System and method for facilitating network connectivity based on user characteristics

• US 8,095,408 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShareThis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ShareThis, Inc.
• Inventors: Schigel, Timothy, Goldberg, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US11/664,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,282 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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

Abstract

A computer system for facilitating user connectivity in a computer network includes an attention manager, an identity manager, and an introduction manager. The attention manager generates data indicative of the current interests of the user. The identity manager manages data indicative of the interests of the user. The introduction manager provides a proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendation for the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the user, and may also provide bilaterally secure introductions with other users.

Claims

1. A computer system for facilitating user connectivity in a computer network, comprising:

an attention manager configured to monitor actions exhibited by a first user in the computer network and to generate attention data that is indicative of current user attention, the attention data based on the monitored actions exhibited by the first user;

an identity manager configured to generate and evaluate user preference data indicative of user interests and the attention data and generate user profile data for the first user based on the user preference data and the attention data, the user profile data indicative of user interests, and further configured to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests; and

an introduction manager configured to receive the user profile data of the first user and user profile data related to a plurality of other users and evaluate the user profile data of the first user and the user profile data related to the plurality of other users, the profile data of each respective user in the plurality of other users indicative of user interests and further configured to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests of the respective user, and provide a bilaterally secure introduction between the first user and with one or more other users based on the evaluation;

wherein the identity manager comprises;

a user profiler configured to receive the user preference data indicative of user interests and further configured to receive adaptive definition data defining adaptive preferences and source definition data defining adaptive preference sources; and

a preference adapter configured to modify the user preference data of the adaptive preferences based on a monitoring of the adaptive preference sources to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests;

and wherein the introduction manager comprises;

a match engine configured to receive user profile data defined as public user profile data and to evaluate the public user profile data of the first user and the public user profile data related to the plurality of other users; and

a bilateral introduction manager configured to provide the bilaterally secure introduction between the first user and one or more other users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the attention data comprises mask data configured to mask select portions of the user preference data, the select portions based on the current user attention.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mask data comprises weighted data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the attention manager comprises:

a recent history monitor configured to monitor user actions in the computer network over a predefined measurement criterion, the user actions including click interactions and uniform resource locator (URL) interactions; and

a natural language monitor configured to monitor natural language data input by the user over the predefined measurement criterion;

wherein the attention manager generates the attention data based on the click interactions, URL interactions, and the natural language data input.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predefined measurement criterion is a predefined time period.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the predefined measurement criterion is an interaction session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user profiler is further configured to receive public definition data defining public user profile data, and wherein the public user profile data are accessible by third parties.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user profile data of the first user and user profile data related to other users received by the introduction manager comprises public user profile data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein adaptive preference sources comprise data stored on a client computer associated with the first user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the bilaterally secure introduction comprises a bilaterally secure product offer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user profile data comprises a consumer chromosome data structure, and wherein the introduction manager utilizes a genetic algorithm to evaluate the user profile data of the first user and the user profile data related to the plurality of other users and provide a bilaterally secure introduction between the first user and one or more other users.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile data is further indicative of user behavior.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user behavior comprises a behavior based on click interactions.

14. A computer implemented method of facilitating user connectivity in a computer network, comprising:

monitoring actions exhibited by a first user in the computer network;

generating attention data based on the monitored actions, the attention data indicative of current user attention of the first user;

evaluating user preference data indicative of user interests and the attention data of the first user;

generating user profile data for the first user based on the user preference data and the attention data of the first user, the user profile data indicative of user interests;

adaptively updating the user preference data in response to changes in user interests of the first user;

evaluating the user profile data of the first user and user profile data related to a plurality of other users, the profile data of each respective user in the plurality of other users indicative of user interests and further configured to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests of the respective user; and

providing a bilaterally secure introduction between the first user and one or more other users based on the evaluation of the user profile data of the first user and user profile data related to the plurality of other users.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating attention data based on the monitored behavior that is indicative of current user attention comprises generating mask data configured to mask select portions of the user preference data, the select portions based on the current user attention.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mask data comprises weighted data.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein monitoring actions exhibited by the first user in the computer network comprises:

monitoring user interactions in the computer network over a predefined measurement criterion; and

monitoring natural language data input by the user over the predefined measurement criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein monitoring user interactions comprising monitoring click interactions and uniform resource locator (URL) interactions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predefined measurement criterion is a predefined time period.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein adaptively updating the user preference data in response to changes in user interests comprises:

defining adaptive preferences;

defining adaptive preference sources; and

modifying the user preference data of the adaptive preferences based on a monitoring of the adaptive preference sources.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

defining public user profile data accessible by third parties;

wherein evaluating the user profile data of the first user and user profile data related to other users comprises evaluating the public user profile data of the first user and the public user profile data related to other users.

22. A computer system for facilitating the providing of content to one or more users in a computer network, comprising:

an identity manager configured to monitor actions indicative of user interests exhibited by a plurality of users in the computer network and to generate corresponding user profiles for the plurality of users based on the evaluation of the monitored actions, the user profiles indicative of user interests for the plurality of users, and further configured to evaluate the user profiles to identify highly correlated interests among the plurality of users;

an introduction manager configured to receive a first user profile of a first user and evaluate the user profile against the identified highly correlated interests among the plurality of users and generate a proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendation for the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the first user based on the evaluation;

a content server configured to receive the proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendation and provide the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the first user in response to the contact, content, or commerce data recommendation; and

an attention manager configured to monitor actions exhibited by the first user in the computer network and to generate attention data that is indicative of current user attention, the attention data based on the monitored actions exhibited by the first user;

wherein the identity manager is further configured to modify the corresponding user profile of the first user based on the attention data, and

wherein the user profiles comprise consumer chromosome data structures, and wherein the introduction manager utilizes a genetic algorithm to identify highly correlated interests among the plurality of users.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the attention data comprises mask data configured to mask select portions of the corresponding user profile of the user, the select portions based on the current user attention.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the attention manager comprises:

a recent history monitor configured to monitor user interactions in the computer network over a predefined measurement criterion, the user interactions including click interactions and uniform resource locator (URL) interactions; and

a natural language monitor configured to monitor natural language data input by the user over the predefined measurement criterion;

wherein the attention manager generates the attention data based on the click interactions, URL interactions, and the natural language data input.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the predefined measurement criterion is an interaction session.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the identity manager comprises:

a user profiler configured to receive user preference data indicative of user interests and further configured to receive adaptive definition data defining adaptive preferences and source definition data defining adaptive preference sources and generate a corresponding user profile based on the user preference data and the adaptive preference sources; and

a preference adapter configured to modify the user preference data of the adaptive preferences based on a monitoring of the adaptive preference sources to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the user profiler is further configured to receive public definition data defining public user profile data, and wherein the user profile received by the introduction manager comprises the public user profile data.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein adaptive preference sources comprise data stored on a client computer associated with the user.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the proactive content data comprises a web page proactively generated based on the profile data.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the proactive commerce data comprises a product Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the profile data is further indicative of user behavior.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the user behavior comprises a behavior based on click interactions.

33. A computer system for facilitating user connectivity in a computer network, comprising:

an attention manager configured to monitor actions exhibited by a first user in the computer network and to generate attention data that is indicative of current user attention, the attention data based on the monitored actions exhibited by the first user;

an identity manager configured to evaluate user preference data indicative of user interests and the attention data and generate user profile data for the first user based on the user preference data and the attention data of the first user, the user profile data indicative of user interests, and further configured to adaptively update the user preference data in response to changes in user interests of the first user; and

;

a plurality of interest space managers, each respective interest space manager in the plurality of interest space managers configured to receive the user profile data for a plurality of other users and access interest subsets of the user profile data, the access to the interest subsets for each interest space manager based on a predefined interest associated with the interest space manager;

wherein each respective interest space manager in the plurality of interest space managers is further configured to evaluate the accessed interest subsets of the user profile data to identify potential common interests between two or more users,

wherein each respective interest space manager in the plurality of interest space managers comprises an introduction manager configured to receive the interest subset of the user profile data for the first user and evaluate the interest subset against highly correlated interests indicia for the plurality of other users and provide a bilaterally secure introduction between the first user and one or more other users based on the evaluation.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the predefined interests comprise one of a business interest, consumer interest, or personal interest.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein each interest space manager comprises an interest mask that defines the subset of the user profile data accessible by the interest space manager.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein each interest space manager comprises a content server.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein each interest space manager comprises an introduction manager configured to receive the interest subset of the user profile data for the first user and evaluate the interest subset against highly correlated interests indicia for the plurality of other users and generate proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendations for the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the user based on the evaluation.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the attention data comprises mask data configured to mask select portions of the user preference data, the select portions based on the current user attention.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the mask data comprises weighted data.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the attention manager comprises:

a recent history monitor configured to monitor user interactions in the computer network over a predefined measurement criterion, the user interactions including click interactions and uniform resource locator (URL) interactions; and

a natural language monitor configured to monitor natural language data input by the first user over the predefined measurement criterion;

wherein the attention manager generates the attention data based on the monitored actions exhibited by the first user based on the click interactions, URL interactions, and the natural language data input.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the predefined measurement criterion is a predefined time period.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the identity manager comprises:

a user profiler configured to receive the user preference data indicative of user interests of the first user and further configured to receive adaptive definition data defining adaptive preferences and source definition data defining adaptive preference sources; and

a preference adapter configured to modify the user preference data of the adaptive preferences based on a monitoring of the adaptive preference sources to adaptively update the user preference data of the first user in response to changes in user interests of the first user.

43. A computer-implemented method of facilitating user connectivity in a computer network, comprising:

monitoring actions exhibited by a first user in the computer network;

generating attention data that is indicative of current user attention of the first user, the attention data based on the monitored actions exhibited by the first user;

evaluating user preference data indicative of user interests and the attention data of the first user;

generating user profile data indicative of user interests of the first user based on the user preference data and the attention data, the user profile data indicative of user interests of the first user;

adaptively updating the user preference data in response to changes in user interests of the first user;

defining a plurality of interest spaces;

associating a corresponding predefined interest with each interest space in the plurality of interest spaces;

associating interest subsets of the user profile data with each corresponding interest space in the plurality of interest spaces based on the corresponding predefined interests;

evaluating the interest subsets of the user profile data to identify potential common interests between two or more users,

evaluating the interest subset of user profile data against highly correlated interests indicia for a plurality of other users; and

providing a bilaterally secure introduction between two or more other users based on the evaluation.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the predefined interests comprise one of a business interest, consumer interest, or personal interest.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising limiting access of each interest space to the corresponding interest subset of the user profile data.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

evaluating the interest subset of user profile data against highly correlated interests indicia for a plurality of other users; and

generating proactive contact, content, or commerce data recommendations for the dynamic introduction of contact, content, or commerce data to the user based on the evaluation.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein monitoring actions exhibited by a user in the computer network comprises:

monitoring actions exhibited by a first user in the computer network over a predefined measurement criterion; and

monitoring natural language data input by the user over the predefined measurement criterion.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the measurement criterion is a browser interaction session.