Computer-implemented method for recommending booths-to-visit

• US 9,880,018 B2
• Filed: 12/25/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute, International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute, International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Hung-Yang, Chen, Li-Ju, Ho, Chia-Wen, Luo, Kuo-shu, Wang, Yi-Chang Molly
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/109,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20160327403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

Disclosed is a computer-implemented method for recommending booths-to-visit to a user. The method includes: accessing a map database of an exhibition; accessing a history database that stores a plurality of records indicative of booths visited by a previous visitor in the exhibition; accessing a user record that includes data indicative of the booths which the user has visited; determining similarity level between each record in the history database and the user record, selecting one of the records according to the determined similarity level so as for the selected record to function as a reference record, usable to determine the booths not yet visited by the user; obtaining the user'"'"'s current location in the exhibition, and determining a target booth, from the booths not yet visited by the user, by referring to the current location and the map database; and sending to the user a message indicative of the target booth.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for recommending booths-to-visit to a user, the method comprising:

(a) accessing a map database of an exhibition, wherein the map database stores location

data of a plurality of booths in the exhibition;

(b) accessing a history database, wherein the history database stores a plurality of records, and each record includes data indicative of the booths visited by a previous visitor in the exhibition;

(c) accessing a user record, wherein the user record includes data indicative of the booths which the user has visited in the exhibition;

(d) determining similarity level between each record in the history database and the user record, selecting one of the records according to the determined similarity level so as for the selected record to function as a reference record, and determining according to the reference record the booths not yet visited by the user;

(e) obtaining the user'"'"'s current location in the exhibition, and determining a target booth, from the booths not yet visited by the user, by referring to the current location and the map database; and

(e) sending to the user a message indicative of the target booth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises regarding a period of time specified by the user as an access criterion and accessing only a plurality of records complying with the period of time, wherein step (d) comprises determining similarity between the user record and each record complying with the period of time, selecting one of the records complying with the period of time according to the determined similarity, and regarding the selected record as the reference record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises obtaining a number of current visitors for each of the booths not visited by the user and determining the target booths according to the number of current visitors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises obtaining a distribution density of visitors for each of the booths not visited by the user and determining the target booths according to the distribution density of visitors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (a), the map database further records theme data of each of the booths, wherein step (e) comprises obtaining a preference criterion entered by the user or a user habit inferred from a computer algorithm, and screening theme data of the booths not visited by the user according to one of the preference criterion and the user habit, so as to determine the target booth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (b), each record further includes data indicative of a sequence of booths visited by the previous visitor;

wherein, in step (c), the user record further includes data indicative of a sequence of booths visited by the user; and

wherein, in step (d), data included in the user record to indicate a sequence of booths visited by the user and data included in the reference record to indicate a sequence of booths visited by the previous visitor are identical when referring to the same booths.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises selecting a plurality of reference records from the plurality of records according to the determined similarity, identifying shared ones of the reference records, and identifying booths not visited by the user but included in the shared reference records, and step (e) comprises determining the target booth from the booths not visited by the user but included in the shared reference records.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises selecting a plurality of reference records from the plurality of records according to the determined similarity, identifying all the reference records, and identifying booths not visited by the user but included in all said identified reference records, and step (e) comprises, for each of the booths not visited by the user but included in all said identified reference records, calculating how many instances in which the booth is mentioned in the plurality of records, sorting the booths not visited by the user according to the calculation, and determining the target booth.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises for each of the booths not visited by the user, calculating how many instances in which the booth is mentioned in the plurality of records.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (b), each record further includes data indicative of time spent by the previous visitor at each visited booth;

wherein, in step (c), the user record further includes data indicative of time spent by the user at each visited booth; and

wherein, in step (d), data included in the user record to indicate the time spent by the user at each visited booth and data included in the reference record to indicate the time spent by the previous visitor at each visited booth are identical when referring to the same booth.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, in step (b), the time spent by the previous visitor at each visited booth and indicated by each record is calculated by adjusting or normalizing the time actually spent by the previous visitor at each visited booth according to a visitor density of each visited booth when visited by the previous visitor, wherein, in step (c), the time spent by the user at each visited booth and indicated by the user record is calculated by adjusting or normalizing the time actually spent by the user at each visited booth according to the visitor density of each visited booth when visited by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (e) comprises accessing available visiting time specified by the user and determining the target booth according to the available visiting time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, in step (e), a number of booths which the user expects to visit is provided by the user, and the number is obtained, such that the target booth is determined according to the number.

14. A computer device, comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1; and

a processor for accessing the memory, executing the plurality of computer-executable instructions, and implementing the method.

17. A computer device, comprising:

a memory comprising a plurality of computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 14; and

a processor for accessing the memory, executing the plurality of computer-executable instructions, and implementing the method.

15. A computer-implemented method for recommending driving routes to a user, the method comprising:

(a) accessing a map database for a given area, wherein the map database stores location data

of a plurality of passing points in the given area;

(b) accessing a history database, wherein the history database stores a plurality of records, and each record stores data indicative of passing points passed by a previous driver in the given area;

(c) accessing a user record, wherein the user record includes data indicative of the passing points which the user has passed in the given area,

(d) determining similarity between each record in the history database and the user record, selecting one of the records according to the determined similarity so as for the selected record to function as a reference record, and determining according to the reference record the passing points which the user has not passed;

(e) obtaining the user'"'"'s current location in the given area, and determining a target passing point, from the passing points which the user has not passed, by referring to the current location and the map database; and

(f) sending to the user a message indicative of the target passing point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, in step (a), the map database stores data of each said passing point, and wherein step (e) comprises obtaining a preference criterion entered by the user or a user habit inferred with a computer algorithm, screening data pertaining to the passing points which the user has not passed according to the preference criterion or the user habit, and determining the target passing point.

18. A computer program product for recommending booths-to-visit to a user, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

(a) access, by the computer, a map database of an exhibition, wherein the map database stores location data of a plurality of booths in the exhibition;

(b) access, by the computer, a history database, wherein the history database stores a plurality of records, and each record includes data indicative of the booths visited by a previous visitor in the exhibition;

(c) access, by the computer, a user record, wherein the user record includes data indicative of the booths which the user has visited in the exhibition;

(d) determine, by the computer, similarity level between each record in the history database and the user record, select one of the records according to the determined similarity level so as for the selected record to function as a reference record, and determine according to the reference record the booths not yet visited by the user;

(e) obtain, by the computer, the user'"'"'s current location in the exhibition, and determine a target booth, from the booths not yet visited by the user, by referring to the current location and the map database; and

(f) send, by the computer, to the user a message indicative of the target booth.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein accessing the history database comprises regarding a period of time specified by the user as an access criterion and accessing only a plurality of records complying with the period of time, wherein determining the similarity level comprises determining similarity between the user record and each record complying with the period of time, selecting one of the records complying with the period of time according to the determined similarity, and regarding the selected record as the reference record.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein obtaining the user'"'"'s current location comprises obtaining a number of current visitors for each of the booths not visited by the user, and wherein the target booth is also determined according to the number of current visitors.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein obtaining the user'"'"'s current location comprises obtaining a distribution density of visitors for each of the booths not visited by the user, and wherein the target booth is also determined according to the distribution density of visitors.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the map database further records theme data of each of the booths, wherein obtaining the user'"'"'s current location comprises obtaining information selected from a group consisting of:

a preference criterion entered by the user and a user habit inferred from a computer algorithm, and wherein determining the target booth comprises screening theme data of the booths not visited by the user according to one of the information.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein each record in the history database further includes data indicative of a sequence of booths visited by the previous visitor;

wherein the user record further includes data indicative of a sequence of booths visited by the user; and

wherein data included in the user record to indicate a sequence of booths visited by the user and data included in the reference record to indicate a sequence of booths visited by the previous visitor are identical when referring to the same booths.

24. A computer program product for recommending driving routes to a user, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to:

(a) access, by the computer, a map database for a given area, wherein the map database stores location data of a plurality of passing points in the given area;

(b) access, by the computer, a history database, wherein the history database stores a plurality of records, and each record stores data indicative of passing points passed by a previous driver in the given area;

(c) access, by the computer, a user record, wherein the user record includes data indicative of the passing points which the user has passed in the given area;

(d) determine, by the computer, similarity between each record in the history database and the user record, select one of the records according to the determined similarity so as for the selected record to function as a reference record, and determine according to the reference record the passing points which the user has not passed;

(e) obtain, by the computer, the user'"'"'s current location in the given area, and determine a target passing point, from the passing points which the user has not passed, by referring to the current location and the map database; and

(f) send, by the computer, to the user a message indicative of the target passing point.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the map database stores data of each said passing point, and wherein obtaining the user'"'"'s current location comprises obtaining information selected from a group consisting of:

a preference criterion entered by the user and a user habit inferred with a computer algorithm, and wherein the target booth comprises screening data pertaining to the passing points which the user has not passed according to the information.