System for generation of object profiles for a system for customized electronic identification of desirable objects

• US 5,835,087 A
• Filed: 10/31/1995
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pinpoint Incorporated (Altitude Capital Partners)
• Original Assignee: Fred Herz
• Inventors: Herz, Frederick S. M., Eisner, Jason M., Ungar, Lyle H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/551,201
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/2, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/906, 455/2, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/00 Contacts liquid contacts H01H29/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 : by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 : Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 : Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4665 : involving classification methods, e.g. Decision trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 : Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 : Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user'"'"'s interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users'"'"' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media. Users'"'"' target profile interest summaries can be used to efficiently organize the distribution of information in a large scale system consisting of many users interconnected by means of a communication network. Additionally, a cryptographically-based pseudonym proxy server is provided to ensure the privacy of a user'"'"'s target profile interest summary, by giving the user control over the ability of third parties to access this summary and to identify or contact the user.

Claims

1. A method for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, said method comprising the steps of:

storing on said electronic storage media each target object;

automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects and their associated target object characteristics comprising;

automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs said users to at least a subset of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic media, comprising;

sorting all target objects in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target objects based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects, and

generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target objects sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said identified user to identify ones of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said identified user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of automatically generating a hierarchical menu further comprises:

ascribing a cluster profile to each of said plurality of clusters.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of sorting comprises:

dividing said plurality of target objects into at least two clusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects;

subdividing each of said at least two clusters into at least two subclusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects contained in each said cluster; and

repeating said step of subdividing to produce a multi-level hierarchy of identified clusters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of generating a hierarchical menu comprises:

ascribing a cluster profile to each cluster produced by all steps of dividing and subdividing in said step of sorting.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of ascribing comprises:

identifying at least one term in said generated target profiles produced for ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into a cluster that is indicative of the target content of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of ascribing comprises:

selecting at least one target object of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster that are closest to the center of the cluster, and

ascribing a cluster profile that is indicative of a content of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster, said cluster profile comprising elements of at least one of;

a title of said selected at least one target object, and a set of words contained in the target profile of said selected at least one target object cluster which have the highest relative frequency.

7. A method for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, and wherein said sets of target object characteristics comprise sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, said method comprising the steps of:

storing on said electronic storage media each target object;

automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects and their associated target object characteristics comprising;

automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs a requesting one of said users to at least a subset of said sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic media, comprising;

sorting all sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and

generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said requesting user to identify ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said requesting user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of automatically generating a hierarchical menu further comprises:

ascribing a cluster profile to each of said plurality of clusters.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of sorting comprises:

dividing said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users into at least two clusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users;

subdividing each of said at least two clusters into at least two subclusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users contained in each said cluster; and

repeating said step of subdividing to produce a multi-level hierarchy of identified clusters.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of generating a hierarchical menu comprises:

ascribing a cluster profile to each cluster produced by all steps of dividing and subdividing in said step of sorting.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of ascribing comprises:

identifying at least one term in said generated target profiles produced for ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into a cluster that is indicative of the target content of said ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of ascribing comprises:

selecting at least one target set of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users of said ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster that are closest to the center of the cluster, and

ascribing a cluster profile that is indicative of a content of said selected target set of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster, said cluster profile comprising elements of at least one of;

a characteristic of said selected at least one target user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and a set of words contained in the target profile of said selected at least one target object cluster which have the highest relative frequency.

13. Apparatus for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, said apparatus comprising:

means for storing on said electronic storage media each target; and

means for automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects and that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects their associated target object characteristics, comprising;

means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs said users to at least a subset of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic media, comprising;

means for sorting all target objects in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target objects based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects, and

means for generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target objects sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said identified user to identify ones of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said identified user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu further comprises:

means for ascribing a cluster profile to each of said plurality of clusters.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for sorting comprises:

means for dividing said plurality of target objects into at least two clusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects;

means for subdividing each of said at least two clusters into at least two subclusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects contained in each said cluster; and

means for repeating said cluster subdividing to produce a multi-level hierarchy of identified clusters.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for generating a hierarchical menu comprises:

means for ascribing a cluster profile to each cluster produced by all steps of dividing and subdividing in said step of sorting.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for ascribing comprises:

means for identifying at least one term in said generated target profiles produced for ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into a cluster that is indicative of the target content of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for ascribing comprises:

means for selecting at least one target object of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster that are closest to the center of the cluster, and

means for ascribing a cluster profile that is indicative of a content of said ones of said plurality of target objects sorted into said cluster, said cluster profile comprising elements of at least one of;

a title of said selected at least one target object, and a set of words contained in the target profile of said selected at least one target object cluster which have the highest relative frequency.

19. Apparatus for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, said apparatus comprising:

means for storing on said electronic storage media each target; and

means for automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects and that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects their associated target object characteristics, comprising;

means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs a requesting one of said users to at least a subset of said sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic media, comprising;

means for sorting all sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and

means for generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said requesting user to identify ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said requesting user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu further comprises:

means for ascribing a cluster profile to each of said plurality of clusters.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for sorting comprises:

means for dividing said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users into at least two clusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users;

means for subdividing each of said at least two clusters into at least two subclusters based upon said empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users contained in each said cluster; and

means for repeating said step of subdividing to produce a multi-level hierarchy of identified clusters.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said means for generating a hierarchical menu comprises:

means for ascribing a cluster profile to each cluster produced by all steps of dividing and subdividing in said step of sorting.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said means for ascribing comprises:

means for identifying at least one term in said generated target profiles produced for ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into a cluster that is indicative of the target content of said ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said means for ascribing comprises:

means for selecting at least one target set of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users of said ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster that are closest to the center of the cluster, and

means for ascribing a cluster profile that is indicative of a content of said selected target set of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into said cluster, said cluster profile comprising elements of at least one of;

a characteristic of said selected at least one target user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and a set of words contained in the target profile of said selected at least one target object cluster which have the highest relative frequency.