System and method for automatic selection of internet data streams

• US 6,546,421 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wynblatt, Michael, Baxter, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US09/345,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/232, 709/200, 709/226, 709/204, 709/218, 709/227, 709/224, 709/219, 709/225, 707/501, 707/6, 707/5, 707/10, 707/3, 707/100, 708/300, 705/27, 705/1, 717/131, 706/12
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for providing automatic and continuous selection of user-preferred data streams based on predefined parameters. In one aspect of the present invention, a client/server system comprises: a sever comprising an address list including addresses of a plurality of data sources; and a client comprising a list of user preferences; means for accessing the server to obtain the address list; means for accessing at least a first data source of the plurality of data sources on the address list to obtain descriptive information; evaluation means for evaluating the descriptive information and the user preferences to select at least a second data source of the plurality of data sources based on the evaluation; and means for accessing the second data source. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention as applied to Internet radio stations, a user would be allowed to listen only to songs from his list of favorites. In another exemplary embodiment as applied to Internet sporting events, a user can hear the most exciting parts of one or more current sporting events. In another exemplary embodiment as applied to industrial process monitoring, a remote user could ensure that he would always see any data stream that had anomalous readings.

Claims

1. A client/server system, comprising:

a sever comprising an address list including addresses of a plurality of data a sources; and

a client comprising a list of user preferences;

means for accessing the server to obtain the address list;

means for accessing at least a first data source of the plurality of data sources on the address list to obtain descriptive information;

evaluation means for evaluating the descriptive information and the user preferences to automatically select at least a second data source of the plurality of data sources based on the evaluation; and

means for accessing the second data source,

wherein the evaluation means comprises;

means for extracting predetermined information from the descriptive information; and

a value function comprising predetermined variables that correspond to one of the extracted information, user preferences, and combination thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises means for automatically updating the address list at predetermined times.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client further comprises means for automatically updating the list of user preferences after an occurrence of a predetermined event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client further comprises re-evaluation means for selecting at least a third data source if the third data source is determined by the re-evaluation means to be preferred over the second data source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is remotely located on a global computer network, and wherein the means for accessing the server is through FTP (file transfer protocol).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data source is a structured web document from a descriptive server remotely located on a global computer network, and wherein the second data source is a data stream of a data stream server remotely located on the global computer network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for accessing the first data source is HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol), and wherein the means for accessing the second data source is RTSP (real time streaming protocol).

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the descriptive server is associated with a network radio station and wherein the data stream is a musical piece.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the list of user preferences comprises a list of songs that are indexed based on the preference of the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the evaluation means of the client comprises a value function, wherein the value function is defined at least by one of a variable that refers to an index of a song in the list of user preferences, a variable that refers to a time that has elapsed since a given song in the list was last accessed, and a combination thereof.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the descriptive server is associated with a network broadcast station and wherein the data stream is a live sporting event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the list of user preferences comprises one of a list of players and a corresponding player preference score for each player in the list, a list of teams and a corresponding team preference score in the list, and a combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the evaluation means of the client comprises a value function, wherein the value function comprises at least one variable that refers to a current statistic of the sporting event and a variable that refers to a user preference score in the list of user preferences.

14. A method for automatically accessing preferred information data streams, comprising the steps of:

accessing an address list from a server, the address list comprising addresses of a plurality of data sources;

accessing a descriptive page from each of the plurality of data sources using the addresses;

extracting relevant information from each of the accessed descriptive pages;

evaluating the extracted information to select a first preferred data source; and

accessing at least one information data stream that is associated with the first preferred data source, wherein the evaluating step comprises the steps of;

accessing a list of user preferences; and

applying the user preferences and extracted information to a value function to compute a preference value for each of the data sources;

wherein the first preferred data source is the data source having the greatest preference value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of automatically updating the address list at predetermined times.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating the at least one accessed information data stream to determine if re-selection criteria has been met; and

re-evaluating the extracted information if the re-selection criteria is determined to be met; and

selecting a second preferred data source if the second preferred data source is determined to be preferred over the first preferred data source.

17. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for automatically accessing preferred information data streams, the method steps comprising:

accessing an address list from a server, the address list comprising addresses of a plurality of data sources;

accessing a descriptive page from each of the plurality of data sources using the addresses;

extracting relevant information from each of the accessed descriptive pages;

evaluating the extracted information to select a first preferred data source; and

accessing at least one information data stream that is associated with the first preferred data source,

wherein the instructions for performing the evaluating step comprise instructions for performing the steps of;

accessing a user list of user preferences; and

applying the user preferences and extracted information to a value function to compute a preference value for each of the data sources;

wherein the first preferred data source is the data source having the greatest preference value.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

evaluating the at least one accessed information data stream to determine if a re-selection criteria has been met; and

re-evaluating the extracted information if the re-selection criteria is determined to be met; and

selecting a second preferred data source if second preferred data source is more preferred than the first preferred data source.