Method and system for collaborative web research

• US 7,188,141 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Novaes, Marcos Nogueira
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIDDIQI, MOHAMMAD A
• Application Number:
  US09/893,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709/217, 709/219, 707/202, 707/203
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A collaborative Web research method (and system), includes organizing a plurality of documents in a N-dimensional space according to a collection of subject words, and based on the organizing, retrieving, by a user, said documents organized in the N-dimensional space according to the collection of subject words.

Claims

1. A Web-based collaborative research method, comprising:

determining coordinates for pages which are retrieved by a first user and mapping the coordinates into a space; and

based on said coordinates of said pages, informing a second user of a closeness of a research by said first user,

wherein an intersection of research by said first and second users is graphically displayed to said first and second users,

wherein said determining comprises;

determining a usage habit and a research topic of each of said first user and said second user, wherein said research topic of said first user includes at least one of a previously researched research topic and a current research topic which is currently being researched by said first user; and

correlating said usage habit and said research topic of each of said first user and said second user, and

wherein said notifying comprises;

notifying said second user that said research topic of said first user is related to said research topic of said second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said informing is performed automatically by a server, said first and second users being informed of pages retrieved by one another.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second user is selectively informed, based on said determined coordinates of said pages which are retrieved by said first user, of said closeness of said research by said first user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said closeness is determined based on the Euclidean distance of two points in n-dimensional space given by:

D(P1, P2)=√

{square root over (S_D (P1_D−

P2_D)²)}.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying said first user and said second user when said research being performed by said first user, based on said determined coordinates of said pages which are retrieved by said first user, intersects with said research begin performed by said second user.

6. The method of claim 1, graphically displaying an intersection of said research by said first user and said research by said second user to at least one of said first user and said second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining comprises:

determining a first set of coordinates for pages which are retrieved by research performed by a first user and mapping said determined first set of coordinates into a space; and

determining a second set of coordinates for pages which are retrieved by research performed by a second user and mapping said determined second set of coordinates into said space; and

correlating said research of said first user with said research of said second user based on said first set of determined coordinates and said second set of determined coordinates,

wherein said notifying comprises;

selectively notifying at least one of said first user and said second user of a correlation between said research of said first user and said research of said second user, and

wherein said correlating comprises;

determining a related topic that said first user has at least one of previously researched and currently is researching.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said correlating further comprises:

determining said related topic between said research of said first user and said research of said second user based on said first set of determined coordinates and said second set of determined coordinates.

9. A Web-based collaborative research system for a web portal, comprising:

a unit for determining coordinates for pages which are retrieved by a first user and mapping the coordinates into a space;

a notifier for informing, based on said coordinates of said pages, a second user of a closeness of a research by said first user; and

a display for graphically displaying to said first and second users an intersection of research by said first and second users,

wherein said unit for determining determines a usage habit and a research topic of each of said first user and said second user, wherein said research topic of said first user includes at least one of a previously researched research topic and a current research topic which is currently being researched by said first user; and

wherein said unit for determining correlates said usage habit and said research topic of each of said first user and said second user, and

wherein said notifier informs said second user that said research topic of said first user is related to said research topic of said second user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said notifier resides in a server, said first and second users being informed of pages retrieved by one another.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a unit for providing the first user with a trail of research of said second user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said trail of research comprises a predetermined sequence of bookmarks leading said first user to a specific point in cyberspace.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein, on a user side, said system further comprises:

a log-in unit for enabling said user to log-in to a collaborative research portal; and

a selector for selecting an existing research session, or creating a new research session.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, on said user side, said system further comprises:

a retrieval unit for retrieving a first data block;

a receiving unit for receiving data blocks of other users having a predetermined closeness, and an index of other data blocks relevant to the user'"'"'s research.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein, on a server side, said system further comprises:

a transmission unit for sending to the user a list of previously created research sessions; and

after the retrieving by the user, an adding for adding spatial coordinates of the first data block to a collection of vertices to a current research session.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein, on said server side, said system further comprises:

a calculator for recalculating areas occupied by the vertices of the current research session, and for calculating an intersection of the current research session with research sessions created by other users.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, on said server side, said system further comprises:

a determining unit for determining whether any research sessions intersect; and

a notifier for notifying, if any research sessions intersect, users that created the intersecting sessions.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, on said server side, said system further comprises:

means for sending the users of the intersecting sessions a geometry of the other intersecting sessions.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein, on said server side, said system further comprises:

determining means for determining whether any research sessions intersect;

notifying means for notifying, if any research sessions intersect, users that created the intersecting sessions; and

means for sending the users of the intersecting sessions a geometry of the other intersecting sessions.