Method and system for classifying information available on a computer network

• US 7,747,713 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Connexity Audience, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitwise Pty. Ltd. (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Babyak, Michael, Babyak, Kevin, Gullette, Brian R. D., Nortman, Randall C., Spalink, Jan-Dieter, Hatchell, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/606,683
• Time in Patent Office: 3,651 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/7, 709/204, 709/236, 709/203, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/212, 709/213, 709/216, 709/223, 709/229, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for classifying information available on a computer network such as Web sites accessible on the Internet. The system receives a list of network resource locators and submits each locator to a voting process. The invention includes using single-level or multiple-level voting to increase the classification accuracy. One or more Web coders receive a resource locator and determine a classification for that locator. When the necessary votes have been made, the system classifies the locator according to the voting rules.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for classifying network resources, comprising:

by a computerized system that comprises one or more computing devices;

selecting a network resource to be classified, wherein the network resource is selected based at least partly on usage statistics reflective of actual usage of the network resource by users;

in response to the selection of the network resource, outputting an identifier of the network resource for presentation to each of a plurality of users via a user interface that provides functionality for the users to vote on a classification of the network resource, said user interface enabling each user to select a classification from a plurality of predefined classifications;

recording a plurality of votes cast by the plurality of users via the user interface, each of the plurality of the votes designating a classification selected by a respective user for the network resource; and

assigning a classification to the network resource based at least partly on the recorded plurality of the votes of the plurality of users, wherein the classification of the network resource is assigned if a predetermined number of votes having the same classification is received, wherein the predetermined number of votes corresponds to at least a predefined percentage of the number of said plurality of votes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the classification comprises giving different non-zero amounts of weight to different recorded votes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the classification is assigned based further on a classification selected by an automated classification agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource is a web site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource is a web page.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a first frame that displays content of the network resource to be classified, and includes a second frame that displays a hierarchy of classifications from which to select a classification for the network resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a computer database of vote statistics for each of the plurality of users, said vote statistics reflecting votes casts on a plurality of network resources.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the plurality of votes are not sufficient to assign a classification, outputting the identifier of the network resource for presentation to at least one additional user via the user interface to obtain at least one additional vote.

9. A system for classifying network resources, the system comprising:

a computer data repository that stores usage statics data reflective of usage levels of each of a plurality of network resources by network users; and

a computer system programmed, via executable instructions represented in computer storage, to assign classifications to particular network resources according to a process that comprises;

selecting, based at least partly on the usage statistics data, a network resource to be classified;

outputting an identifier of the selected network resource for presentation to each of a plurality of users via a user interface that provides functionality for the users to vote on a classification of the selected network resource, said user interface enabling each user to select a classification from a plurality of predefined network resource classifications;

recording a plurality of votes cast by the plurality of users via the user interface, each of the plurality of the votes designating a classification selected by a respective user for the selected network resource; and

assigning a classification to the selected network resource based at least partly on the recorded votes of the plurality of users, wherein the classification of the network resource is assigned if a predetermined number of votes having the same classification is received, wherein the predetermined number of votes corresponds to at least a predefined percentage of the number of said plurality of votes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is programmed to give different non-zero amounts of weight to different ones of said votes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is programmed to assign the classification based further on a classification selected by an automated classification agent.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the network resources include specific web sites.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the network resources include specific web pages.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes a first portion that displays content of the selected network resource, and includes a second portion that displays a hierarchy of classifications from which to select a corresponding network resource classification.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is additionally programmed to maintain vote statistics for each of the plurality of users, said vote statistics reflecting votes casts on a plurality of network resources.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer system is additionally programmed to respond to a determination that the plurality of votes are not sufficient to assign a classification by outputting the identifier of the network resource for presentation to at least one additional user via the user interface to obtain at least one additional vote.

17. A method for classifying information available on a computer network, the method including:

receiving a list of network resource locators, said list being created by identifying network resources accessed by users of the network from use data which is related to resources accessed by a number of the users of the network;

for each network resource locator of the created list, sending the network resource locator to a graphical user interface (GUI) component of at least one Web-coding workstation connected to the network, and which is separate from the users of the network;

receiving a selection from at least one Web coder from the at least one Web-coding workstation, with each selection representing a classification for the resource identified by the sent network resource locator, said selection being generated in response to the Web coder using tools of said GUI component and in accordance with a predetermined classification system; and

storing the classification in a separate database in relation to said resource locator and to said at least one Web-coding workstation;

wherein said at least one Web-coding workstation comprises more than one Web-coding workstation and wherein said classification is assigned based on receiving more than one source selection from said more than one Web-coding workstation and

wherein the network resource locator is sent to said more than one Web-coding workstation, which comprises a plurality of Web-coding workstations, with each one of the plurality of Web-coding workstations being assigned a predetermined level from lowest to highest, and wherein said classification is assigned based on receiving a first predetermined number of same selections from Web-coding workstations at the lowest level, and

if the first predetermined number of same selections is not received at the lowest level, basing the classification on receiving a second predetermined number of same selections from Web-coding workstations at the next highest level, and if not received at the next highest level, repeating the process upward by a level until a level specific predetermined number of selections are received from one of the levels.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said classification is based on a multiple-level voting system including a first level, a second level, and a third level, and wherein a classification is assigned to a network resource locator upon receipt of at least three out of four first level votes, two out of three second level votes, or one third level vote.

19. A system for classifying information available on a computer network, the system including:

a resource generator component that creates a list of network resource locators from use data which is related to network resources accessed by a number of users of the network;

a datastore component for storing classification information for a plurality of network resource locators;

at least one Web-coding workstation connected on the network which is separate from the users of the network, each one of said at least one separate Web-coding workstation having a graphical user interface (GUI) component having tools to allow at least one Web coder to select a classification for each resource respectively identified by the resource locators of said list in accordance with a predetermined classification system; and

a classification processor component separate from said datastore component and from said at least one Web-coding workstation that receives the list of network resource locators from the resource generator component, causes presentation of said network resource locators using said GUI component, and receives the classification determined for each resource respectively identified by the network resource locators, and stores the classification in said data store component;

wherein said at least one Web-coding workstation comprises more than one Web-coding workstation, each one of said more than one Web-coding workstations having said graphical user interface (GUI) component having tools to allow more than one user, each corresponding respectively to one of said more than one Web-coding workstations to select a classification for each resource respectively identified by the resource locator of said lists; and

wherein the more than one Web-coding workstation connected on the network comprises a plurality of Web-coding workstations, with each one of the plurality of Web-coding workstations being assigned a predetermined level from lowest to highest, and wherein said Web-coding workstations are arranged for selecting and assigning a classification for each resource locator based on receiving a first predetermined number of same selections from Web-coding workstations at the lowest level, and if the first predetermined number of same selections is not received at the lowest level, basing the classification on receiving a second predetermined number of same selections from Web-coding workstations at the next highest level, and if not received at the next highest level, repeating the process upward by a level until a level specific predetermined number of selections are received from one of the levels.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the classification processor uses a multiple-level voting system which includes a first level, a second level, and a third level, and wherein a classification is assigned to a network resource locator upon receipt of at least three out of four first level votes, two out of three second level votes, or one third level vote.