Method, system and program product for filtering an entry of data items

• US 8,719,284 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schirmer, Andrew L., Zeller, Marijane M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYE, CHELCIE L
• Application Number:
  US10/322,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,157 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/6, 707/9, 707/754, 717/174, 705/14
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536

Abstract

A request corresponding to a target user is received from a querying user. The request can specifically identify the target user, or it could include a search criteria that results in identification of one or more target users. In any event, once the request is received, entries of data items (e.g., user profiles) associated with the target user(s) and the querying user (or some other user) are accessed. Based on the data items in the querying user'"'"'s profile (or the other user'"'"'s profile), the data items in the target user'"'"'s profiles are filtered so that the querying user is not presented with an overload of information. Once the target user'"'"'s profile has been filtered, it will be presented to the querying user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for filtering an entry of data items to eliminate unnecessary information, comprising:

associating each of a plurality of users with an entry of data items, wherein each data item in the entry of data items includes information containing a characteristic of a user corresponding to the entry of data items;

receiving a request from a querying user of the plurality of users having at least one query term corresponding to a data item;

returning an entry of data items corresponding to a target user, wherein the entry of data items includes at least one data item corresponding to the at least one query term;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether an informational content of the each data item is identical;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is similar, wherein the informational content is determined to be similar if different terminology is used to refer to a same item of information;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is related;

wherein the informational content is related if the informational content is defined as related in a database of related items;

filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user that is displayed to display all data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related and only data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related

removing from display all attribute labels the data items that have been removed from display; and

presenting the filtered entry of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to the filtering step.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering step comprises hiding at least one of the unrelated data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the other user is the querying user.

8. A computer implemented method for filtering a profile of data items, comprising:

associating each of a plurality of users with an entry of data items, wherein each data item in the entry of data items includes information containing a characteristic of a user corresponding to the entry of data items;

receiving a request from a querying user of the plurality of users having at least one query term corresponding to a data item;

returning an entry of data items corresponding to a target user, wherein the entry of data items includes at least one data item corresponding to the at least one query term;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether an informational content of the each data item is identical;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is similar, wherein the informational content is determined to be similar if different terminology is used to refer to a same item of information;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is related;

wherein the informational content is related if the informational content is defined as related in a database of related items;

hiding all of the data items in the profile of data items associated with the target user that have been determined to be none of;

similar, matching, and related to corresponding data items in the profile of data items associated with the querying user and displaying all data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related;

removing from display all attribute labels the data items that have been hidden from display; and

presenting the filtered profile of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the profile of data items associated with the querying user and the profile of data items associated with the target user are stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising accessing the profile of data items associated with the target user and the profile of data items associated with the querying user in the database, prior to the hiding step.

11. A computer implemented system for filtering an entry of data items to eliminate unnecessary information, comprising at least one computer device that performs a method, comprising:

receiving a request from a querying user of the plurality of users having at least one query term corresponding to a data item;

returning an entry of data items corresponding to a target user, wherein the entry of data items includes at least one data item corresponding to the at least one query term;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether an informational content of the each data item is identical;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is similar, wherein the informational content is determined to be similar if different terminology is used to refer to a same item of information;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is related;

wherein the informational content is related if the informational content is defined as related in a database of related items;

filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user that is displayed to display all data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related and only data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related

removing from display all attribute labels the data items that have been removed from display; and

presenting the filtered entry of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles of data items stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the filter system hides at least one of the unrelated data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the other user is the querying user.

18. A program product stored on a computer readable storage device for filtering an entry of data items to eliminate unnecessary information, which, when executed, performs a method, comprising:

associating each of a plurality of users with an entry of data items, wherein each data item in the entry of data items includes information containing a characteristic of a user corresponding to the entry of data items;

receiving a request from a querying user of the plurality of users having at least one query term corresponding to a data item;

returning an entry of data items corresponding to a target user, wherein the entry of data items includes at least one data item corresponding to the at least one query term;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether an informational content of the each data item is identical;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is similar, wherein the informational content is determined to be similar if different terminology is used to refer to a same item of information;

comparing each entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user with a corresponding entry in the entry of data items corresponding to the querying user to determine whether the informational content of the each data item is related;

wherein the informational content is related if the informational content is defined as related in a database of related items;

filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user that is displayed to display all data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related and only data items in the entry of data items corresponding to the target user all that have been determined to be identical, determined to be similar or determined to be related

removing from display all attribute labels the data items that have been removed from display; and

presenting the filtered entry of data items associated with the target user to the querying user.

19. The program product of claim 18, the method further comprising accessing the entry of data items associated with the target user and the entry of data items associated with the other user, prior to filtering the entry of data items associated with the target user.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes an identification of the target user.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the entry of data items associated with the target user is accessed based on the request, and wherein the request includes a search criteria for identifying the target user.

22. The program product of claim 18, wherein the entry of data items associated with the other user and the entry of data items associated with the target user are profiles of data items stored in a database, and wherein the database includes a plurality of profiles of data items associated with a plurality of users.

23. The program product of claim 18, wherein the program code for filtering hides at least one of the unrelated data items in the entry of data items associated with the target user based on the entry of data items associated with the other user.

24. The program product of claim 18, wherein the other user is the querying user.