Summarizing reviews

• US 20080082499A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Koski, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users

Abstract

Summarizing a set of reviews is disclosed. In some embodiments, a set of reviews is analyzed, e.g., by an at least partially automated process. A summary of the information included in the set of reviews is provided. The summary includes a visual indication of a range and distribution of opinions expressed in the set of reviews. In some embodiments, the set of reviews includes reviews from one or more members of an online or other user community, such as customers of an online store, subscribers to a podcast, blog, or other online source of content, etc.

Claims

1. A method for summarizing a set of reviews, comprising:

analyzing a set of reviews; and

providing a summary of the information included in the set of reviews, the summary including a visual indication of a range and distribution of opinions expressed in the set of reviews.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises parsing the content associated with the set of reviews.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises data mining the set of reviews.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises one or more of identifying a frequently repeated word sequence, text summarization, natural language processing, and text clustering.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing ratings associated with the set of reviews.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises analyzing trends in the set of reviews over time.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein providing a summary comprises selecting one or more keywords to be associated with the set of reviews.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein each keyword is associated with a relevance score indicating a degree of relevance of the keyword to the set of reviews.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more keywords categorize the set of reviews.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more keywords are hierarchically categorized.

11. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein each keyword comprises a link to a subset of the set of reviews associated with the keyword.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual indication includes an indication of a correlation between one or more keywords selected to be associated with the set of reviews to corresponding ratings associated with the set of reviews.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein one or more keywords selected to be associated with the set of reviews are correlated with a distribution of ratings associated with the set of reviews.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a user to whom the summary is provided is provided an opportunity to vote on a usefulness of the summary.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein analyzing the set of reviews includes determining one or more tags to be associated with the set of reviews and one or more of said tags are included in said summary.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of reviews includes one or more reviews from one or more members of an online community.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the members of the online community comprise customers of an online store.

18. A system for summarizing a set of reviews, comprising:

a processor configured to;

analyze a set of reviews; and

provide a summary of the information included in the set of reviews, the summary including a visual indication of a range and distribution of opinions expressed in the set of reviews; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide instructions to the processor.

19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to analyze comprises parsing the content associated with the set of reviews.

20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to analyze comprises one or more of data mining the set of reviews, identifying a frequently repeated word sequence, text summarization, natural language processing, and text clustering.

21. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to analyze comprises analyzing ratings associated with the set of reviews.

22. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to analyze comprises analyzing trends in the set of reviews over time.

23. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to provide a summary comprises selecting one or more keywords to be associated with the set of reviews.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein each keyword is associated with a relevance score indicating a degree of relevance of the keyword to the set of reviews.

25. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein each keyword comprises a link to a subset of the set of reviews associated with the keyword.

26. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the visual indication includes an indication of a correlation between one or more keywords selected to be associated with the set of reviews to corresponding ratings associated with the set of reviews.

27. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein one or more keywords selected to be associated with the set of reviews are correlated with a distribution of ratings associated with the set of reviews.

28. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein a user to whom the summary is provided is provided an opportunity to vote on a usefulness of the summary.

29. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein to analyze the set of reviews includes determining one or more tags to be associated with the set of reviews and one or more of said tags are included in said summary.

30. A computer program product for summarizing a set of reviews, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

analyzing a set of reviews; and

providing a summary of the information included in the set of reviews, the summary including a visual indication of a range and distribution of opinions expressed in the set of reviews.