System, method and article of manufacture for advanced information gathering for targetted activities

• US 20070011148A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Burkey, Chad, Ho, Denise
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An agent based system assists in preparing an individual for an upcoming meeting by helping him/her retrieve relevant information about the meeting from various sources based on preexisting information in the system. The system obtains input text in character form indicative of the target meeting from a calendar program that includes the time of the meeting. As the time of the meeting approaches, the calendar program is queried to obtain the text of the target event and that information is utilized as input to the agent system. Then, the agent system parses the input meeting text to extract its various components such as title, body, participants, location, time etc. The system also performs pattern matching to identify particular meeting fields in a meeting text. This information is utilized to query various sources of information on the web and obtain relevant stories about the current meeting to send back to the calendaring system. For example, if an individual has a meeting with Netscape and Microsoft to talk about their disputes, the system obtains this initial information from the calendaring system. It will then parse out the text to realize that the companies in the meeting are “Netscape” and “Microsoft” and the topic is “disputes”. It will then surf the web for relevant information concerning the topic. Thus, in accordance with an objective of the invention, the system updates the calendaring system and eventually the user with the best information it can gather to prepare for the target meeting. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the information is stored in a file that is obtained via selection from a link imbedded in the calendar system.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for sending information to a user, the method comprising:

retrieving a plurality of terms descriptive of an upcoming event for the user;

selecting at least one information source from a plurality of information sources based on the upcoming event, the at least one information source being less than all of the plurality of information sources;

transmitting the terms to a software agent that autonomously creates a query based on the terms;

querying the at least one information source utilizing the query to generate information for the upcoming event; and

sending at least a portion of the information generated to the user,

wherein the information is generated at a predetermined time before the event.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the upcoming event is from a calendar program.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the upcoming event is generated from at least one intelligent agent.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein selecting at least one information source from a plurality of information sources is based on information associated with the event.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the information source selected comprises a website.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the information generated comprises a list of services.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the services comprise restaurants.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

identifying the user; and

identifying in a database at least one stored profile corresponding to the user.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the query is based on at least a portion of the stored profile.

29. An apparatus that sends information to a user, comprising:

a processor;

a memory that stores information under the control of the processor;

logic that retrieves a plurality of terms descriptive of an upcoming event for the user;

logic that selects at least one information source from a plurality of information sources based on the upcoming event, the at least one information source being less than all of the plurality of information sources;

logic that transmits the terms to a software agent that autonomously creates a query based on the terms;

logic that queries the at least one information source utilizing the query to generate information for the upcoming event; and

logic that sends at least a portion of the information generated to the user,

wherein the information is generated at a predetermined time before the event.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the upcoming event is from a calendar program.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the upcoming event is generated from at least one intelligent agent.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein logic that selects at least one information source from a plurality of information sources is based on information associated with the event.