Method and apparatus for generating profile data

• US 6,611,842 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: APR Smartlogik Limited
• Original Assignee: Applied Psychology Research Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/696,356
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/104, 707/3, 707/1, 707/2, 707/102, 707/6, 709/203, 709/218, 709/228, 705/1, 705/14, 703/2, 706/12, 704/270
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system is provided that includes a database storing user histories of selected products, and a database associating products with assessments of their content in a number of different categories. The computer system generates user profile data reflecting the underlying characteristics of user preferences by identifying categories and groups of categories corresponding to products in the user histories whose content assessments are one of an extremely high and low evaluation. In the user profile data, larger groups of categories having extremely high or low content evaluations are weighted more heavily than smaller groups of categories and singly identified categories having extremely high or low content evaluations. The generated user profile data can be utilized to provide targeted advertising and/or to automatically select products are identified with similar underlying characteristics of the user. preferences. In one example, a television recording apparatus is provided that automatically records television programs based on a correspondence between program profile data associated with the television programs and user profile data that has been generated based on a past history of the user'"'"'s viewing habits.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

receiving means for receiving selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by a user;

association means for associating category rating data with the plurality of selections, said category rating data comprising an evaluation of content in terms of underlying qualities of each the plurality of selections in each of a plurality of categories; and

user profile generation means for generating user profile data based on a number of times the category rating data in at least one of the categories reflects one of a high and low evaluation.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the user profile generation means comprises means for identifying groups of categories that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of selections and whose category rating data each reflect one of a high and low evaluation, and the user profile generation means generates the user profile data also based on a number of times said groups of categories are identified.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the user profile data generated by the user profile generation means is weighted to emphasize said groups of categories in accordance with a number of categories within each of said groups, such that a group of categories having a larger number of categories therein is more heavily weighted than a group of categories having a fewer number of categories therein.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection means for utilizing the user profile data to identify an output item having classification data corresponding to the user profile data.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the output item comprises one of:

(i) a television program to be recorded, and (ii) a targeted advertisement.

6. A method of generating user profile data comprising:

receiving selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by a user;

associating category rating data with the plurality of selections, said category rating data comprising an evaluation of content in terms of underlying qualities of each the plurality of selections in each of a plurality of categories; and

generating the user profile data based on a number of times the category rating data in at least one of the categories reflects one of a high and low evaluation.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising identifying groups of categories that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of selections and whose category rating data each reflect one of a high and low evaluation, and wherein the user profile data is generated also based on a number of times said groups of categories are identified.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the user profile data is weighted to emphasize said groups of categories in accordance with a number of categories within each of said groups, such that a group of categories having a larger number of categories therein is more heavily weighted than a group of categories having a fewer number of categories therein.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising utilizing the user profile data to identify an output item having classification data corresponding to the user profile data.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the output item comprises one of:

(i) a television program to be recorded, and (ii) a targeted advertisement.

11. A computer apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by a user;

association means for associating with said plurality of selections, data identifying categories in which content of the respective selections of said plurality of selections have been evaluated in terms of underlying qualities of said plurality of selections, where said evaluations correspond to evaluations within predetermined ranges for said categories; and

user profile generation means for generating user profile data utilizing determined totals for different categories of a number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with received data by said association means.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said receiving means comprises storage means for storing records associating user identification data with selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by one or more users; and

said receiving means is arranged to receive user identification data and retrieve from said storage means selection data corresponding to the received identification data.

13. The computer apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

said association means comprises database means for storing a plurality of records associating a plurality of selections each with classification data comprising data indicative of an assessment of the content of said selection with respect to a plurality of categories; and

determination means for determining and associating selections with categories corresponding to predetermined ranges indicative of high or low evaluation by said records associated with said selections.

14. The computer apparatus of claim 13, further comprising selection means for utilizing the user profile data generated by the user profile data generation means to identify further selections associated with data by said association means.

15. The computer apparatus of claim 14, wherein said selection means comprises search data generation means for generating search data utilizing said user profile data, and selection output means for outputting data associated with classification data within said database means associated with classification data substantially corresponding to said search data generated by said search data generation means.

16. The computer apparatus of claim 15, wherein said selection means is arranged to determine a correspondence between said search data and said classification data base on a determination of a value indicative of a sum of absolute values of differences between said search data for a category and said classification data for the same category for at least some of said plurality of categories.

17. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein said receiving step comprises the steps of:

storing records associating user identification data with selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by one or more users;

receiving user identification data; and

retrieving from said stored records selection data corresponding to received identification data.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein said association step comprises the steps of:

storing a plurality of records associating a plurality of selections each with classifications data comprising data indicative of an assessment of the content of said selection in respect of a plurality of categories; and

determining and associating selections with categories corresponding to predetermined ranges indicative of high or low evaluation by said records associated with said selections.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a step of selecting data associated with data identifying categories by said associating step, by utilizing said profile data generated by said generating step.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein said selecting step comprises the steps of generating search data utilizing said user profile data, and outputting data associated with classification data substantially corresponding to said generated search data.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein said outputting-step comprises determining a correspondence between said search data and said classification data based on a determination of a value indicative of a sum of absolute values of differences between said search data for a category and said classification data for the same category for at least some of said plurality of categories.

22. The computer apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

said user profile generation means comprises means for identifying groups of categories associated with respective selections of said plurality of selections corresponding to groups of categories associated with evaluations within said predetermined ranges; and

said user profile generation means is operable to generate the user profile data utilizing determined totals of the number of times groups of evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with received data.

23. The computer apparatus of claim 22, wherein said user profile generation means is arranged to determine weighted totals for the total number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges of different categories or groups of categories are associated with received data, in a manner such that different weighted totals are determined for different sizes of groups of categories.

24. The computer apparatus of claim 22, wherein said user profile generation means is arranged to output as the user profile data, data indicative of categories and/or groups of categories associated with highest determined totals of evaluations within said predetermined ranges for different categories or groups of categories.

25. A recording apparatus for selectively recording received data comprising:

input means for receiving a plurality of items of data each associated with profile data identifying categories in which content of said items of data have been evaluated within predetermined ranges in terms of underlying qualities of said items of data;

determination means for determining which of said items of data are utilized by a user, and for generating selection data based on said determination;

user profile generation means for generating user profile data utilizing determined totals for different categories of a number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with the generated selection data; and

recording means for selectively recording respective ones of the received items of data based on a correspondence between the profile data associated with the received items of data and the user profile data generated by the user profile generation means.

26. A method of generating user profile data comprising the steps of:

receiving selection data identifying a plurality of selections made by one or more users;

associating with said plurality of selections, data identifying categories in which content of the respective selections of said plurality of selections have been evaluated in terms of underlying qualities of said plurality of selections, where said evaluations correspond to evaluations within predetermined ranges for said categories; and

generating user profile data utilizing determined totals for different categories of a number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with said received data.

27. A method in accordance with a claims 26, further comprising the step of identifying groups of categories associated with respective selections of said plurality of selections corresponding to groups of categories associated with evaluations within said predetermined ranges, and wherein said step of generating user profile data comprises utilizing determined totals of a number of times groups of evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with received data.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein said generation step comprises determining weighted totals for the total number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges of different categories or groups of categories are associated with received data, in a manner such that different weighted totals are determined for different sizes of groups of categories.

29. A method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising outputting as the user profile data, data indicative of categories and/or groups of categories associated with highest determined totals of evaluations within said predetermined ranges for different categories or groups of categories.

30. A method of selectively recording received data comprising:

receiving a plurality of items of data each associated with profile data identifying categories in which content of said items of data have been evaluated within predetermined ranges in terms of underlying qualities of said items of data;

determining which of said items of data are utilized by a user, and generating selection data based on the determination;

generating user profile data utilizing determined totals for different categories of a number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with the generated selection data; and

selectively recording respective ones of the received items of data based on a correspondence between the profile data associated with the received items of data and the generated user profile data.

31. A recording apparatus for selectively recording television programs comprising:

means for receiving signals for a plurality of television programs each associated with profile data identifying categories in which content of said programs has been evaluated within predetermined ranges for said categories in terms of underlying qualities of said programs;

means for determining which of said plurality of programs have been displayed by a user, and for generating user profile data utilizing determined totals for different categories of a number of times evaluations within said predetermined ranges are associated with the displayed programs; and

recording means for selectively recording programs that have not yet been displayed by the user, based on a correspondence between said profile data associated with said programs and said generated user profile data.

32. An apparatus for outputting targeted advertising comprising:

means for receiving user profile data comprising categories or groups of categories;

means for generating search data utilizing said received profile data;

means for storing advertising data in association with data identifying categories in which content of items represented by said advertising of data has been evaluated in terms of underlying qualities of said items; and

output means for selectively outputting advertising data based on a correspondence between generated search data and said data associated with the advertising data.