User Preference Correlation for Web-Based Selection

• US 20130246389A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/710
• 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 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A database of user preference information is extracted and compiled from multiple websites by web-crawling robots without cooperation or specific participation by users. Users who interact with a website are frequently required to register and create a login or userID name that uniquely identifies them. Thereafter, when an individual rates an item, it is often recorded and published under their userID name such that other users can see how a specific individual rated the item. Although there is no requirement that a specific user register on different websites utilizing the identical userID, it is extremely common that this practice occurs and the use of identical userIDs on multiple sites is used herein to expand preference analysis beyond a single site. Once the database exists, users can request or be passively offered suggestions that result from preference associations across multiple websites as performed by a preference analysis and suggestion function.

Claims

1. A system for assisting users with the selection of items on the Internet, comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

at least one web robot operable on the one or more hardware processors for crawling multiple websites to determine published userIDs and associated published preferences;

a database accessible to the one or more hardware processors for storing the userIDs and associated preferences;

software operable on the one or more hardware processors for performing an analysis and suggestion function;

wherein the system initially assumes that a userID used by a first user on a first website represents the same user as the same userID used by a second user on a second website;

wherein associated preferences stored for a particular userID include preferences for items available from a plurality of websites;

wherein the system provides a third user with specific preference association information for a first item based on the expressed preferences of at least the first and second users across multiple websites relative to the first item and items that at least the first and second users have previously reviewed; and

wherein the preference association information provided to the third user is based on both positive and negative preferences of the first and second users.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the positive and negative preferences are combined according to a weighting profile.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the weighting profile is uneven.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein a weighting value applied to positive ratings is different from a weighting value applied to negative ratings.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein each rating value on a scale of rating values used in evaluating the preferences of the first and second users is weighted according to a specific weighting value for that rating value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein when the third user requests suggestions relative to a specific product or service category, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of users who had similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific product or service category;

and

wherein the third user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

7. The system of claim 6 further including a widget or plugin operating on a user'"'"'s computer that responds to a selection action of a user respective of a particular item and whereby the selection action causes the user to receive said suggestions for items shown on multiple websites.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein to determine that the userID used by the first user to express preferences on the first website represents a different user than the same userID used by the second user to express preferences on the second website, the system examines preference commonalities and lack thereof between preferences expressed for the first and second users on the first and second websites.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein after thus determining a lack of preference commonality between preferences expressed by the first and second users, the userID on the first website and the same userID on the second website are thereafter treated as two different userIDs respective of the first and second websites.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific preference association information supplied to the third user includes at least one suggested item.

11. A method for enabling users to receive suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference associations across multiple websites, comprising:

crawling a first website and recording in a database a first set of published login names and associated published preferences for said first set of login names;

crawling a second website and recording in said database a second set of published login names and associated published preferences for said second set of login names;

under the initial assumption that identical login names used on multiple websites represent the same user, associating preferences for items published on multiple websites under a specific login name with a specific user; and

wherein to determine that a first instance of a specific UserID used to express preferences on a first website represents a different user than a second instance of the specific UserID used to express preferences on a second website, the method further comprises;

examining preference commonalities and lack thereof between preferences expressed for the specific UserID on the first and second websites.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions relative to a specific product or service category, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of users who previously indicated similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific product or service category; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions relative to a specific item on a first website, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of other users who previously indicated similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific item; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific item in order to receive the suggestions.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions for a specific product or service category from a first website, providing suggestions for items available on said first website based on preferences of users who had similar preferences to the first user for items offered on at least a second website; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

thereafter treating the specific userID on the first website and the same specific userID on the second website as two different userIDs respective of the first and second websites.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference associations across multiple websites are based on both positive and negative preferences published on the multiple websites.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the positive and negative preferences are combined according to a weighting profile.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the weighting profile is uneven.

19. A method for enabling users to receive suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference associations across multiple websites, comprising:

when a first user visits a first website, showing the first user a first item available on at least a second website, based on published reviews available on at least a third and fourth website;

wherein the first item previously received positive reviews from a second user on the third website and a third user on the fourth website;

wherein the first item previously received positive reviews from a fourth user published on both the third and fourth websites under the same userID;

wherein the reviews from the second, third, and fourth users were retrieved by a Web crawler based on each user'"'"'s published userID; and

wherein published reviews from the second, third, and fourth users correlate with each other.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein to be shown the first item available on the second website, the first user need not be identified by the first website and need only show an interest in a product or service, or in a product or service category.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein regarding use of a specific user ID, a user accessing the third website using the specific user ID is determined to be a different user than a user accessing the fourth website using the same specific user ID, by comparing preferences of the user accessing the third website with preferences of the user accessing the fourth website with respect to preference commonalities and lack thereof.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

thereafter treating the user accessing the third website and the user accessing the fourth website as two different userIDs respective of the third and fourth websites.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference associations across multiple websites are based on both positive and negative preferences published on the multiple websites.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the positive and negative preferences are combined according to a weighting profile.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the weighting profile is uneven.