Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing intelligent agent services

• US 7,590,649 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali; Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASAN, SYED HAROON
• Application Number:
  US11/314,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for implementing intelligent agent services is provided. The method includes identifying sources of information topically related to an interest. The interest is specified as first information elements. The method also includes creating a search string from at least a portion of the first information elements. The method further includes gathering second information elements in response to searching the sources of information using the search string, and comparing the second information elements to the first information elements. The method further includes identifying matches between the first and second information elements, analyzing the matches, and determining a solution for satisfying the interest.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing intelligent agent services, comprising:

identifying an interest of an individual, comprising;

gathering first information elements from a source, a plurality of the first information elements produced as a result of a request for information by the individual, at least one of the first information elements identifying a geographic location of the individual;

generating an ontological domain for the individual using the first information elements, the ontological domain comprised of contextually-organized collections of the first information elements that are organized by topics based upon detected behaviors, the ontological domain including a plurality of sub-domains of contextually-organized collections of information elements;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the first information elements using pre-defined logic to detect patterns in the first information elements;

determining the relevance of the relationships based upon measurable aspects, wherein a relationship determined to be relevant is identified as the interest;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the sub-domains;

further defining the interest in response to the relationships among the sub-domains;

identifying sources of information topically related to the interest; and

searching the sources of information using the first information elements to determine a solution for satisfying the interest.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting the solution into a message; and

presenting the message to a device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein searching the sources of information further comprises:

creating a search string from at least a portion of the first information elements;

gathering second information elements in response to searching the sources of information using the search string, and comparing the second information elements to the first information elements;

identifying matches between the first and second information elements; and

analyzing the matches to determine the solution.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically updating the ontological domain over time by iteratively performing the gathering, identifying, and determining; and

automatically updating the interest based upon the updated ontological domain.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the first and second information elements include at least one of:

a name;

an address;

a subject;

a behavior;

a purchase price;

a value;

a time; and

a date.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the interest is further acquired from:

direct input from the individual via a request.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the intelligent agent services are provided under a service plan.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected behaviors include:

a presence of the individual at a physical location, the presence determined by at least one of a cellular network and device, and a global positioning system network and device;

wherein the first information elements include the physical location and at least one of;

name of the individual;

time of presence of the individual at the physical location; and

nature of activity conducted at the physical location.

8. A system for implementing intelligent agent services, comprising:

a host system executing a computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium; and

an agent application executing on the host system, for;

identifying an interest of an individual, comprising;

gathering first information elements from a source, a plurality of the first information elements produced as a result of a request for information by the individual, at least one of the first information elements identifying a geographic location of the individual;

generating an ontological domain for the individual from the first information elements, the ontological domain comprised of contextually-organized collections of the first information elements that are organized by topics based upon detected behaviors, the ontological domain including a plurality of sub-domains of contextually-organized collections of information elements;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the first information elements using pre-defined logic to detect patterns in the first information elements;

determining the relevance of the relationships based upon measurable aspects, wherein a relationship determined to be relevant is identified as the interest;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the sub-domains;

further defining the interest in response to the relationships among the sub-domains;

identifying sources of information topically related to the interest; and

searching the sources of information using the first information elements to determine a solution for satisfying the interest.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the agent application further performs:

formatting the solution into a message; and

presenting the message to a device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein searching the sources of information further comprises:

creating a search string from at least a portion of the first information elements;

gathering second information elements in response to searching the sources of information using the search string, and comparing the second information elements to the first information elements;

identifying matches between the first and second information elements; and

analyzing the matches to determine the solution.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the agent application further performs:

dynamically updating the ontological domain over time by iteratively performing the gathering, identifying, and determining; and

automatically updating the interest based upon the updated ontological domain.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and second information elements include at least one of:

a name;

an address;

a subject;

a behavior;

a purchase price;

a value;

a time; and

a date.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the interest is further acquired from:

direct input from the individual via the request.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the intelligent agent services are provided under a service plan.

22. The system of claim 8, wherein the detected behaviors include:

a presence of the individual at a physical location, the presence determined by at least one of a cellular network and device, and a global positioning system network and device;

wherein the first information elements include the physical location and at least one of;

name of the individual;

time of presence of the individual at the physical location; and

nature of activity conducted at the physical location.

15. A computer-readable storage medium for implementing intelligent agent services, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions embodied on a computer readable medium for implementing a method, the method comprising:

identifying an interest of an individual, comprising;

gathering first information elements from a source, a plurality of the first information elements produced as a result of a request for information by the individual, at least one of the first information elements identifying a geographic location of the individual;

generating an ontological domain for the individual using the first information elements, the ontological domain comprised of contextually-organized collections of the first information elements that are organized by topics based upon detected behaviors, the ontological domain including a plurality of sub-domains of contextually-organized collections of information elements;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the first information elements using pre-defined logic to detect patterns in the first information elements; and

determining the relevance of the relationships based upon measurable aspects, wherein a relationship determined to be relevant is identified as the interest;

analyzing the ontological domain to identify relationships among the sub-domains;

further defining the interest in response to the relationships among the sub-domains;

identifying sources of information topically related to the interest; and

searching the sources of information using the first information elements to determine a solution for satisfying the interest.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for implementing:

formatting the solution into a message; and

presenting the message to a device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein searching the sources of information further comprises:

creating a search string from at least a portion of the first information elements;

gathering second information elements in response to searching the sources of information using the search string, and comparing the second information elements to the first information elements;

identifying matches between the first and second information elements; and

analyzing the matches to determine the solution.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for implementing:

dynamically updating the ontological domain over time by iteratively performing the gathering, identifying, and determining; and

automatically updating the interest based upon the updated ontological domain.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first and second information elements include at least one of:

a name;

an address;

a subject;

a behavior;

a purchase price;

a value;

a time; and

a date.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the interest is further acquired from:

direct input from the individual via a request.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the detected behaviors include:

a presence of the individual at a physical location, the presence determined by at least one of a cellular network and device, and a global positioning system network and device;

wherein the first information elements include the physical location and at least one of;

name of the individual;

time of presence of the individual at the physical location; and

nature of activity conducted at the physical location.