RECOMMENDATION JITTER

• US 20130031104A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Choicestream Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Choicestream Incorporated
• Inventors: Gopinath, Dinesh
• Application Number:
  US13/408,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031104A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method for selection of items for one or more users includes performing each of a set of steps to determine the items. Performing the steps includes introducing a controlled variation into a result of each of multiple of the steps. The items for the one or more users are then selected according to the results of the steps.

Claims

1. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A method for repeated selection of items for presentation to a user comprising:

for each repetition of multiple repeated selections of items for presentation to the user,

performing each of a plurality of steps to determine a selection items, including for each step introducing a separate controlled variation into a result of the step, and

determining the items for presentation to the user according to the results of the steps;

wherein the controlled variation for at least one of the steps is fixed for a time interval such that repeatedly performing said step within the time interval includes introducing a same controlled variation at each repetition, and subsequently performing said step outside the time interval includes introducing a different controlled variation.

2. The method of claim 13 wherein for each of the plurality of steps, introducing the separate controlled variation into the result of the step includes limiting variation according to a time span.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein limiting variation according to a time span includes maintaining data used to introduce variation, including amending said data at controlled times.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein introducing the separate controlled variation into the result of each of the plurality of steps includes limiting variation according to at least two different time spans, each associated with a different one of the plurality of steps.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein amending said data includes resetting a random seed used for introducing the controlled variation.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein maintaining the data includes maintaining similarity data characterizing similarity of items, and amending said similarity data includes introducing random variations into said similarity data.

7. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of steps includes at least one step selected from the group consisting of:

selection of item domains;

formation of a choice set;

assigning a score to items in a choice set;

ranking items in a choice set;

determining similarity of items;

selecting items from a choice set for presentation; and

presenting scored and/or ranked items of a choice set.

8. The method of claim 13 wherein introducing a separate controlled variation into a result of each of the plurality of the steps includes at least one of:

selecting a choice set;

perturbing a term of a numerical expression;

offsetting a result of evaluation of a numerical expression; and

selecting items from a ranked and/or scored list.

9. The method of claim 13 wherein introducing the controlled variation includes selecting the controlled variation according to data characterizing the one or more users.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein selecting the controlled variation includes selecting said variation according to a history for a user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of steps includes

determining preferences of the one or more users based on past activity of the one or more users;

selecting a first set of items from a plurality of items based on the preferences of the one or more users; and

ranking the first set of items based on a predicted likelihood of the one or more users choosing the items.

15. Software stored on non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions for causing a computing system to repeatedly select items for presentation to a user, the instructions causing the computing system to:

for each repetition of multiple repeated selections of items for presentation to the user,

perform each of a plurality of steps to determine a selection items, including for each step introducing a separate controlled variation into a result of the step, and

determine the items for presentation to the user according to the results of the steps;

wherein the controlled variation for at least one of the steps is fixed for a time interval such that repeatedly performing said step within the time interval includes introducing a same controlled variation at each repetition, and subsequently performing said step outside the time interval includes introducing a different controlled variation.

16. A system for repeated selection of items for presentation to a user comprising:

a selection module configured to repeatedly select items for presentation to the user, the selection module configured to;

perform each of a plurality of steps to determine a selection of items, including for each step introducing a separate controlled variation into a result of the step, and

determine the items for presentation to the user according to the results of the steps;

wherein the controlled variation for at least one of the steps is fixed for a time interval such that repeatedly performing said step within the time interval includes introducing a same controlled variation at each repetition, and subsequently performing said step outside the time interval includes introducing a different controlled variation.