Automated digital media content filtration based on relationship monitoring

• US 8,307,066 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carter, Bernadette A., Chang, Belinda Y., Li, Fuyi, Nesbitt, Pamela A., Ryan, Anne I., Seacat, Lisa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, CHAU D
• Application Number:
  US12/134,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/227, 709/231, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for automated digital media content filtration based on relationship monitoring. The method determines a plurality of user relationships based at least in part on an online association between a user and a content producer. The method monitors each user relationship with each content producer for a relationship interaction between the user and the content producer. Furthermore, the method also identifies digital media content published by a content producer having a relationship with the user. A determined relevancy may be based on a strength factor derived at least in part on monitored relationship interactions between the user and the content producer that published the digital media content. The digital media content is presented to the user, with that having a greater relevancy weight having a higher priority than other digital media content available to the user from other content producers.

Claims

1. A method for automated digital media content filtration based on relationship monitoring, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor, automatically according to a tolerance parameter, a plurality of user relationships, each user relationship based at least in part on an online association between a user and a content producer such that the online association is monitored electronically and at least one online association is monitored independently from an interaction with a first social network site when at least one social network site is associated with a user relationship;

monitoring determined user relationships for relationship interactions;

interacting with a plurality of independent servers as a third party, to identify digital media content published by content producers having one of the user relationships with the user from the plurality of user relationships, the digital media content comprising at least one digital media content item;

determining a relevancy weight for each published digital media content item, the relevancy based on a strength factor derived using monitored relationship interactions between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content; and

presenting the digital media content published by one or more of the content producers to the user such that digital media content having a greater relevancy weight receives a higher priority than other digital media content available to the user from the plurality of content producers by pushing a set of published digital media content items to a media aggregator based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold, the media aggregator and user-configurable relevancy threshold defined in a media aggregator profile associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring further comprises detecting profile compatibility between a user profile and a content producer profile and modifying the associated user relationship to reflect the profile compatibility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the profile compatibility is based at least in part on one or more mutual interests between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting further comprises filtering a set of published digital media content items based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting further comprises ranking a set of published digital media content items in order, based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user relationships comprises a plurality of user relationships defined within at least one social networking internet site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the strength factor is derived at least in part from user-configurable weighing criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

pushing the set of published digital media content items to the media aggregator further comprises pushing the set of published digital media content items to a social networking internet site, the social networking internet site configured to store and present digital media content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring determined user relationships further comprises:

monitoring interaction data derived from at least one of a phone call, an instant message, and a text message, communicated through a telephone system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring determined user relationships further comprises:

monitoring interaction data derived from a plurality of content servers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring determined user relationships further comprises:

monitoring interaction data derived from at least one of;

an email communication program, an instant message application, a text message application, and a digital television program which are independent from a social networking website.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

interacting with a plurality of independent servers as a third party comprises implementing media filter that executes on a media filtering server to communicate with the plurality of independent servers across a network;

determining a plurality of user relationships comprises determining a plurality of user relationships for a plurality of different users; and

monitoring determined user relationships comprises monitoring a plurality of websites that involve digital media distribution.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

interacting with a plurality of independent servers as a third party comprises implementing a media filter application that executes on a user computer to communicate with the plurality of independent servers across a network.

14. A computer readable storage device including a program stored thereon such that the program instructs a microprocessor to perform:

determining, automatically according to a tolerance parameter, a plurality of user relationships, each user relationship based at least in part on an online association between a user and a content producer such that the online association is monitored electronically and at least one online association is monitored independently from an interaction with a first social network site when at least one social network site is associated with a user relationship;

monitoring determined user relationships for relationship interactions;

interacting with a plurality of independent servers as a third party, to detect digital media content published by content producers having a user relationship with the user, the digital media content comprising at least one digital media content item;

determining a relevancy weight for each published digital media content item, the relevancy based on a strength factor derived using monitored relationship interactions between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content; and

presenting digital media content published by one or more of the content producers to the user such that digital media content having a greater relevancy weight receives a higher priority than other digital media content available to the user from the plurality of content producers by pushing a set of published digital media content items to a media aggregator based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold, the media aggregator and user-configurable relevancy threshold defined in a media aggregator profile associated with the user.

15. The computer program product readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine a plurality of user relationships further comprises computer readable program code configured to detect profile compatibility between a user profile and a content producer profile and modifying the associated user relationship to reflect the profile compatibility.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the profile compatibility is based at least in part on one or more mutual interests between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code configured to present digital media content further comprises computer readable program code configured to filter a set of published digital media content items based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code configured to present digital media content further comprises computer readable program code configured to rank a set of published digital media content items in order, based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the strength factor is derived at least in part from user-configurable weighing criteria.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 14, wherein at least one content producer comprises a social networking website, the social networking website configured to publish digital media content to a user.

21. A system for digital media content filtration, the system comprising:

a media filtering server in communication with a network, the media filtering server comprising;

a processor coupled to a memory such that the processor is programmed to filter digital media content based upon relationship monitoring by;

determining, automatically according to a tolerance parameter, a plurality of user relationships, each user relationship based at least in part on an online association between a user and a content producer such that the online association is monitored electronically and at least one online association is monitored independently from an interaction with a first social network site when at least one social network site is associated with a user relationship, and

the determining is performed by a processor;

monitoring determined user relationships for relationship interactions;

interacting with a plurality of independent servers as a third party, to detect digital media content published by content producers having a user relationship with the user, the digital media content comprising at least one digital media content item;

determining a relevancy weight for each published digital media content item, the relevancy based on a strength factor derived using monitored relationship interactions between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content; and

presenting digital media content published by one or more of the content producers to the user such that digital media content having a greater relevancy weight receives a higher priority than other digital media content available to the user from the plurality of content producers by pushing a set of published digital media content items to a media aggregator based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold, the media aggregator and user-configurable relevancy threshold defined in a media aggregator profile associated with the user.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

detecting a profile compatibility between a user profile and a content producer profile and modifying the associated user relationship to reflect the profile compatibility.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the profile compatibility is based at least in part on one or more mutual interests between the user and the content producer that published the published digital media content.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

filtering a set of published digital media content items based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item and a user-configurable relevancy threshold.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

ranking a set of published digital media content items in order, based on the relevancy weight of each digital media content item.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the strength factor is derived at least in part from user-configurable weighing criteria.