Context-based search engine residing on a network

• US 20070198505A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panthaen Informatics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Panthaen Informatics Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuller, Napier
• Application Number:
  US11/572,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

This invention provides a context-aware search engine that communicates with users having a particular location at a particular time within a tessellated network of geographically spaced-apart communication nodes, typically wireless nodes/access points (APs). Based upon the user'"'"'s location and time, the search engine delivers relevant site-specific information germane to that user'"'"'s place and time. In an illustrative embodiment, the search engine correlates the address of the node within which the user is located when making a query to the engine via a wireless device such as a laptop computer, PDA or cellular telephone. The time of the query is also accounted for. The query causes the search engine to focus its database search (from a large array of information resources indexed by the search engine and accessible thereby) on those informational items/web sites that fit the appropriate place and time of the user. In particular wireless nodes are viewed as spatial aggregation units (such as polygons) of demarcation in an urban or other densely settled environment (e.g. a university campus, institution, etc.) to identify and characterize the physical environment of the information-seeker.

Claims

1. A method of generating context-aware information based on a search query issued by a client having a device comprising the steps of:

identifying a present spatial aggregation unit of a plurality of spatial aggregation units and a relative time in which the device delivers the search query;

obtaining a corpus of information blocks each having a context relevant to the client'"'"'s context and also relevant to the spatial aggregation unit and the relative time;

assigning relevance scores to the corpus of information blocks based upon similarity between the context of the information blocks and the context of the client'"'"'s present spatial aggregation unit and the relative time; and

sorting the information blocks based on the assigned relevance scores.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying one or more filters to the corpus of information blocks in pre-process states to expedite the operations by first removing information blocks that are clearly not applicable to the given context of the client.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying on a browser of the device a listing of the information blocks according to a predetermined logical ordering and based upon a ranking associated with the relevance scores.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of displaying includes linking relevant web sites associated with at least one of the information blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying includes associating interrelated information blocks and listing the information blocks.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assigning includes summing vectors associated with the context of the client'"'"'s present spatial aggregation unit and the relative time with vectors associated with each of the information blocks.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising representing information blocks based upon the “

push”

pattern of human behaviors and intentions associated with each block, and including the steps of;

obtaining a model of the pattern of human behaviors and intentions within a given cell as a function of time; and

forming a data type and syntax comprising (a) static data and (b) uniform vector of one or more variables that represent the corpus of cells in terms of behavioral intent as a function of time.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing an extensible syntax or language to represent and make comparisons at a variety between SAU'"'"'s “

pull”

force and the information key'"'"'s “

push force.”

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating a list of best matches between a context in which a client is placed and a plurality of possible information to be delivered to the client, including assigning scores, values, and refinements to an initial list of best matches.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising refining the list of best matches based upon cognitive choice theories found in users relating to having a critical mass of lateral choices and also linking the vertical information keys.

7. A method for representing physical space based upon a representation of the “

pull”

force of segmented polygons that correspond to a network wireless cells comprising the steps of;

obtaining a model of a pattern of human behaviors and intentions within a given one of the cells as a function of time; and

forming a data type and syntax comprising (a) static data and (b) a uniform vector of one or more variables that represent a corpus of the cells in terms of behavioral intent as a function of time.