User-specific synthetic context object matching

• US 9,251,237 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adams, Samuel S., Friedlander, Robert R., Gerken, John K. III, Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US13/610,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product generates and utilizes a synthetic context-based object to locate a user-specific data store. A processor associates a non-contextual data object with a context object to define a synthetic context-based object. The synthetic context-based object is associated with at least one specific data store that contains data that is associated with data in the non-contextual data object and in the context object. The processor determines a subject-matter of interest for a specific user, and associates that determined subject-matter of interest to a specific synthetic context-based object. In response to receiving a request for data from a specific user, the request is directed to the specific synthetic context-based object that describes the subject-matter of interest for that specific user. This specific synthetic context-based object locates the appropriate data store in order to return the requested data to the specific user.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for generating and utilizing a synthetic context-based object to locate a user-specific data store, the processor-implemented method comprising:

associating, by a processor, a non-contextual data object with a context object to define a synthetic context-based object, wherein the non-contextual data object ambiguously relates to multiple subject-matters, wherein data within the non-contextual data object has no meaning until said data is matched to a specific context object from a context object database, wherein the context object provides a context that identifies a specific subject-matter, from the multiple subject-matters, of the non-contextual data object, and wherein the context object that is associated with the non-contextual data object is selected from a plurality of context objects stored in the context object database;

associating, by the processor, the synthetic context-based object with at least one specific data store, wherein said at least one specific data store comprises data that is associated with data contained in the non-contextual data object and the context object, wherein said at least one specific data store is from a heterogeneous data structure wherein the heterogeneous data structure contains data stores that are in different formats;

matching, by the processor, the at least one specific data store to the synthetic context-based object in response to the at least one specific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object;

determining, by the processor, a subject-matter of interest for a specific user;

associating, by the processor, the subject-matter of interest to a specific synthetic context-based object, wherein the specific synthetic context-based object is associated with data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

further determining, by the processor, the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes current interests of the specific user;

constructing, by the processor, multiple avatars that represent multiple subject-matters of interest;

displaying, by the processor, the multiples avatars on a user interface;

further determining, by the processor, the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by receiving a selection of a specific avatar from the specific user, wherein the specific avatar is associated with the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

receiving, from the specific user, a request for data from at least one data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest that has been determined for the specific user;

directing, by the processor, the request to the specific synthetic context-based object that is associated with data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user based on the at least one s ecific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object and based on the specific avatar that is selected by the user;

locating, via the specific synthetic context-based object, said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest; and

returning, by the processor, data from said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest to the specific user.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by receiving a user input that identifies the subject-matter of interest for the specific user.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes an educational background of the specific user.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that identifies interests of friends of the specific user.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes where the specific user resides.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes an employment history of the specific user.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the specific subject-matter for a particular data store in the heterogeneous data structure overlaps a subject-matter of another data store in the data structure.

8. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said at least one specific data store is a text document, and wherein the processor-implemented method further comprises:

searching, by the processor, the text document for text data that is part of the synthetic context-based object; and

associating the text document that contains said text data with the synthetic context-based object.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said at least one specific data store is a video file, and wherein the processor-implemented method further comprises:

searching, by the processor, metadata associated with the video file for text data that is part of the synthetic context-based object; and

associating the video file having said metadata with the synthetic context-based object.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said at least one specific data store is a web page, and wherein the processor-implemented method further comprises:

searching, by the processor, the web page for text data that is part of the synthetic context-based object; and

associating the web page that contains said text data with the synthetic context-based object.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the request from the specific user via a request pointer, wherein the request pointer points to a user-specified synthetic context-based object.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the different formats used by the data stored in the heterogeneous data structure include a text format, an image format, and a relational database format.

13. A computer program product for generating and utilizing synthetic context-based objects, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to associate a non-contextual data object with a context object to define a synthetic context-based object, wherein the non-contextual data object ambiguously relates to multiple subject-matters, wherein data within the non-contextual data object has no meaning until said data is matched to a specific context object from a context object database, wherein the context object provides a context that identifies a specific subject-matter, from the multiple subject-matters, of the non-contextual data object, and wherein the context object that is associated with the non-contextual data object is selected from a plurality of context objects stored in a context object database;

second program instructions to associate the synthetic context-based object with at least one specific data store, wherein said at least one specific data store comprises data that is associated with data contained in the non-contextual data object and the context object, wherein said at least one specific data store is from a heterogeneous data structure, wherein the heterogeneous data structure contains data stores that are in different formats;

third program instructions to match the at least one specific data store to the synthetic context-based object in response to the at least one specific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object;

fourth program instructions to determine, by the processor, a subject-matter of interest for a specific user;

fifth program instructions to associate the subject-matter of interest to a specific synthetic context-based object, wherein the specific synthetic context-based object contains data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

sixth program instructions to further determine the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes current interests of the specific user;

seventh program instructions to construct multiple avatars that represent multiple subject-matters of interest;

eighth program instructions to display the multiple avatars on a user interface;

ninth program instructions to further determine the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by receiving a selection of a specific avatar from the specific user, wherein the specific avatar is associated with the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

tenth program instructions to receive, from the specific user, a request for data from at least one data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest that has been determined for the specific user;

eleventh program instructions to direct the request to the specific synthetic context-based object that contains data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user based on the at least one specific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object and based on the specific avatar that is selected by the user;

twelfth program instructions to locate, via the specific synthetic context-based object, said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest; and

thirteenth program instructions to return data from said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest to the specific user; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

fourteenth program instructions to determine the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by receiving a user input that identifies the subject-matter of interest for the specific user; and

wherein the fourteenth program instructions are stored on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to associate a non-contextual data object with a context object to define a synthetic context-based object, wherein the non-contextual data object ambiguously relates to multiple subject-matters, wherein data within the non-contextual data object has no meaning until said data is matched to a specific context object from a context object database, wherein the context object provides a context that identifies a specific subject-matter, from the multiple subject-matters, of the non-contextual data object, and wherein the context object that is associated with the non-contextual data object is selected from a plurality of context objects stored in the context object database;

second program instructions to associate the synthetic context-based object with at least one specific data store, wherein said at least one specific data store comprises data that is associated with data contained in the non-contextual data object and the context object, wherein said at least one specific data store is from a heterogeneous data structure, wherein the heterogeneous data structure contains data stores that are in different formats;

third program instructions to match the at least one specific data store to the synthetic context-based object in response to the at least one specific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object;

fourth program instructions to determine, by the processor, a subject-matter of interest for a specific user;

fifth program instructions to associate the subject-matter of interest to a specific synthetic context-based object, wherein the specific synthetic context-based object contains data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

sixth program instructions to further determine the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by data mining a database that describes current interests of the specific user;

seventh program instructions to construct multiple avatars that represent multiple subject-matters of interest;

eighth program instructions to display the multiples avatars on a user interface;

ninth program instructions to further determine the subject-matter of interest for the specific user by receiving a selection of a specific avatar from the specific user, wherein the specific avatar is associated with the subject-matter of interest for the specific user;

tenth program instructions to receive, from the specific user, a request for data from at least one data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest that has been determined for the specific user;

eleventh program instructions to direct the request to the specific synthetic context-based object that contains data that describes the subject-matter of interest for the specific user based on the at least one specific data store and the synthetic context-based object each containing the non-contextual data object and the context object and based on the specific avatar that is selected by the user;

twelfth program instructions to locate, via the specific synthetic context-based object, said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest; and

thirteenth program instructions to return data from said at least one specific data store that is associated with the subject-matter of interest to the specific user; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.