Method and Apparatus for Utilizing User Feedback to Improve Signifier Mapping
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for finding resources on a network comprises a finder server having access to: (a) a database including: (i) an index of resources available on network of interconnected computers on which a plurality of resources reside; and (ii) information regarding user feedback gathered from previous operations of the apparatus by a user and plural previous users; and (b) a learning system operable to access and learn from information contained on the database. The finder server is operable to locate, in response to entry by the user of a resource identity signifier, a single intended target resource intended by the user to uniquely correspond to the resource identity signifier, from among a plurality of resources located on the network, by: receiving a resource identity signifier from the user; accessing the database to determine, based on the information in the database, which, if any, of the indexed resources is likely to be the intended target resource; and directing a computer of the user so as to cause that computer to connect the user to the address of the resource, if any, determined as likely to be the intended target resource.
85 Citations
101 Claims
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1-31. -31. (canceled)
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32. A method for finding a target, comprising:
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a) processing a user input that signifies a single target with reference to a heuristic knowledge base, which is dynamically modified in view of feedback relating to prior responses to corresponding signifier inputs from multiple users; and b) allowing any user to directly input an identification for a target which is to be signified by a particular user input signifier, and modifying said knowledge base accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for finding a target, comprising:
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a) for ones of a multiplicity of users, processing user inputs that signify a single desired target with reference to a knowledge base; b) updating said knowledge base in response to feedback from multiple users from a); and c) allowing any of the multiple users to directly provide a new input/target pair for updating said knowledge base. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of finding an intended target resource, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a resource identity signifier intended to uniquely correspond to a resource located on a network; accessing database information that includes an index of available resources on the network, wherein some of a available resources are identified by resource locators containing registered elements, and includes associated confidence levels and associated social usage of the resource identity signifier from multi-user feedback, both the associated confidence levels and social usage relating to previous results of attempts to connect to intended target resources; determining which of a plurality of matched indexed resources is likely to be the intended target resource that uniquely corresponds to the recognized resource identity signifier using the associated confidence level of the recognized resource identity signifier; updating the database information to increase the confidence level associated with a mapping between the resource identity signifier and an address of the determined intended target resource if feedback indicates that the connected intended target resource corresponds to the resource identity signifier; updating the database information so as to decrease the confidence level associated with a mapping between the resource identity signifier and the address of the determined intended target resource if feedback indicates that the connected intended target resource fails to correspond to the resource identity signifier; and updating the database information provisionally to add an available resource after locating the resource. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of determining, in response to entry of an item identity signifier, an intended target item, comprising the steps of:
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receiving the item identity signifier; accessing in response to said item identity signifier a database on a finder server on a network, wherein the database includes an index of available items, wherein at least one of the plurality of items is identified by an identifier containing registered elements; learning a social usage of the item identity signifier from multi-user feedback inputs based on previous results by the finder server; and determining an indexed item as likely uniquely corresponding to the recognized item identity signifier based on the social usage of the recognized item identity signifier without regard to identification in the recognized item identity signifier of registered elements in an identifier corresponding to the item. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A method of interpreting user-inputted identifiers as unique item identifications, comprising:
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enabling a population of users to submit identifier-item pairs, the identifier and item in each pair being associated with one another; learning a social usage of identifiers associated with unique items by the population of users based in part on feedback from previous operations of the method from multiple members of the population; and for any user in the population of users, mapping an identifier submitted by the user to a single corresponding item based on the social usage of the entered identifier. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method of translating user-inputted identifiers into unique item identifications, comprising:
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enabling a population of users to submit identifier-item pairs to be associated with one another; learning a social usage of identifiers associated with unique items by a population of multiple users sharing a defined subject or interest; and for any user, mapping a user-entered identifier to a single corresponding item known to the user based on the social usage of the entered identifier. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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99. A method of connecting to an intended target resource, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at a server a resource identity signifier intended to uniquely correspond to a resource located on a network; accessing database information on the server that includes an index of available resources on the network, wherein some of a available resources are identified by resource locators containing registered elements, and includes associated confidence levels and associated social usage of the resource identity signifier derived from multi-user feedback, both the associated confidence levels and social usage relating to previous results of attempts to connect to intended target resources; determining which of a plurality of matched indexed resources is likely to be the intended target resource that uniquely corresponds to the recognized resource identity signifier using the associated confidence level associated with a mapping between the resource identity signifier and an address of the matched target resource, wherein the confidence is for the signifier-item association; updating the database information using a multi-user feedback to increase the confidence level associated with a mapping between the resource identity signifier and an address of the determined intended target resource if feedback indicates that the connected intended target resource corresponds to the resource identity signifier; updating the database information using a multi-user feedback to decrease the confidence level associated with a mapping between the resource identity signifier and the address of the determined intended target resource if feedback indicates that the connected intended target resource fails to correspond to the resource identity signifier; updating the database information provisionally to add an available resource after locating the resource; updating the database information to modify the social usage using the feedback; generating a list displayed on a computer of one or more links to a possible matched resource, the list being ordered according to confidence level, with a resource having a highest confidence level being ranked highest; and providing a selective option to enable any user to update the database with an available resource. - View Dependent Claims (100, 101)
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Specification