User-centric, user-weighted method and apparatus for improving relevance and analysis of information sharing and searching
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a computer server, wherein the computer server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients over a communications network, and wherein the server includes;
a source of a plurality of search-engine-result pointers;
a relevancy-and-comparison engine (RACE) program stored on the server that, when the RACE program is executed, analyzes, for relevance to a first human-user, source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers, wherein the RACE program;
elicits and receives, from the first human-user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms;
elicits and receives, from the first human user, a specification of a first group, wherein the first group is a self-identified set of human users, and wherein the first human user need not be a member of the specified first group, wherein the RACE program associates a first set of group-relevancy factors with the group;
elicits and receives, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors received from the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to the search terms received from the first human user; and
wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the received plurality of the first human-user-defined relevancy factors and the first set of group-relevancy factors, and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis yields a multivariate analysis result; and
an output engine that transmits the multivariate analysis result to the first human user.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method that enables the user to search and identify meaningful and relevant information, based upon the weighted, custom parameters provided by the user and parameters or rules defined by the community of users as a group, with the option of utilizing user profile information to tune or detune searching, comparing or contrasting, and predicting. User profile information is collected and organized with data and feedback collected from other users. The results are then tailored to a weighted, cumulative summary result, for display that benefits the contributing user and subsequent future community or user group associations (UGA). The methods provide a summary, or result, that can be tailored specifically to the user based upon weighted rules (algorithms) and parameters defined by the user (or a user group as a whole), and the weighted rules and parameters defined as meaningful by the user (group).
197 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
a computer server, wherein the computer server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients over a communications network, and wherein the server includes; a source of a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; a relevancy-and-comparison engine (RACE) program stored on the server that, when the RACE program is executed, analyzes, for relevance to a first human-user, source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers, wherein the RACE program; elicits and receives, from the first human-user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a specification of a first group, wherein the first group is a self-identified set of human users, and wherein the first human user need not be a member of the specified first group, wherein the RACE program associates a first set of group-relevancy factors with the group; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors received from the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to the search terms received from the first human user; and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the received plurality of the first human-user-defined relevancy factors and the first set of group-relevancy factors, and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis yields a multivariate analysis result; and an output engine that transmits the multivariate analysis result to the first human user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
11. An apparatus comprising:
-
a computer server, wherein the computer server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients over a communications network, and wherein the server includes; a source of a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; a relevancy-and-comparison engine (RACE) program stored on the server that, when the RACE program is executed, analyzes, for relevance to a first human-user, source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers, wherein the RACE program; elicits and receives, from the first human-user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors received from the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to the search terms received from the first human user; and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the received plurality of the first human-user-defined relevancy factors, and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis yields a multivariate analysis result; and an output engine that transmits the multivariate analysis result to the first human user, wherein the RACE program performs at least one of a grammar-based analysis and a syntax-based analysis of the source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers to obtain results for the first human-user-specified relevancy factors.
-
-
12. An apparatus comprising:
a computer server, wherein the computer server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients over a communications network, and wherein the server includes; a source of a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; a relevancy-and-comparison engine (RACE) program stored on the server that, when the RACE program is executed, analyzes, for relevance to a first human user, source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers, wherein the RACE program; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a specification of a group, wherein the group is a self-identified set of human users, and wherein the first human user need not be a member of the specified group, wherein the RACE program associates a set of group-relevancy factors with the group; elicits and receives, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors defined by the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to the search terms received from the first human user, wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors received from the first human user and the set of group-relevancy factors, and wherein the RACE program'"'"'s analysis yields a multivariate analysis result, wherein the multivariate analysis is at least in part based on a statistical analysis of the source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers; an output engine that transmits the multivariate analysis result to the first human user; and a presentation engine configured to receive the multivariate analysis result and to present to the first human user at least one multivariate icon selected from a plurality of multivariate icons based on the multivariate analysis result, wherein a first attribute of a first one of the multivariate icons varies based on a value of a first one of the plurality of relevancy factors received from the first human user and a second attribute of the first one of the multivariate icons varies based on a value of a second one of the plurality of relevancy factors received from the first human user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
17. A computerized method comprising:
-
communicating between a computer server and a plurality of clients over a communications network; receiving a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; fetching source data pointed to by the search-engine-result pointers; eliciting and receiving, from a first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; eliciting and receiving, from the first human user, a specification of a first group, wherein the first group is a self-identified set of human users, and wherein the first human user need not be a member of the specified first group, wherein the RACE program associates a first set of group-relevancy factors with the group; eliciting and receiving, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors defined by the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to search terms entered by the first human-user; performing a relevancy and comparison analysis of the fetched source data for relevance to a selected user, wherein the analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors and the first set of group-relevancy factors, and outputting a multivariate analysis result; and transmitting the multivariate analysis result to the specified user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. An apparatus comprising:
a computer server, wherein the computer server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of clients over the communications network, and wherein the server includes; means for receiving a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; means for fetching source data pointed to by the search-engine-result pointers; means for eliciting and receiving, from a first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; means for eliciting and receiving, from the first human user, a specification of a first group, wherein the first group is a self-identified set of human users, and wherein the first human user need not be a member of the specified first group, wherein the RACE program associates a first set of group-relevancy factors with the group; means for eliciting and receiving, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of user-defined relevancy factors defined by the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to search terms entered by the first human user; means for performing a relevancy and comparison analysis of the fetched source data for relevance to a first human user, wherein the analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the plurality of user-defined relevancy factors and the first set of group-relevancy factors, and outputting a multivariate analysis result; and means for transmitting the multivariate analysis result to the specified user.
-
25. A method comprising:
-
communicating between a computer server and a plurality of clients over a communications network; receiving a plurality of search-engine-result pointers; fetching source data pointed to by the search-engine-result pointers; eliciting and receiving, from a first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined search terms; eliciting and receiving, from the first human user, a plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors, wherein the plurality of relevancy factors defined by the first human user includes factors that are to be weighted by the RACE program to rank search-engine results for presentation to the first human user in addition to search terms entered by the first human-user; performing a relevancy and comparison analysis of the fetched source data for relevance to a selected user, wherein the analysis is at least in part based on weights determined by the plurality of human-user-defined relevancy factors and a first set of group-relevancy factors, and outputting a multivariate analysis result; and transmitting the multivariate analysis result to the specified user, wherein the performing the relevancy and comparison analysis includes performing at least one of a grammar-based analysis and a syntax-based analysis of the source data indexed by the plurality of search-engine-result pointers to obtain results for the first human-user-specified relevancy factors.
-
Specification