many nor too few keywords equal to the keywords associated with a search item under consideration by the customer.