Dynamic characterization of nodes in a semantic network for desired functions such as search, discovery, matching, content delivery, and synchronization of activity and information

• US 9,928,753 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2011
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cricket Media Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cricket Media, Inc. (Cricket Media Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dozier, Linda T., Fish, Edmund J., Gilburne, Miles R., Zolt, Nina
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US13/251,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,368 Days
• Field of Search: 725 87, 725 53, 725 42, 725 24, 725112, 709228, 709224, 709223, 709217, 709207, 709203, 709202, 709225, 705 80, 705 733, 705 729, 705 64, 705 5, 705 36 R, 705323, 705319, 705 261, 70799901, 134322
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/22 Games, e.g. card games
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/00 Manually or mechanically operated teaching appliances working with questions and answers electrically-operated G09B7/00; e.g. G09B7/063 advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/08 characterised by modifying the teaching programme in response to a wrong answer, e.g. repeating the question, supplying further information

Abstract

A system of computers on a wide area network that establishes connections between nodes on the basis of their multidimensional similarity at a particular point in time in a certain setting, such as a social learning network, and that sends relevant information to the nodes is provided. Dimensions in the definition of similarity include a plurality of attributes in time and community space. Examples of such dimensions and attributes may include a position in a learning community'"'"'s project cycle, titles of readings and projects, the genre or subject matter under consideration, age, grade, or skill level of the participants, and language. Each of the network'"'"'s nodes is represented as a vector of attributes and is searched efficiently and adaptively through a variety of multidimensional data structures and mechanisms. The system includes synchronization that can transform a participant'"'"'s time attributes on the network and coordinate the activities and information for each participant.

Claims

1. A method for clustering multiple nodes in a social network wherein at least one of the multiple nodes will be unclustered and at least two of the multiple nodes will be clustered, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a structured network environment having multiple nodes;

identifying relative positions for the multiple nodes within the structured network environment, wherein each of the multiple nodes to be clustered has at least one associated attribute that is capable of being validated by the unclustered node, wherein the unclustered node does not have administrative control over all the multiple nodes in the structured network environment and wherein the relative positions are identified based on a comparison of attributes associated with each of the multiple nodes;

clustering of the multiple nodes based on the identified relative positions of the multiple nodes to be clustered and allowing at least some of the multiple clustered nodes to discover others of the clustered multiple nodes;

synchronizing an activity among the nodes to be participated in by the clustered multiple nodes based on the relative positions, wherein the identification of the relative positions of the clustered nodes and the synchronization of the clustered nodes are performed without reference to actual time; and

serving content or information to the clustered multiple nodes based on the positions and wherein such content or information is served to the clustered multiple nodes after clustering thereof without the node subscribing to such content or information and wherein such content or information is not from received from another node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises multimedia.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of coordinating activities for one or more of the multiple nodes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the activities comprise playing of games.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the activities comprise participation in polls.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the activities comprise participation in contests.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the activities comprise receipt of information feeds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the clustering, synchronizing, or serving is managed according to defined roles or rules associated with the defined roles or rules.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the defined roles or rules are associated with one or more of the following:

validation procedures and constraints, access levels to functionality and other nodes of the network, the type of content served, and the interface that is offered for any activity coordinated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of clustering results in a plurality of clusters of the multiple nodes, the method further comprising graphically displaying the clusters.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of resynchronizing the activity of the multiple nodes to allow for changes in the relative positions of the nodes and then serving content or information to the multiple nodes of the cluster based on the resynchronization.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the activity uses information generated by one of the nodes in the cluster of multiple nodes.

13. A method for clustering multiple nodes in a social network, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a structured network environment having multiple nodes;

identifying relative positions for the multiple nodes within the structured network environment, wherein each of the multiple nodes has at least one associated attribute that is capable of being validated by a node not within a cluster of nodes;

identifying relative positions for the multiple nodes within the structured network environment, wherein each of the multiple nodes to be clustered has at least one associated attribute that is capable of being validated by the unclustered node, wherein the node not within the cluster of nodes does not have administrative control over all the multiple nodes in the structured network environment and wherein the relative positions are identified based on a comparison of attributes associated with each of the multiple nodes;

clustering the multiple nodes based on the at least one associated validatable attribute;

synchronizing an activity among the nodes to be participated in by the clustered multiple nodes based on the relative positions of the clustered multiple nodes, wherein the identification of the relative positions and the synchronization of the clustered nodes are performed without reference to actual time; and

serving content or information to the multiple nodes of the cluster based on the relative positions and wherein such content or information is served to the clustered multiple nodes after clustering thereof without the node subscribing to such content or information and wherein such content or information is not from received from another node; and

wherein the identifying, clustering, synchronizing, or serving is managed according to defined roles or rules associated with the defined roles or rules.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cluster of multiple nodes comprises multiple clusters of multiple nodes.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of resynchronizing the activity of the multiple nodes to allow for changes in the relative positions of the nodes and then serving content or information to the multiple nodes of the cluster based on the resynchronization.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the activity uses information generated by one of the nodes in the cluster of multiple nodes.