System for and method of storing and elaborating user preferences
First Claim
1. In a system having a plurality of preference objects and at least one user, a method for elaborating a user'"'"'s preferences in response to a user name, comprising the steps of:
- storing, in at least one membership map of preferences, membership information for each preference object in the plurality of preference objects;
associating with each preference object in the plurality of preference objects a unique identifier, the unique identifier acting as an index into the at least one membership map of preferences;
associating with the user name an entitlement expression, the entitlement expression including a reference to the at least one membership map;
evaluating the entitlement expression to determine whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is preferred by a user, the evaluation including looking up the preference object'"'"'s membership information in the at least one membership map of preferences using the preference object'"'"'s unique identifier; and
generating a preference list associated with the user, responsive to the evaluation of the entitlement expression.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for storing and elaborating user preferences for objects in response to a user'"'"'s name. The invention associates a user'"'"'s name with an entitlement expression that includes a reference to at least one membership map having preference information regarding the preference objects and associates with the preference objects a unique identifier that acts as an index into each membership map. The entitlement expression is evaluated for the user'"'"'s name to determine a list of preferred objects for that user. The evaluation includes looking up the preference object'"'"'s membership information in at least one membership map of preference using the preference object'"'"'s unique identifier. The invention may further include at least one preferred group having a name, zero or more objects that are members of the preferred group, and a membership map for determining whether a particular object is a member of the group. The entitlement expression then refers to at least one membership map by including at least one group name in the entitlement expression.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. In a system having a plurality of preference objects and at least one user, a method for elaborating a user'"'"'s preferences in response to a user name, comprising the steps of:
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storing, in at least one membership map of preferences, membership information for each preference object in the plurality of preference objects; associating with each preference object in the plurality of preference objects a unique identifier, the unique identifier acting as an index into the at least one membership map of preferences; associating with the user name an entitlement expression, the entitlement expression including a reference to the at least one membership map; evaluating the entitlement expression to determine whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is preferred by a user, the evaluation including looking up the preference object'"'"'s membership information in the at least one membership map of preferences using the preference object'"'"'s unique identifier; and generating a preference list associated with the user, responsive to the evaluation of the entitlement expression. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a system having a plurality of preference objects, at least one group having a name and having zero or more preference objects as members, and at least one user, a method for elaborating a user'"'"'s preferences in response to the user'"'"'s name, comprising the steps of:
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associating with the user name an entitlement expression including at least one group name; associating with the at least one group a membership map of preferences indicating whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is a member of that group; associating with each preference object in the plurality of preference objects a unique identifier usable as an index into each group membership map to determine whether that preference object is a member of that group; evaluating the entitlement expression associated with the user name to determine whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is preferred by the user; and generating a preference list associated with the user, responsive to the evaluation of the entitlement expression. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for elaborating user preferences based on a user'"'"'s name comprising:
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a first means for storing a plurality of preference objects and a unique identifier associated with each preference object in the plurality of preference objects; a second means for storing a plurality of unique preference object group names, each of the plurality of preference object group names associated with a membership map, the unique identifier acting as an index into the preference object group membership maps for determining whether a preference object is a member of a preference object group; a processor means for determining whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is preferred by a user by evaluating an entitlement expression associated with the user name, the entitlement expression including a reference to at least one preference object group; and a third means for generating a preference list associated with the user, responsive to the evaluation of the entitlement expression. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. In a system having a plurality of preference objects and at least one user, a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code to direct the system to elaborate user preferences in response to a user name, comprising at least the following steps:
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associating with the user name an entitlement expression, the entitlement expression including a reference to at least one membership map of preferences for the preference objects; associating with the preference object a unique identifier, the unique identifier acting as an index into the at least one membership map; evaluating the entitlement expression associated with the user name to determine whether a preference object in the plurality of preference objects is preferred by the user, the evaluation including looking up the preference object'"'"'s membership information in the at least one membership map using the preference object'"'"'s unique identifier; and generating a preference list associated with the user, responsive to the evaluation of the entitlement expression. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification