Relevance analysis device, relevance analysis method, and relevance analysis program

• US 9,245,275 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Hideo, Muramatsu, Ryuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US13/328,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 707/749
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Relevance analysis devices, methods, and programs analyze a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users. The devices, methods, and programs specify an analysis reference user and an analysis target user. The devices, methods, and programs specify a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, and specify a mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on a number of component routes that make up the specified route and based on a number of the component routes in which an origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by an end-side user.

Claims

1. A relevance analysis device that analyzes a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users, the relevance analysis device comprising:

a processor that;

specifies out of the plurality of users an analysis reference user who serves as a reference for analysis, and an analysis target user who serves as a target for analysis of relevance to the analysis reference user;

acquires from the server identification information that uniquely identifies the user, and registration information for specifying the target viewed user registered by the user;

based on the identification information and the registration information, specifies a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, the specified route being constituted from at least one component route, the specified route having an origin that corresponds to the analysis reference user and an end that corresponds to the analysis target user, each component route of the specified route having a relationship in which an end-side user of the component route is registered as the target viewed user by an origin-side user of the component route;

specifies a number of the component routes that constitute the specified route;

for each of the component routes that constitute the specified route, specifies whether the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user based on the identification information and the registration information; and

specifies the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified number of the component routes and based on the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

2. The relevance analysis device according to claim 1, wherein the processor:

specifies a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes decreases; and

specifies a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user increases.

3. The relevance analysis device according to claim 2, wherein the processor:

when specifying the number of the component routes, counts as zero each of the component routes with the origin-side user registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

4. The relevance analysis device according to claim 1, wherein the processor:

acquires, from the server together with the identification information and the registration information, provision quantity information that specifies a quantity of information provided by each of the users on the specified route;

for each of the component routes, specifies a quantity of information provided by the origin-side user addressed to the end-side user based on the provision quantity information; and

specifies the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified quantities.

5. The relevance analysis device according to claim 1, wherein the processor selects the analysis target user based on a keyword search.

6. The relevance analysis device according to claim 1, wherein the processor:

selects a plurality of the analysis target users based on a keyword search;

specifies the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and each of the plurality of the analysis target users; and

communicates the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users to a user of the relevance analysis device.

7. The relevance analysis device according to claim 1, wherein the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users is displayed on a display in the form of a list, the list being presented in an order based on the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users.

8. A relevance analysis method that analyzes a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users, the relevance analysis method comprising:

specifying out of the plurality of users an analysis reference user who serves as a reference for analysis, and an analysis target user who serves as a target for analysis of relevance to the analysis reference user;

acquiring from the server identification information that uniquely identifies the user, and registration information for specifying the target viewed user registered by the user;

based on the identification information and the registration information, specifying a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, the specified route being constituted from at least one component route, the specified route having an origin that corresponds to the analysis reference user and an end that corresponds to the analysis target user, each component route of the specified route having a relationship in which an end-side user of the component route is registered as the target viewed user by an origin-side user of the component route;

specifying a number of the component routes that constitute the specified route;

for each of the component routes that constitute the specified route, specifying whether the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user based on the identification information and the registration information; and

specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified number of the component routes and based on the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

9. The relevance analysis method according to claim 8, further comprising:

specifying a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes decreases; and

specifying a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user increases.

10. The relevance analysis method according to claim 9, further comprising:

when specifying the number of the component routes, counting as zero each of the component routes with the origin-side user registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

11. The relevance analysis method according to claim 8, further comprising

acquiring, from the server together with the identification information and the registration information, provision quantity information that specifies a quantity of information provided by each of the users on the specified route;

for each of the component routes, specifying a quantity of information provided by the origin-side user addressed to the end-side user based on the provision quantity information; and

specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified quantities.

12. The relevance analysis method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting the analysis target user based on a keyword search.

13. The relevance analysis method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting a plurality of the analysis target users based on a keyword search;

specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and each of the plurality of the analysis target users; and

communicating the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users to a user of the relevance analysis device.

14. The relevance analysis method according to claim 8, further comprising:

displaying the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users on a display in the form of a list, the list being presented in an order based on the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable relevance analysis program that analyzes a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users, the relevance analysis program comprising:

instructions for specifying out of the plurality of users an analysis reference user who serves as a reference for analysis, and an analysis target user who serves as a target for analysis of relevance to the analysis reference user;

instructions for acquiring from the server identification information that uniquely identifies the user, and registration information for specifying the target viewed user registered by the user;

instructions for, based on the identification information and the registration information, specifying a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, the specified route being constituted from at least one component route, the specified route having an origin that corresponds to the analysis reference user and an end that corresponds to the analysis target user, each component route of the specified route having a relationship in which an end-side user of the component route is registered as the target viewed user by an origin-side user of the component route;

instructions for specifying a number of the component routes that constitute the specified route;

instructions for, for each of the component routes that constitute the specified route, specifying whether the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user based on the identification information and the registration information; and

instructions for specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified number of the component routes and based on the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, the program further comprising:

instructions for specifying a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes decreases; and

instructions for specifying a higher mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user as the number of the component routes in which the origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user increases.

17. The storage medium according to claim 16, the program further comprising:

instructions for, when specifying the number of the component routes, counting as zero each of the component routes with the origin-side user registered as a target viewed user by the end-side user.

18. The storage medium according to claim 15, the program further comprising

instructions for acquiring, from the server together with the identification information and the registration information, provision quantity information that specifies a quantity of information provided by each of the users on the specified route;

instructions for, for each of the component routes, specifying a quantity of information provided by the origin-side user addressed to the end-side user based on the provision quantity information; and

instructions for specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on the specified quantities.

19. The storage medium according to claim 15, the program further comprising:

instructions for selecting the analysis target user based on a keyword search.

20. The storage medium according to claim 15, the program further comprising:

instructions for selecting a plurality of the analysis target users based on a keyword search;

instructions for specifying the mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and each of the plurality of the analysis target users; and

instructions for communicating the specified relevance of each of the plurality of the analysis target users to a user of the relevance analysis device.