User Preference Correlation for Web-Based Selection
First Claim
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 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for assisting users with the selection of items on the Internet, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification