Headline posting algorithm

• US 6,288,717 B1
• Filed: 03/19/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Terry Dunkle
• Inventors: Dunkle, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/272,415
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 345/334, 345/356, 345/357, 345/320, 345/327, 345/333, 345/340-346, 345/348, 345/349, 345/337, 345/355, 707/10, 705/79, 705/10, 705/1
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

The program uses the topic interest flags to determine which articles and other customizable elements of the database are shown on a particular member'"'"'s home page. The headline posting algorithm first checks the flags on every available item against the member'"'"'s interests, recorded in his or her user profile, then weighs the importance, rarity and significance of each match it has found, and finally displays the three highest-scoring items on the member'"'"'s home page in descending order of value.

Claims

1. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, comprising the steps of:

obtaining personal information from said user identifying topics of interest of said user;

storing said personal information on said Internet server as a personal user profile;

selecting a specific segment of said database which is to be searched for desired data elements;

selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment of said database, ranked in accordance with said personal profile obtained from said user;

posting said selected database elements directly to a user'"'"'s home page in ranked order for said user'"'"'s view.

2. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements which match said topics of interest of said user.

3. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein each of said data elements within said database is assigned a plurality of factors each of which is given a value.

4. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 3, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements for which the product of said assigned factors is the greatest.

5. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements with the latest date of being downloaded to said server.

6. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements at random.

7. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said segment of said database which is to be searched comprises all data elements which said user has not seen before.

8. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said segment of said database which is to be search comprises data elements specified for a particular day of the week.

9. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein selected data elements are the same as said user saw earlier if said user logged on to said server previously on the same day.

10. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said step of obtaining personal information from said user further comprises performing an on-line check-up.

11. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1 further comprising a step of assigning a rating to said data element by said user.

12. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 11, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements for which said rating by said user is the highest.

13. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1 further comprising a step of recording topics of all data elements that said user selected by clicking.

14. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 13, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements which has the highest number of topics matching with said recorded topics of previously selected data elements.

15. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1 further comprising a step of evaluating a readability index of said user.

16. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 15, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements which most closely matches said readability index of said user.

17. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1 further comprising the step of evaluating a degree of knowledge of said user.

18. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 17, wherein said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements which most closely matches said degree of knowledge of said user.

19. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying said user in case of emergency.

20. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said personal information is about a body of said user;

said step of selecting a segment further comprises calculating a body index of said user and selecting all data elements within said database with body indexes which closely match said body index of said user; and

said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements whose predetermined criteria matches a predetermined criteria of said user.

21. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 20, wherein at least on of said predetermined criteria is a birthday of said user.

22. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said predetermined criteria is a zodiacal sign of said user.

23. A method of selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, according to claim 1, wherein said personal information comprises information required for accurate presentation of a vision test on said user'"'"'s screen;

said step of selecting a segment further comprises selecting an appropriately scaled test chart; and

said step of selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment further comprises the step of selecting at least one of said predetermined number of data elements which approximately indicates sharpness of said user'"'"'s vision.

24. An apparatus for selecting and presenting to a user of personalized data elements out of the database stored on an Internet server, comprising:

means for obtaining personal information from said user identifying topics of interest of said user;

means for storing said personal information on said Internet server as a personal user profile;

means for selecting a specific segment of said database which is to be searched for desired data elements;

means for selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment of said database, ranked in accordance with said personal profile obtained from said user;

means for posting said selected database elements directly to a user'"'"'s home page in ranked order for said user'"'"'s view.

25. A method of selecting of personalized data elelments from all databases accessible on the Internet and presenting of said data elements to a user, comprising the steps of:

obtaining personal information from said user identifying topics of interest of said user;

storing said personal information on an Internet server as a personal user profile;

selecting a specific segment of said databases which is to be searched for desired data elements;

selecting a predetermined number of said data elements from said selected segment of said databases, ranked in accordance with said personal profile obtained from said user;

posting said selected database elements directly to a user'"'"'s home page in ranked order for said user'"'"'s view.