CONTENT RECOMMENDATION THROUGH CONSUMER-DEFINED AUTHORITIES

• US 20120144022A1
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Porter, Scott, Powell, Ryan Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/962,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method for recommending content to a consumer in a manner proactively controlled by the consumer. The method is based on subscription to one or more consumer-identified authorities that receive content of potential interest to the consumer. The method comprises identifying an authority that shares an interest of the consumer, and establishing a communication channel through which information about the authority is passed to the consumer. The method further comprises monitoring a consumption activity of the identified authority, and offering one or more content recommendations to the consumer based on such monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for recommending content to a consumer in a manner proactively controlled by the consumer, the method based on subscription to one or more authorities that receive content of potential interest to the consumer, the method comprising:

identifying an authority sharing an interest of the consumer;

establishing a communication channel through which information about the authority is passed to the consumer;

monitoring a consumption activity of the identified authority; and

offering one or more content recommendations to the consumer based on said monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumption activity includes a prior consumption activity, and wherein the one or more content recommendations offered to the consumer are responsive to the prior consumption activity.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising setting a notification policy that determines when and how the one or more content recommendations are offered to the consumer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising querying the consumer for the notification policy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authority comprises querying the consumer to specify the authority.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the authority comprises inferring the authority based on the interest of the consumer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein inferring based on the interest of the consumer comprises inferring based on a prior consumption activity of the consumer.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising querying the consumer to accept or reject receiving the one or more content recommendations from the authority.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the authority is a group of consumers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authority is an individual consumer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the authority is an archetype consumer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the consumption activity of the authority is derived from consumption activity of a plurality of consumers collectively embodying the archetype consumer.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining a license to consume content referenced in the one or more content recommendations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the license is obtained automatically.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising querying the consumer to accept or reject obtaining the license.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumption activity comprises receiving one or more of video, music, news, and discussion.

17. A system for recommending content to a consumer in a manner proactively controlled by the consumer, the system comprising:

an identification module configured to identify an authority sharing an interest of the consumer;

a subscription module configured to establish a communication channel through which information about the authority is passed to the consumer;

a monitor module configured to monitor a consumption activity of the identified authority; and

an offer module configured to offer one or more content recommendations to the consumer based on said monitoring.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a licensing module configured to obtain a license to consume content referenced in the one or more content recommendations.

19. A method for recommending content to a consumer in a manner proactively controlled by the consumer, the method based on subscription to one or more authorities that receive content of potential interest to the consumer, the method comprising:

constructing an archetype authority based on a plurality of authorities sharing an interest of the consumer;

establishing a communication channel through which information about the archetype authority is passed to the consumer;

monitoring a consumption activity of the archetype authority constructed; and

offering one or more content recommendations to the consumer based on said monitoring.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising refining the archetype authority based on an extent to which the consumer accepts the one or more content recommendations.