Methods and systems of providing information to computer users

• US 20050149511A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Banks, Richard, Ruthfield, Scott L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Methods and systems of providing information to computer users are described. In one embodiment, the methods and systems can provide a ranked list of favorite links. The list can be based upon the recency and frequency with which a user accesses items associated with the links. A most recently added favorites list of links is provided that is based upon when particular links were added to a user'"'"'s favorites list. The methods and system can calculate a union of the lists to provide a collection of favorite quick links.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a ranked list of favorite links, the list being based upon the recency and frequency with which a user accesses items associated with the links;

providing a most recently added favorites list of links that is based upon when particular links were added to a user'"'"'s favorites list; and

calculating a union of the lists to provide a collection of favorite quick links.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranked list of favorite links is provided by calculating a weighted score for each link that considers the number of times a user accessed an item associated with the link, the score weighting more recent link accesses heavier than less recent link accesses.

3. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 1.

4. A method comprising:

maintaining a database that contains information describing various user favorite links, the information containing data pertaining to a user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were added to the database;

running a first database query that identifies and ranks most frequently accessed links;

running a second database query that identifies most recently added favorites; and

calculating a union of the first and second database queries to provide quick links comprising a top favorites list.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising running the first and second queries across multiple content types.

6. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 4.

7. A method of ascertaining quick links to user information comprising:

maintaining a database that contains information describing various user visited links, the information containing data pertaining to a user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were last accessed by the user;

running a first database query that identifies and ranks most frequently accessed links;

running a second database query that identifies most recently accessed links; and

calculating a union of the first and second database queries to provide quick links comprising a suggested favorites list.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising running the first and second queries across multiple content types.

9. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 7.