Methods and apparatus for using life-context of a user to improve the organization of documents retrieved in response to a search query from that user

• US 20060179044A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Outland Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Outland Research LLC
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Application Number:
  US11/315,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179044A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A computerized method of organizing a set of documents includes receiving a search query from a user; receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made; identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query; assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context usage data for each document and the received life-context data, the life-context usage data describing at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document and who previously accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data; and organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

Claims

1. A computerized method of organizing a set of documents, comprising:

receiving a search query from a user;

receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context usage data for each document and the received life-context data, the life-context usage data describing at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document and who previously accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data; and

organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the life-context data includes accessing life-context data from a client computer.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the life-context data includes accessing life-context data from a server machine.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a user interface to the user, the first user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined life-contexts selectable by the user, wherein

the step of receiving the life-context data includes;

identifying each predetermined life-context selected by the user as the life-context data.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a first user interface to the user, the first user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined general life-contexts selectable by the user,

identifying a predetermined general life-context selected by the user; and

presenting a second user interface to the user, the second user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the identified general life-context and selectable by the user, wherein

the step of receiving the life-context data includes;

identifying each predetermined specific life-context selected by the user as the life-context data.

6. The computerized method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of predetermined general life-contexts include a personal life-context and a professional life-context.

7. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the personal life-context include at least two of a consumer life-context, a homeowner life-context, a parental life-context, a medical patient life-context, a patron of the arts life-context, a hobbyist life-context, a social life-context, a family finance life-context, and a general interest life-context.

8. The computerized method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the professional life-context include at least two of a technical context, a business life-context, a vocational life-context, a medical professional context, a legal professional life-context, an educational life-context, a financial life-context, or a media life-context.

9. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a life-context significance factor from the user, the life-context significance factor indicating how much weight to give the received life-context data in the step of assigning the score.

10. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context rating data associated with each document and the received life-context data, the life-context rating data including a life-context rating value associated with one of the plurality of predetermined life-contexts and describing the relevance of the associated document with respect to the associated life-context.

11. The computerized method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a life-context rating value that has been manually assigned to a document.

12. The computerized method of claim 11, wherein the step of receiving a manually assigned life-context rating value includes receiving a life-context rating value from at least one of an author of the document, an owner of the document, a host of the document, or a person that has previously reviewed the document.

13. The computerized method of claim 10, further comprising automatically assigning a life-context rating value to a document.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein the step of automatically assigning a life-context rating value includes at least one of analyzing language components of the document, analyzing at least one of the form and frequency parts of speech within the document, counting at least one of number and percentage of pictures within the document, analyzing at least one of the average length and complexity of sentences within the document, analyzing at least one of the frequency and form of professional jargon with in the document, and analyzing at least one of the frequency and form of specific professional terms within the document.

15. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

correlating the life-context usage data for each identified document with rating information for that document, the rating information indicating a level of usefulness of the identified document to one or more previous users who accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data,

the step of assigning a score to each identified document includes;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon the correlation between the rating information for each document and the received life-context data.

16. The computerized method of claim 15, wherein the rating information is identified as a binary or numerical value.

17. The computerized method of claim 15, further comprising receiving rating information from the user.

18. The computerized method of claim 15, further comprising deriving rating information from the user'"'"'s actions.

19. The computerized method of claim 18, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining whether the user prints a document; and

generating the rating information when it is determined that the user prints the document.

20. The computerized method of claim 18, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining an amount of time the user spends reviewing a document; and

generating the rating information based on the determined amount of time.

21. The computerized method of claim 18, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining an amount of time the user spends reviewing a document;

determining whether the user prints the document; and

generating the rating information based on the determined amount of time and when it is determined that the user prints the document.

22. A computerized method of organizing a set of documents, comprising:

receiving a search query from a user;

receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context rating data associated with each document and the received life-context data, the life-context rating data including a life-context rating value associated with one of the plurality of predetermined life-contexts and describing the relevance of the associated document with respect to the associated life-context; and

organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

23. The computerized method of claim 22, wherein the step of receiving the life-context data includes accessing life-context data from a client computer.

24. The computerized method of claim 22, wherein the step of receiving the life-context data includes accessing life-context data from a server machine.

25. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising:

presenting a user interface to the user, the first user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined life-contexts selectable by the user, wherein

the step of receiving the life-context data includes;

identifying each predetermined life-context selected by the user as the life-context data.

26. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising:

presenting a first user interface to the user, the first user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined general life-contexts selectable by the user,

identifying a predetermined general life-context selected by the user; and

presenting a second user interface to the user, the second user interface comprising a plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the identified general life-context and selectable by the user, wherein

the step of receiving the life-context data includes;

identifying each predetermined specific life-context selected by the user as the life-context data.

27. The computerized method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of predetermined general life-contexts include a personal life-context and a professional life-context.

28. The computerized method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the personal life-context include at least two of a consumer life-context, a homeowner life-context, a parental life-context, a medical patient life-context, a patron of the arts life-context, a hobbyist life-context, a social life-context, a family finance life-context, and a general interest life-context.

29. The computerized method of claim 27, wherein the plurality of predetermined specific life-contexts associated with the professional life-context include at least two of a technical context, a business life-context, a vocational life-context, a medical professional context, a legal professional life-context, an educational life-context, a financial life-context, or a media life-context.

30. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a life-context significance factor from the user, the life-context significance factor indicating how much weight to give the received life-context data in the step of assigning the score.

31. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context usage data associated with each document and the received life-context data, wherein the life-context usage data describes at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document and who previously accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data.

32. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising receiving a life-context rating value that has been manually assigned to a document.

33. The computerized method of claim 32, wherein the step of receiving a manually assigned life-context rating value includes receiving a life-context rating value from at least one of an author of the document, an owner of the document, a host of the document, or a person that has previously reviewed the document.

34. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising automatically assigning a life-context rating value to a document.

35. The computerized method of claim 34, wherein the step of automatically assigning a life-context rating value includes at least one of analyzing language components of the document, analyzing at least one of the form and frequency parts of speech within the document, counting at least one of number and percentage of pictures within the document, analyzing at least one of the average length and complexity of sentences within the document, analyzing at least one of the frequency and form of professional jargon with in the document, and analyzing at least one of the frequency and form of specific professional terms within the document.

36. The computerized method of claim 22, further comprising:

correlating the life-context rating data for each identified document with rating information for that document, the rating information indicating a level of usefulness of the identified document to one or more previous users who accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data,

the step of assigning a score to each identified document includes;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon the correlation between the rating information for each document and the received life-context data.

37. The computerized method of claim 36, wherein the rating information is identified as a binary or numerical value.

38. The computerized method of claim 36, further comprising receiving rating information from the user.

39. The computerized method of claim 36, further comprising deriving rating information from the user'"'"'s actions.

40. The computerized method of claim 39, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining whether the user prints a document; and

generating the rating information when it is determined that the user prints the document.

41. The computerized method of claim 39, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining an amount of time the user spends reviewing a document; and

generating the rating information based on the determined amount of time.

42. The computerized method of claim 39, wherein the step of deriving rating information includes:

determining an amount of time the user spends reviewing a document;

determining whether the user prints the document; and

generating the rating information based on the determined amount of time and when it is determined that the user prints the document.

43. An apparatus for organizing a set of documents, comprising:

means for receiving a search query from a user;

means for receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

means for identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

means for assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context usage data associated with each document and the received life-context data, wherein the life-context usage data describes at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document and who previously accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data; and

means for organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

44. An apparatus for organizing a set of documents, comprising:

circuitry having executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform operations of;

receiving a search query from a user;

receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context usage data associated with each document and the received life-context data, wherein the life-context usage data describes at least one of a number and frequency of users who have previously accessed the document and who previously accessed the document within the at least one life-context identified within the received life-context data; and

organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

45. An apparatus for organizing a set of documents, comprising:

means for receiving a search query from a user;

means for receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

means for identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

means for assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context rating data associated with each document and the received life-context data, the life-context rating data including a life-context rating value associated with one of the plurality of predetermined life-contexts and describing the relevance of the associated document with respect to the associated life-context; and

means for organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.

46. An apparatus for organizing a set of documents, comprising:

circuitry having executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the program instructions to perform operations of;

receiving a search query from a user;

receiving life-context data from the user, the received life-context data identifying at least one life-context from a plurality of predetermined life-contexts in which the user'"'"'s query was made;

identifying a plurality of documents responsive to the search query;

assigning a score to each identified document based upon a correlation between life-context rating data associated with each document and the received life-context data, the life-context rating data including a life-context rating value associated with one of the plurality of predetermined life-contexts and describing the relevance of the associated document with respect to the associated life-context; and

organizing the documents based at least in part on the assigned score.