Dynamic Search Processor

• US 20140046963A1
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Douglas Fish
• Original Assignee: Robert Douglas Fish
• Inventors: Fish, Robert D.
• Application Number:
  US14/061,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• 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 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods in which user-created and user-selectable personas are used to enhance a search string for submission to a search engine. The persona information can also be used to filter or rank search results. A given user can combine multiple characteristics in various ways to produce different persona, and can choose among different as desired for a given search. Software to capture, maintain, store, and use persona information can be physically spread out across multiple computers operated by different companies, with a third party hosting the persona capturing interfaces.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that maintains an information store of information provided by multiple disparate information providers, and interacts with (a) a user A device operated by an ordinary user A and (b) a user B device operated by an ordinary user B, the system operating software configured to accomplish the following:

cooperate with the user A to create a user A persona that includes a first interest criterion selected from a set of then-available interest criteria;

filter a first item from the information store at least in part according to the first interest criterion, and send the first item to the user A device;

cooperate with the user A to add a second interest criterion to the set of then-available interest criteria to create an updated set of interest criteria;

cooperate with the user B to create a user B persona that includes the second interest criterion selected from the updated set of interest criteria; and

filter a second item from the information store at least in part according to the second interest criterion, and send the second item to the user B device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is further configured to cooperate with the user A to include demographic characteristics within the user A persona.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user A device comprises a user A cell phone, and the system sends the first item to the user A cell phone in response to a user A submitted query.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the system modifies the user A submitted query by inclusion of the first interest criterion as a search term.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the system modifies the user A submitted query by inclusion of a search term semantically derived from the first interest criterion.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the system cooperates with the user B to add a third interest criterion to the user B persona, and to designate relative importance of the second and third interest criteria.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system algorithmically modifies the user A persona by analysis of user A behavior.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is further configured to allow user A to rate the first item by providing to the user A device a simple like/dislike icon.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is further configured to select the first item to send to the user A device at least partially as a function of usefulness rankings by other users employing similar personas.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system cooperates with the user B to create a second user B persona that is different from the user B persona previously created, and to select which of the user B personas to use at a given time.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system cooperates with the user B to create a second user B persona that is inconsistent with the user B persona previously created, and to select which of the user B personas to use at a given time.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the software uses the second interest criterion to alter content of a user interface on the user B device.