Method and apparatus for identifying items of information from a multi-user information system

• US 6,560,588 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Minter, Andrew George
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US08/960,787
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 395/710,712 706/45,50 707/5,100,513 705/10,8 345/331 717/100
• US Class Current: 706/50
• 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 method and apparatus for identifying items of information from an information system which is especially useful for identifying information from the World Wide Web. The information items have not been seen by the user before and are relevant and interesting to the user. A first record of items requested by each member of a group of users is obtained. A second record is obtained of items requested more than once by the same user. Pairs of users in the group are analyzed, and said to be “friends” if they have requested some of the same information from the second record. Information that has been requested by a user'"'"'s friend but which has not been seen by the user before is identified for that user.

Claims

1. A method of identifying items of information from an information system, for at least one of a group of users of the information system, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) obtaining a first record indicative of items of information requested from the information system by each user in the group;

(ii) obtaining a second record indicative of items of information responsive to their having been requested from the information system on more than one occasion by the same user;

(iii) for each pair of users in the group determining a score responsive to identification of a number of items from the second record requested by one user in the pair, that were also requested by the other user in the pair;

(iv) for each user allocating one or more group members as friends for that user on the basis of the scores for pairs containing that user; and

(v) for each user identifying items of information responsive both to their having been requested by a friend of the user and to their not having been requested by the user.

2. A method of identifying information as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (v) of identifying items of information further comprises the step of:

for each user, only identifying items of information that have been requested by a plurality of the user'"'"'s friends.

3. A method of identifying information as claimed in claim 1 which further comprises the step of, for each user, communicating the items identified for that user to that user.

4. A method of identifying information as claimed in claim 1 wherein the information system is the world wide web.

5. An apparatus for identifying items of information from an information system, for at least one of a group of users of the information system, said apparatus comprising:

(i) an obtainer arranged to obtain a first record indicative of items of information requested from the information system by each user in the group and also to obtain a second record indicative of items of information responsive to their having been requested from the information system on more than one occasion by the same user;

(ii) a determiner arranged to determine a score for each pair of users in the group said score being determined responsive to identification of a number of items from the second record requested by one user in the pair, that were also requested by the other user in the pair;

(iii) an allocator arranged to allocate, for each user, one or more group members as friends for that user on the basis of the scores for pairs containing that user; and

(iv) an identifier arranged to identify, for each user, items of information responsive both to their having been requested by a friend of the user and to their not having been requested by the user.

6. An apparatus for identifying items of information as claimed in claim 5 which further comprises:

(i) a plurality of communications links, arranged to establish communications between each user and the information system;

(ii) a communications link between the obtainer and the information system; and

(iii) an output from the identifier arranged to provide an indication of the identified items of information.

7. An information system comprising an apparatus for identifying items of information from the information system, for at least one of a group of users of the information system, said apparatus comprising:

(i) an obtainer arranged to obtain a first record indicative of items of information requested from the information system by each user in the group and also to obtain a second record indicative of items of information responsive to their having been requested from the information system on more than one occasion by the same user;

(ii) a determiner arranged to determine a score for each pair of users in the group said score being determined responsive to identification of a number of items from the second record requested by one user in the pair, that were also requested by the other user in the pair;

(iii) an allocator arranged to allocate, for each user, one or more group members as friends for that user on the basis of the scores for pairs containing that user; and

(iv) an identifier arranged to identify, for each user, items of information responsive both to their having been requested by a friend of the user and to their not having been requested by the user.