Methods and systems of providing information to computer users

• US 7,346,610 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Banks, Richard, Ruthfield, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHMOUDI, HASSAN
• Application Number:
  US11/056,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Methods and systems of providing information to computer users are described. In one embodiment, the methods and systems can provide a ranked list of favorite links. The list can be based upon the recency and frequency with which a user accesses items associated with the links. A most recently added favorites list of links is provided that is based upon when particular links were added to a user'"'"'s favorites list. The methods and system can calculate a union of the lists to provide a collection of favorite quick links.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computer, comprising:

providing a ranked list of favorite links, the list being based upon the recency and frequency with which a user accesses items associated with the links;

providing a most recently added favorites list of links that is based upon when particular links were added to a user'"'"'s favorites list; and

calculating a union of the lists to provide a collection of favorite quick links, wherein the acts of providing are performed by using dynamically changing information associated with the user'"'"'s activities as a basis for ascertaining which favorite quick links to display for a user, said activities including the recency and frequency with which the user accesses items associated with the links and when particular links were added to the user'"'"'s favorites list, and wherein said union of the lists changes in accordance with the dynamically changing information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rankedlist of favorite links is provided by calculating a weighted score for each link that considers the number of times a user accessed an item associated with the link, the score weighting more recent link accesses heavier than less recent link accesses.

3. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 1.

4. A method implemented on a computer, comprising:

maintaining a database that contains information describing various user favorite links, the information containing data pertaining to a user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were added to the database;

running a first database query that identifies and ranks most frequently accessed links;

running a second database query that identifies most recently added favorites; and

calculating a union of the first and second database queries to provide quick links comprising a top favorites list, wherein the act of maintaining is performed by maintaining dynamically changing information associated with the user'"'"'s activities as a basis for ascertaining which quick links to display for a user, said activities including the user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were added to the database, and wherein said union changes in accordance with the dynamically changing information.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising running the first and second queries across multiple content types.

6. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 4.

7. A Computer implemented method of ascertaining quick links to user information comprising:

maintaining a database that contains information describing various user visited links, the information containing data pertaining to a user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were last accessed by the user;

running a first database query that identifies and ranks most frequently accessed links;

running a second database query that identifies most recently accessed links; and

calculating a union of the first and second database queries to provide quick links comprising a suggested favorites list, wherein the act of maintaining is performed by maintaining dynamically changing information associated with the user'"'"'s activities as a basis for ascertaining which quick links to display for a user, said activities including the user'"'"'s link access frequency and when the links were last accessed by the user, and wherein said union changes in accordance with the dynamically changing information.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising running the first and second queries across multiple content types.

9. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 7.