Apparatus and methods for finding information that satisfies a profile and producing output therefrom

• US 6,505,202 B1
• Filed: 08/04/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marchitect., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Marchitect., Inc.
• Inventors: Mosquera, Linda Allan, Steward, Duane, Stansbury, Paul, Clark, Brian C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wassum, Luke S
• Application Number:
  US09/368,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-5, 707/10, 707/100, 706/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system for evaluating information. The system defines a set of properties and one or more values for each property and then assigns property-value combinations to items of information and to profiles. Information is then evaluated by determining how the property-value combinations assigned to the items of information match those assigned to a profile. Assignments of property-value combinations have ratings and validities associated with them. In assignments to information items, the rating represents the relevance of the information item to the property-value pair; in assignments to profiles, it represents the relevance of the property-value pair to the profile. The validity for an assignment indicates a judgment concerning the strength of the assignment. The system further defines relationships between property-value combinations. When a property-value combination in a relationship is assigned, so are the related property-value combinations. One application for the system is in producing output that is personalized for a recipient. The recipient is represented by a profile. The output is a hierarchy of information items, and in making the output the system chooses among alternatives on the basis of the property-value assignments to the information items and the recipient'"'"'s profile. Choice of components begins at the bottom of the hierarchy, with the scores of choices at lower levels affecting the choices at higher levels. Another use of the system is in evaluating feedback information items received from the recipient. Also disclosed are graphical user interfaces for defining properties and values and assigning properties and values to information items and profiles.

Claims

1. Apparatus for evaluating items of information comprising:

evaluation value definitions that define a plurality of evaluation values;

relationship definitions that define relationships between evaluation values, a relationship relating a first evaluation value to a second evaluation value;

a profile;

an assigner that assigns one or more of the evaluation values to an item of information or a profile and, when the assigned evaluation value is a first evaluation value in a relationship, assigns the second evaluation value in the relationship to the item of information or profile;

an evaluator which evaluates an item of information in terms of a match between the evaluation values assigned to the profile and the evaluation values assigned to the item of information and;

wherein the relationship definition includes a validity, the validity representing an assessment of a correctness of an assignment; and

the assignment for the second evaluation value has the validity defined for the relationship.

2. Apparatus for evaluating items of information comprising:

evaluation value definitions that define a plurality of evaluation values;

relationship definitions that define relationships between evaluation values, a relationship relating a first evaluation value to a second evaluation value;

a profile;

an assigner that assigns one or more of the evaluation values to an item of information or a profile and, when the assigned evaluation value is a first evaluation value in a relationship, assigns the second evaluation value in the relationship to the item of information or profile;

an evaluator which evaluates an item of information in terms of a match between the evaluation values assigned to the profile and the evaluation values assigned to the item of information and;

wherein the relationship definition includes a priority, the priority representing a priority of a relationship defined in the relationship definition relative to other relationships of the first evaluation value; and

the priority determines which second evaluation value is assigned to the item or information profile.

3. Apparatus for evaluating items of information comprising:

evaluation value definitions that define a plurality of evaluation values;

relationship definitions that define relationships between evaluation values, a relationship relating a first evaluation value to a second evaluation value;

a profile;

an assigner that assigns one or more of the evaluation values to an item of information or a profile and, when the assigned evaluation value is a first evaluation value in a relationship, assigns the second evaluation value in the relationship to the item of information or profile;

an evaluator which evaluates an item of information in terms of a match between the evaluation values assigned to the profile and the evaluation values assigned to the item of information and;

wherein an evaluation value is a property-value combination and an evaluation value definition defines a property and one or more values belonging to the property;

where there is more than one value belonging to the property, the evaluation value definition may define priorities among the values; and

the evaluator further evaluates the item of information in terms of the priorities.

4. Apparatus for evaluating items of information comprising:

evaluation value definitions that define a plurality of evaluation values;

relationship definitions that define relationships between evaluation values, a relationship relating a first evaluation value to a second evaluation value;

a profile;

an assigner that assigns one or more of the evaluation values to an item of information or a profile and, when the assigned evaluation value is a first evaluation value in a relationship, assigns the second evaluation value in the relationship to the item of information or profile;

an evaluator which evaluates an item of information in terms of a match between the evaluation values assigned to the profile and the evaluation values assigned to the item of information and;

wherein the items of information are organized in a hierarchy in which an item of information at a higher level of the hierarchy specifies an item of information at a lower level thereof, the specified item being specified on the basis of the evaluator'"'"'s evaluation thereof; and

the apparatus further includes

an output assembler that assembles an output from the items of information according to an information item at a higher level of the hierarchy and;

wherein the hierarchy of items of information includes communication unit information items and structure template information items that are higher in the hierarchy than the communication unit information items; and

the output assembler assembles the output in accordance with a structure template information item.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a structure template information item specifies a sequence of communication unit information items.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the communication unit information items specify slides for use in a slide presentation and the output is the slide presentation.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the communication unit information items specify Web pages and the output is a sequence of the Web pages.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the communication unit information items specify small sections of a document and the output is the document.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 4 wherein:

the items of information further include interchangeable part information items that are lower in the hierarchy than the communication unit information items, a communication unit item specifying one or more interchangeable part information items.

10. Apparatus for producing a customized output from items of information comprising:

one or more profiles;

evaluation values associated with the profiles and the items of information;

an evaluator which evaluates an item of information in terms of the evaluation values associated with a given profile and the evaluation values associated with the item of information;

an output assembler that assembles an output from the items of information, the items of information being hierarchically organized such that an item of information which is higher in the hierarchy specifies one or more items of information which are lower in the hierarchy, the specified items being specified on the basis of the evaluator'"'"'s evaluation of the specified items and the output assembler assembling the output according to an item of information at a higher level of the hierarchy, and

wherein the items of information include communication unit information items and structure template information items, a structure template information item specifying a sequence of the communication unit information items.