PLAYFUL INCENTIVE FOR LABELING CONTENT

• US 20090327168A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reiley, David, Zinkevich, Martin Andre Monroe, Kifer, Daniel, Pang, Bo, Weinberger, Kilian Quirin, Ramakrishnan, Raghu, Dasgupta, Anirban
• Application Number:
  US12/147,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327168A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards employing a playful incentive to encourage users to provide feedback that is useable to train a classifier. The classifier being associated with any of a variety of different settings, including but not limited to classifying: messages as ham/spam, images, advertising, bookmarking, music, videos, photographs, shopping, or the like. An animated image, such as a pet, provides an interface to the classifier that encourages and responds to user feedback. Users may share their classifiers or aspects thereof with other users to enable a community of knowledge to be applied to a classification task, while preserving privacy of the user feedback. One form of sharing may be within the context of a competitive game. Various evaluations may be performed on a classifier to indicate user feedback consistency, or quality. Classifiers may also be used to provide users with advertisements, products, or services based on the user'"'"'s feedback.

Claims

1. A network device configured to manage a classification task over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, comprising;

receiving a selection of an animated image;

assigning the animated image to operate as a user interface to a classifier;

receiving user feedback through the animated image related to at least one action associated with a classification task of the classifier;

using the user feedback to train the classifier; and

providing a change the animated image in response to receiving the user feedback, wherein the change of the animated image is directed towards encouraging receipt of additional user feedback.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the animated image is useable to enable a user to configure the classifier to receive user feedback from at least one other user, wherein the user feedback from the at least one other user is useable to train the classifier.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the classifier is configurable to form an alliance with at least one other classifier to perform at least one classification task, using a combination of results from the classifier and the at least one other classifier.

4. The network device of claim 1, the animated image is useable to configure the classifier for competition with at least one other classifier in performing at least one classification task.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to perform actions, comprising:

determining a set of evaluation data;

employing the set of evaluation data to evaluate a classification result of the classifier; and

providing a fitness score of the classifier that is based on the evaluation, wherein the fitness score represents at least one of an ability of the classifier to predict a user'"'"'s preference, or a ability of the classifier to predict a result that is consistent with a determined set of other users'"'"' classifiers.

6. A processor readable storage medium that includes data and instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions on a computing device provides for managing a classification activity over a network by enabling actions, comprising:

identifying a classifier with an animated image, wherein the animated image is configure to operate as a user interface to the classifier, and to receive user feedback about a result of the classifier;

receiving content to be classified;

employing the classifier to classifier the content;

receiving user feedback through the animated image based on a result of the classification;

using the user feedback to train the classifier; and

animating the animated image to provide recognition of the received user feedback.

7. The processor readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the classifier is configured to perform classification of content associated with at least one of a message content, an image content, a shopping content, a music content, or video content.

8. The processor readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the classifier is configurable through the animated image to be shared by at least one other user to perform a classification task for the other user, wherein the use of the classifier is performed such that other content submitted to the classifier for classification is inaccessible by the user.

9. The processor readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the classifier is configurable to employ a plurality of other classifiers in combination to perform another classification task.

10. The processor readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the animated image is configured to perform an action to request a competition between classifiers is requested.

11. The processor readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the animated image is configured to detect a type of content and direct the content based on type to at least one other classifier.

12. A method for managing a message delivery over a network, comprising:

receiving a selection of an animated image;

associating the animated image to a classifier, wherein the animated image is configured to operate as a user interface to the classifier;

receiving content by the classifier;

receiving a classification result from the classifier for the received content;

receiving user feedback to the classification result;

using the user feedback to train the classifier; and

modifying at least a display of the animated image to indicate recognition of the user feedback.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

modifying at least another display of the animated image to indicate that more user feedback is requested.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the animated image is usable to create an alliance between the classifier and a plurality of other classifiers, wherein the alliance is useable to perform a classification task on other content, the classification task using a combination of results from the plurality of other classifiers and the classifier to generate a single classification result.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

employing a set of qualification data to determine at least one fitness score for the classifier, based on results from the classifier on classifying the set of qualification data; and

modifying the display of the animated image based in part on the at least one fitness score.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the classifier is configurable to receive user feedback from at least one other user useable to further train the classifier.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the classifier is configurable to provide a classification result on other content received from another user, wherein the other content is received and classified transparently to a user associated with the classifier.

18. A mobile device for enabling classification of data over a network, comprising:

a memory arranged to store data and instructions;

an input interface for receiving requests and sending responses; and

a processor arranged to enable actions embodied by at least a portion of the stored instructions, the actions comprising;

displaying an animated image useable as an interface to a classifier that is configured to perform a classification task on content;

displaying a result of a classification by the classifier on received content;

enabling a user to employ the animated image to provide user feedback on the result of the classification, wherein the user feedback is useable to train the classifier; and

modifying a display of the animated image to indicate receipt of the user feedback.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, further comprising:

receiving through the animated image a selection to create an alliance with a plurality of other classifiers, at least one of the other classifiers having been trained with user feedback from another user; and

employing the alliance of classifiers to perform another classification task on other content, wherein the alliance of classifiers are configured to combine a result from each of the classifiers in the alliance to generate a single classification result.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, further comprising:

further modifying the display of the animated image to indicate that a request is received to participate in a competitive game using the classifiers.

21. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, further comprising:

further modifying the display of the animated image to include paraphernalia configured to represent at least one classification parameter.

22. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to perform actions, further comprising:

enabling the animated image to engage in a game with another animated image.