Method and apparatus for recommending selections based on preferences in a multi-user system

• US 7,461,055 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, James R. III, Atcheson, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Khanh H
• Application Number:
  US11/383,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 707/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A system for determining selections that a user is likely to be interested in. The determination is made based on the user'"'"'s prior indicated preferences. The user designates his or her preferred selections as entries in a user'"'"'s preference list. Entries in the user'"'"'s list are compared with entries in the other users'"'"' lists. When a significant number of matches have been found between two lists, the unmatched entries of the other user'"'"'s preference list are extracted. The unmatched entries are further processed. Those unmatched entries with a high correlation to the user'"'"'s preference list are presented to the user as selections in which the user is likely to be interested.

Claims

1. A method for outputting recommended preferences based on predetermined preferences, the method executing on a computer system, the computer system including a processor, database, first input device, and an output device, wherein the database includes a plurality of datafiles each containing a plurality of preferences, the method comprising the following steps:

a) accepting signals from the first input device to indicate a plurality of user preferences;

b) using the processor to search the database and to determine the number of user preferences that match preferences in a given datafile;

c) using the processor to identify datafiles with a number of matching preferences above a first threshold number;

d) selecting preferences from the identified datafiles, wherein the selected preferences do not match the user preferences;

e) for each unmatching preference in the related datafiles, performing a submethod comprising;

e1) determining a first number of related datafiles in which the unmatching preference occurs;

e2) determining a second number of all datafiles in the database in which each unmatching preference occurs; and

e3) determining a third number as the proportion of the first and second determined numbers;

f) determining a first ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said first determined numbers;

g) determining a second ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said third determined numbers;

h) selecting one or more recommended preferences based on a weighted combination of said first ranking and said second ranking; and

i) outputting via the output device, the recommended preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences comprise artist'"'"'s name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences comprise a title of a movie.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system further includes a data communications network and a second input device,

wherein the processor, database, first input device, second input device and output device are coupled to the network,

wherein the first and second user input devices are remotely located from each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of preferences in a datafile is limited to 10, and wherein the first threshold number is 5.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of preferences in a datafile is limited to 10, and wherein only those unmatching preferences that also appear in 50% or more of the related datafiles are selected as recommended preferences.

7. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, perform a method for outputting recommended preferences based on predetermined preferences, the method executing on a computer system, the computer system including a processor, database, first input device, and an output device, wherein the database includes a plurality of datafiles each containing a plurality of preferences,

the method comprising the following steps:

a) accepting signals from the first input device to indicate a plurality of user preferences;

b) using the processor to search the database and to determine the number of user preferences that match preferences in a given datafile;

c) using the processor to identify related datafiles with a number of matching preferences above a first threshold number;

d) selecting preferences from the related datafiles, wherein the selected preferences do not match the user preferences;

e) for each unmatching preference in the related datafiles, performing a submethod comprising;

e1) determining a first number of related datafiles in which the unmatching preference occurs;

e2) determining a second number of all datafiles in the database in which each unmatching preference occurs; and

e3) determining a third number as the proportion of the first and second determined numbers;

f) determining a first ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said first determined numbers;

g) determining a second ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said third determined numbers;

h) selecting one or more recommended preferences based on a weighted combination of said first ranking and said second ranking; and

i) outputting via the output device, the recommended preferences.

8. A computer apparatus having a processor and memory containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method for outputting recommended preferences based on predetermined preferences, the method executing on a computer system, the computer system further including a database, first input device, and an output device, wherein the database includes a plurality of datafiles each containing a plurality of preferences,

the method comprising the following steps:

a) accepting signals from the first input device to indicate a plurality of user preferences;

b) using the processor to search the database and to determine the number of user preferences that match preferences in a given datafile;

c) using the processor to identify related datafiles with a number of matching preferences above a first threshold number;

d) selecting preferences from the related datafiles, wherein the selected preferences do not match the user preferences;

e) for each unmatching preference in the related datafiles, performing a submethod comprising;

e1) determining a first number of related datafiles in which the unmatching preference occurs;

e2) determining a second number of all datafiles in the database in which each unmatching preference occurs; and

e3) determining a third number as the proportion of the first and second determined numbers;

f) determining a first ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said first determined numbers;

g) determining a second ranking of said selected unmatching preferences from the related datafiles based on said third determined numbers;

h) selecting one or more recommended preferences based on a weighted combination of said first ranking and said second ranking; and

i) outputting via the output device, the recommended preferences.