Method of managing resources

• US 7,596,591 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Titmuss, Richard J
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US10/399,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,874 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/224, 709/231, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 715/700, 370/252
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• 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

Abstract

A method for retrieving information in respect of subject matter of interest to a user involves retrieving information and organizing the retrieved information in accordance with predetermined criteria, at least one of which includes a state of the user. The method further involves storing the organized information such that when a viewable page is created, a selection of said stored information is retrieved in accordance with display capabilities of a terminal.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of storing information in respect of subject matter of interest to a user on the basis of a state of the user, wherein the subject matter of interest includes a plurality of keywords, each set of keywords having at least one identifiable state of the user and/or environment allocated thereto to, the method comprising:

using a processor to perform the following steps;

(i) creating a profile for the user by receiving information from the user that comprises the user'"'"'s interests and keywords relating to those interests;

(ii) retrieving information on the basis of the subject matter of interest to the user;

(iii) tagging the retrieved information in accordance with whichever state was allocated to its corresponding set of keywords;

(iv) ranking said tagged information, at least in part, in accordance with a state of the user and/or environment; and

(v) storing the tagged information in accordance with the rankings associated therewith.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of

identifying duplicates in the tagged information, and

removing duplicates so that there is only one of each tagged information.

3. A method according to claim 2, further including the step of assigning a predetermined ranking to the tagged information for which there are duplicates.

4. A method according to claim 1 including presenting the retrieved information to the user via a terminal, said presentation of information including creating a viewable page comprising at least some of the retrieved information, such that when a viewable page is created, a selection of said stored information is retrieved in accordance with display capabilities of the terminal.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable state of the user includes a user'"'"'s current state.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable state or the user includes a user'"'"'s future state.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable state of the environment includes at least one of weather, temperature, and/or time of day.

8. A method according to claim 1, including firstly receiving a prompt indicative of the subject matter of interest, and in which the method further includes the steps of:

receiving a further prompt to retrieve information of interest to a user,

comparing the prompt with the further prompt and, in the event of similarity,

identifying the information stored in response to the prompt as being relevant to the further prompt.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein a prompt involves a request from a user.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein a prompt involves a timed trigger to retrieve information.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein a prompt involves a change of state of the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one identifiable state comprises work and/or play.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one identifiable environment comprises work and/or play.

14. A computer storage medium for storing a computer program, or a suite of computer programs, comprising a set of instructions to cause a computer, or a suite of computers, to perform the method steps according to claim 1.

15. Apparatus for storing information in respect of subject matter of interest to a user on the basis of a state of the user, wherein the subject matter of interest includes a plurality of sets of keywords, each set of keywords having at least one identifiable state of the user and/or environment allocated thereto,

the apparatus comprising a server computer and a storage device, wherein the server computer comprises:

receiving means arranged to receive, from the user, a request for subject matter of interest, and to receive data identifying the state of the user and/or environment for creating a user profile;

retrieving means arranged to retrieve information on the basis of the received subject matter of interest and the user'"'"'s profile;

tagging means arranged to tag the retrieved information in accordance with the state of the user and/or environment for creating a profile;

ranking means arranged to rank the retrieved information in accordance with the received state of the user and/or environment;

and wherein the storage device is arranged to store the tagged information in accordance with the rankings associated therewith.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the retrieving means co-operates with the storage device to store the retrieved and tagged information.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the storage is distributed over a plurality of server machines located in one or more networks.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the at least one identifiable state comprises work and/or play.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the at least one identifiable environment comprises work and/or play.

20. A server computer for retrieving information in respect of subject matter of interest to a user, wherein the subject matter of interest includes a plurality of sets of keywords, each set of keywords having at least one identifiable state of the user and/or environment allocated thereto, the server computer comprising:

receiving means arranged to receive, from the user, a request for subject matter of interest, and to receive data identifying the state of the user and/or environment for creating a user profile;

retrieving means arranged to retrieve information on the basis of the received subject matter of interest and the user'"'"'s profile;

tagging means arranged to tag the retrieved information in accordance with the state of the user and/or environment for creating a profile;

ranking means arranged to rank the retrieved information in accordance with the received state of the user and/or environment;

wherein the server computer is arranged to co-operate with a storage device, the storage device being arranged to store the tagged information in accordance with the rankings associated therewith.

21. A server computer according to claim 20, wherein the retrieving means cooperates with the storage device to store the retrieved and tagged information.

22. A server computer according to claim 21, wherein the storage device is distributed over a plurality of server machines located in one or more networks.

23. The server computer of claim 20 wherein the at least one identifiable state comprises work and/or play.

24. The server computer of claim 20 wherein the at least one identifiable environment comprises work and/or play.

25. A storage device for storing information in respect of subject matter of interest to a user on the basis of a state of the user, wherein the subject matter of interest includes a plurality of sets of keywords, each set of keywords having at least one identifiable state of the user and/or environment allocated thereto, wherein the storage device is arranged to receive data from a server computer, the server computer comprising

receiving means arranged to receive, from the user, a request for subject matter of interest, and to receive data identifying the state of the user and/or environment for creating a user profile;

retrieving means arranged to retrieve information on the basis of the received subject matter of interest and the user'"'"'s profile;

tagging means arranged to tag the retrieved information in accordance with the state of the user and/or environment for creating a profile;

ranking means arranged to rank the retrieved information in accordance with the received state of the user and/or environment;

and wherein the storage device is arranged to store the tagged information in accordance with the rankings associated therewith.

26. The storage device of claim 25 wherein the at least one identifiable state comprises work and/or play.

27. The storage device of claim 25 wherein the at least one identifiable environment comprises work and/or play.