User preference correlation for web-based selection

• US 8,429,160 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Jr., Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/903,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 707/694, 707/709, 707/732, 705/14.44, 705/14.53, 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 707/732
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A database of user preference information is extracted and compiled from multiple websites by web-crawling robots without cooperation or specific participation by users. Users who interact with a website are frequently required to register and create a login or userID name that uniquely identifies them. Thereafter, when an individual rates an item, it is often recorded and published under their userID name such that other users can see how a specific individual rated the item. Although there is no requirement that a specific user register on different websites utilizing the identical userID, it is extremely common that this practice occurs and the use of identical userIDs on multiple sites is used herein to expand preference analysis beyond a single site. Once the database exists, users can request or be passively offered suggestions that result from preference associations across multiple websites as performed by a preference analysis and suggestion function.

Claims

1. A system for assisting users with the selection of items on the Internet, comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

at least one web robot operable on the one or more hardware processors for crawling multiple websites to determine published userIDs and associated published preferences;

a database accessible to the one or more hardware processors for storing the userIDs and associated preferences;

software operable on the one or more hardware processors for performing an analysis and suggestion function;

wherein the system initially assumes that a userID used by a first user on a first website represents the same user as the same userID used by a second user on a second website;

wherein associated preferences stored for a particular userID include preferences for items available from a plurality of websites;

wherein the system provides a particular third user with specific preference association information for a first item based on the expressed preferences of at least the first and second users across multiple websites relative to the first item and items that at least the first and second the other users have previously reviewed; and

wherein to provide the preference association information to the third user, the third user need not be identified and need only indicate an interest in the first item; and

wherein the operation of the system includes the steps of;

recording preferences published on a first set of one or more websites for a specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a first group of other users registered on the first set of one or more websites;

recording preferences published on a second set of one or more websites for the specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a second group of other users registered on the second set of one or more websites;

determining that preferences of the first group of other users published on the first set of one or more websites do not correlate with those of the second group of other users published on the second set of one or more websites; and

determining due to a lack of preference correlation between the first group of other users and the second group of other users that the person utilizing the first userID on the first set of one or more websites is a different person than the person utilizing the first userID on the second set of one or more websites and thereafter treating the first userID as two different userIDs respective of the first and second sets of websites.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when the third user requests suggestions relative to a specific product or service category, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of users who had similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific product or service category;

and

wherein the third user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

3. The system of claim 2 further including a widget or plugin operating on a user'"'"'s computer that responds to a selection action of a user respective of a particular item and whereby the selection action causes the user to receive said suggestions for items shown on multiple websites.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific preference association information supplied to the third user includes at least one suggested item.

5. A Method for enabling users to receive suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference associations across multiple websites, comprising:

crawling a first website and recording in a database a first set of published login names and associated published preferences for said first set of login names;

crawling a second website and recording in said database a second set of published login names and associated published preferences for said second set of login names; and

under the initial assumption that identical login names used on multiple websites represent the same user, associating preferences for items published on multiple websites under a specific login name with a specific user; and

wherein to determine that a first instance of a specific UserID used to express preferences on a first website represents a different user than a second instance of the specific UserID used to express preferences on a second website, the method further comprises;

recording preferences published on a first set of one or more websites for a specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a first group of other users registered on the first set of one or more websites;

recording preferences published on a second set of one or more websites for the specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a second group of other users registered on the second set of one or more websites;

determining that preferences of the first group of other users published on the first set of one or more websites do not correlate with those of the second group of other users published on the second set of one or more websites; and

determining due to a lack of preference correlation between the first group of other users and the second group of other users that the person utilizing the first userID on the first set of one or more websites is a different person than the person utilizing the first userID on the second set of one or more websites and thereafter treating the first userID as two different userIDs respective of the first and second sets of websites.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions relative to a specific product or service category, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of users who previously indicated similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific product or service category; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions relative to a specific item on a first website, providing suggestions for items shown on multiple websites based on preferences of other users who previously indicated similar preferences to each other for items offered on multiple websites and who also had a specified level of preference for said specific item; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific item in order to receive the suggestions.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

when any user requests suggestions for a specific product or service category from a first website, providing suggestions for items available on said first website based on preferences of users who had similar preferences to the first user for items offered on at least a second website; and

wherein said user need provide no preference information beyond requesting suggestions relative to the specific product or service category in order to receive the suggestions.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein preferences for the first group of other users are similar to each other and preferences for the second group of other user are similar to each other.

10. A method for enabling users to receive suggestions relative to items shown on one or more websites based on preference association across multiple websites, comprising:

when a first user visits a first website, showing the first user a first item available on at least a second website, based on published reviews available on at least a third and fourth website;

wherein the first item previously received positive reviews from a second user on the third website and a third user on the fourth website;

wherein the first item previously received positive reviews from a fourth user published on both the third and fourth websites under the same userID;

wherein the reviews from the second, third, and fourth users were retrieved by a Web crawler based on each user'"'"'s published userID;

wherein published reviews from the second, third, and fourth users correlate with each other; and

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

recording preferences published on a first set of one or more websites for a specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a first group of other users registered on the first set of one or more websites;

recording preferences published on a second set of one or more websites for the specific first userID that correlate consistently with those of a second group of other users registered on the second set of one or more websites;

determining that preferences of the first group of other users published on the first set of one or more websites do not correlate with those of the second group of other users published on the second set of one or more websites; and

determining due to a lack of preference correlation between the first group of other users and the second group of other users that the person utilizing the first userID on the first set of one or more websites is a different person than the person utilizing the first userID on the second set of one or more websites and thereafter treating the first userID as two different userIDs respective of the first and second sets of websites.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein to be shown the first item available on the second website, the first user need not be identified by the first website and need only show an interest in a product or service, or in a product or service category.