METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCORING ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

• US 20100257184A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary Manchoir Ma, Owen Man Cheong Ma, Victor David Uy
• Original Assignee: Gary Manchoir Ma, Owen Man Cheong Ma, Victor David Uy
• Inventors: Uy, Victor David
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method, apparatus and data structure is provided to determine a score for an electronic document, such as a webpage, image, audio recording, video recording or other electronic content, to aid in the ranking and retrieval of the electronic document. The score for an electronic document is based on weighted subjective user ratings of the electronic document by members of a member set. Weight factors are assigned to the members of the member set who then rate the electronic document. The score is determined for the electronic document based on the ratings of the electronic document by the members in the member set where each member'"'"'s rating is weighted by a weight factor specific for the member who has provided the rating. The weight factor for a member is based on ratings assigned to that member by other members in the member set.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a score to an electronic document, the method comprising:

assigning a weight factor to each member of a plurality of members;

receiving a rating value of an electronic document from each of at least two of the members of the plurality of members; and

determining a score for the electronic document, the score based on each rating value assigned to the electronic document by a member with each rating value being weighted by the weight factor assigned to the member who provided the rating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the weight factor assigned to a member is based on user ratings assigned to the member by other members in the member set.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each user rating used to determine the weight factor for a member is weighted by the weight factor determined for the member assigning the user rating.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the weight factors for the members are determined by iteration before the score is determined.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the electronic document is on the Internet.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the electronic document is a webpage.

7. A computer readable memory having recorded thereon statements and instructions for execution by a data processing system to carry out the method of assigning a score to an electronic document, the method comprising:

assigning a weight factor to each member of a plurality of members;

receiving a rating value of an electronic document from each of at least two of the members of the plurality of members; and

determining a score for the electronic document, the score based on each rating value assigned to the electronic document by a member with each rating value being weighted by the weight factor assigned to the member who provided the rating.

8. A computer readable memory of claim 7 wherein the weight factor assigned to a member is based on user ratings assigned to the member by other members in the member set.

9. A computer readable memory of claim 8 wherein each user rating used to determine the weight factor for a member is weighted by the weight factor determined for the member assigning the user rating.

10. A computer readable memory of claim 9 wherein the weight factors for the members are determined by iteration before the score is determined.

11. A data processing system for assigning a score to an electronic document, the data processing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

a program module stored in the memory and operative for providing instructions to the at least one processor, the at least one processor responsive to the instructions of the program module, the program module operative for;

assigning a weight factor to each member of a plurality of members;

receiving a rating value of an electronic document from each of at least two of the members of the plurality of members; and

determining a score for the electronic document, the score based on each rating value assigned to the electronic document by a member with each rating value being weighted by the weight factor assigned to the member who provided the rating.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the weight factor assigned to a member is based on user ratings assigned to the member by other members in the member set.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein each user rating used to determine the weight factor for a member is weighted by the weight factor determined for the member assigning the user rating.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the weight factors for the members are determined by iteration before the score is determined.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the electronic document is on the Internet.

16. A memory for storing data for access by at least one application program being executed on a data processing system, comprising:

a data structure stored in said memory, said data structure including information resident in a database used by said at least one application program and comprising;

a document record associated with an electronic document and having a score value; and

at least two member records each member record representing one of a plurality of members, each member record having a weight factor and associated with the document record by a rating value assigned to the electronic document by the member represented by the member record,

wherein the score value of the document record is based on each rating value assigned to the electronic document associated with the document record and with each rating value weighted by the weight factor of the member record associated with the rating value.

17. The memory of claim 16 wherein the electronic document is located on the internet.

18. The memory of claim 17 wherein the document record is associated with the electronic document by a URL address, identifying the location of the electronic document on the internet.

19. The memory of claim 18 wherein the electronic document is a webpage.

20. The memory of claim 16 wherein the weight factor of each of the at least two member records is based on a user rating assigned to the member represented by the member record by at least two other members.

21. The memory of claim 20 wherein each user rating is assigned to the member represented by the member record is weighted by a weight factor of a member record represented by the member providing the user rating.

22. The memory of claim 21 wherein the weight factors of the member records are determined using iteration before the score value is determined.