SYSTEMS AND METHODS THAT UTILIZE PREFERENCE SHIELDS AS DATA FILTERS

• US 20130091130A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Relefy Holding BV
• Original Assignee: Relefy Holding BV
• Inventors: Barrow, David
• Application Number:
  US13/649,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091130A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Systems and methods that utilize preference shields as data filters are provided herein. Exemplary methods may include receiving a query from a first user, selecting a preference shield for the first user from a database that includes preference shields, applying the preference shield to query responses obtained for the query, and returning a response to the first user that includes filtered query responses that have been obtained by application of the preference shield to the query responses.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory by a processor to;

receive a query from a first user;

select a preference shield for the first user from a database that includes preference shields;

apply the preference shield to query responses obtained for the query; and

return a response to the first user that includes filtered query responses that have been obtained by application of the preference shield to the query responses.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preference shield selected for the first user includes an ad hoc preference shield that includes a combination of at least a portion of preference shields of a plurality of end users, the first user being one of the plurality of end users.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preference shield selected for the first user includes a preference shield for a second user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

locate two or more preference shields for a first client device associated with the first user;

select one of the two or more preference shields based upon a current status of the first client device;

apply the two or more preference shields to search results obtained from a search query received from the first client device; and

transmit, to the first client device, filtered search results that comply with the preference shield.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected preference shield comprises hard preferences and soft preferences.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the filtered query responses include responses that comply with the hard preferences of the first user.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the filtered query responses include near miss responses, the near miss responses comprising responses that comply with at least a portion of the hard preferences of the first user and at least a portion of the soft preferences of the first user.

8. A method for generating an extended preference shield, the method comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory by a processor to;

obtain a request to incorporate at least a portion of a preference shield of a first user into a preference shield of a second user;

obtain the at least a portion of the preference shield of the first user from a database that includes preference shields;

combine the at least a portion of the preference shield of the first user into the preference shield of the second user to create an extended preference shield for the second user; and

store the extended preference shield in the database.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising suggest a preference shield zone for incorporation into a preference shield by:

comparing user preference data included in the preference shield to user preference data included in preference shields included in the database; and

selecting one or more preference shields based upon the comparison.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the preference shield selected for the first user includes a preference shield associated with an icon.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the extended preference shield is stored as a preference certificate, the preference certificate not including personally identifiable information.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the preference shield of the first user includes preference shield zones.

13. A method, comprising:

executing instructions stored in memory by a processor to;

evaluate a plurality of preference shields that correspond to customers of a merchant;

compare the preferences included in the preference shields to inventory of the merchant; and

generate a scorecard of inventory based upon the comparison.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

select an advertisement for a customer based upon the scorecard of inventory and the preference shield of the customer; and

provide the advertisement to the consumer.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the processor and when executed operable to perform operations comprising;

receiving a query from a first user;

selecting a preference shield for the first user from a database that includes preference shields;

applying the preference shield to query responses obtained for the query; and

returning a response to the first user that includes filtered query responses that have been obtained by application of the preference shield to the query responses.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the preference shield selected for the first user includes an ad hoc preference shield that includes a combination of at least a portion of preference shields of a plurality of end users, the first user being one of the plurality of end users.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the preference shield selected for the first user includes a preference shield for a second user.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the processor further executes the logic to perform operations of:

locating two or more preference shields for a first client device associated with the first user;

selecting one of the two or more preference shields based upon a current status of the first client device;

applying the two or more preference shields to search results obtained from a search query received from the first client device; and

transmitting, to the first client device, filtered search results that comply with the preference shield.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the selected preference shield comprises hard preferences and soft preferences and the filtered query responses near miss responses, the near miss responses comprising responses that comply with at least a portion of the hard preferences of the first user and at least a portion of the soft preferences of the first user.