Method, system and program product for filtering an entry of data items

• US 20040122801A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schirmer, Andrew L., Zeller, Marijane M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536

Abstract

A request corresponding to a target user is received from a querying user. The request can specifically identify the target user, or it could include a search criteria that results in identification of one or more target users. In any event, once the request is received, entries of data items (e.g., user profiles) associated with the target user(s) and the querying user (or some other user) are accessed. Based on the data items in the querying user'"'"'s profile (or the other user'"'"'s profile), the data items in the target user'"'"'s profiles are filtered so that the querying user is not presented with an overload of information. Once the target user'"'"'s profile has been filtered, it will be presented to the querying user.

Claims

1. A method for filtering an entry of data items, comprising:

receiving a request corresponding to a target user from a querying user, wherein the target user is associated with an entry of data items; and

filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user based on a entry of data items associated with another user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the filtered profile of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to the filtering step.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering step comprises hiding at least one of the data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the other user is the querying user.

9. A method for filtering a profile of data items, comprising:

receiving an identification of a target user from a querying user, wherein the querying user and the target user each have an associated profile of data items;

hiding at least one of the data items in the profile of data items associated with the target user based on the profile of data items associated with the querying user; and

presenting the filtered profile of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the profile of data items associated with the querying user and the profile of data items associated with the target user are stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising accessing the profile of data items associated with the target user and the profile of data items associated with the querying user in the database, prior to the removing step.

12. A system for filtering an entry of data items, comprising:

an input system for receiving a request corresponding to a target user from a querying user, wherein the target user has an associated entry of data items; and

a filter system for filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user based on an entry of data items associated with another user.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an output system for presenting the filtered entry of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an entry system for accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles of data items stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter system hides at least one of the data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the other user is the querying user.

20. A program product stored on a recordable medium for filtering an entry of data items, comprising:

program code for receiving a request corresponding to a target user from a querying user, wherein the target user has an associated entry of data items; and

program code for filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with another user.

21. The program product of claim 20, further comprising program code for presenting the filtered entry of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

22. The program product of claim 20, further comprising program code for accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user.

23. The program product of claim 22, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

24. The program product of claim 22, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

25. The program product of claim 20, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles of data items stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

26. The program product of claim 20, wherein the program code for filtering hides at least one of the data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

27. The program product of claim 20, wherein the other user is the querying user.