Method and apparatus for evaluating relevancy of messages to users

• US 6,546,390 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abuzz Technologies, Inc. (Times Co. Digital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Abuzz Technologies, Inc. (Times Co. Digital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cutts, Shaun, Pollack, Jordan, Rodriguez, Andres
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US09/330,332
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-100, 707/104, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A method and system for evaluating the relevancy of an incoming message to a plurality of users are disclosed. Similarity scores indicating similarities of the incoming message to features of a plurality of messages are generated. Relevancy scores are generated for the plurality of users indicating relevancies of the incoming message to the plurality of users based on the similarity scores and a plurality of user profiles including information descriptive of the plurality of users'"'"' preferences for the features.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating the relevancy of an incoming message to a user, the system comprising:

a message feature database including a plurality of records, each record descriptive of features of a message;

a similarity engine having an input to receive the incoming message, an input to receive the features of each message described by one of the records and an output to deliver a plurality of similarity scores, each similarity score indicating a similarity of the incoming message to the features of a respective one of the messages, wherein the similarity engine is operable to compare the incoming message to the features of each message to generate each respective similarity score;

a user profiles database including a profile of the user, including information descriptive of the user'"'"'s preferences for the features of the messages; and

a relevancy engine having a first input to receive the plurality of the similarity scores, a second input to receive the profile from the user profiles database, and an output to deliver a relevancy score indicating a relevancy of the incoming message to the user, wherein the relevancy engine is operable to compare the user profile to the plurality of similarity scores to generate the relevancy score.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user profiles database includes a preference matrix indicating preferences of a plurality of users, including the user, for the features, and wherein the relevancy engine is adapted to generate the relevancy score by performing vector multiplication of a vector representing the similarity scores by a vector in the preference matrix corresponding to the user.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a delivery mechanism having a first input to receive the incoming message, a second input to receive the relevancy score, a third input to receive the profile of the user, and an output to deliver to the user message information based on the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user profile includes a relevancy threshold for the user, and wherein the delivery mechanism includes a relevancy thresholder to compare to the relevancy score to the relevancy threshold to generate a relevancy determination indicating whether the incoming message is sufficiently relevant to the user.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the user profiles database includes a maximum number of users to whom the message information is to be delivered, and wherein the delivery mechanism is configured to deliver the message information to no greater than the maximum number of users.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the user profiles database includes a relevancy threshold for the user, and wherein the delivery mechanism is configured to compare the relevancy score to the relevancy threshold and to deliver the message information to the user only if the relevancy score satisfies the relevancy threshold.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the delivery mechanism is configured to deliver the message information to the user as an electronic mail message.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the delivery mechanism is configured to update a message display using the message information.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for modifying the user profiles database based on user feedback received from a user.

10. A method of evaluating the relevancy of an incoming message to a user of a system having a message feature database including a plurality of records, each record descriptive of the features of a message and having a user profiles database including a profile of the user, including information descriptive of the user'"'"'s preferences for the features of the messages, the method comprising steps of:

(A) generating a plurality of similarity scores, each similarity score indicating the similarity of the incoming message to the features of a respective one of the messages, including generating each similarity score by comparing the incoming message to the features of the respective one of the messages; and

(B) generating a relevancy score for the user indicating a relevancy of the incoming message to the user based on the plurality of the similarity scores and the profile of the user, including comparing the user profile to the plurality of similarity scores to generate the relevancy score.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (B) comprises steps of:

querying the message feature database using the incoming message to develop search results; and

generating the relevancy score based on the search results.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user profiles includes a preference matrix indicating preferences of a plurality of users, including the user, for the features, and wherein the step (B) comprises steps of:

generating the relevancy score by performing vector multiplication of a vector representing the similarity scores by a vector in the preference matrix corresponding to the user.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step of:

(C) providing the relevancy score to a delivery mechanism to deliver message information derived from the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user to the user.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:

(C) receiving user feedback from the user; and

(D) modifying the user'"'"'s profile in the user profiles database based on the user feedback.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step (C) comprises a step of receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a positive preference for the message information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step (C) comprises a step of receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a negative preference for the message information.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:

(C) developing message information based on the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user; and

(D) delivering the message information to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user profiles database includes a relevancy threshold for the user, and wherein the step (C) comprises a step of:

(C)(1) comparing the relevancy score to the relevancy threshold; and

wherein the step (D) comprises a step of;

(D)(1) delivering the message information to the user only if the relevancy score satisfies the relevancy threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the user profiles database includes a maximum number of users to whom the message information is to be delivered, and wherein the step (D) comprises a step of:

(D)(1) delivering the message information to no greater than the maximum number of users.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step (D) comprises a step of sending the message information to the user as an electronic mail message.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the step (D) comprises a step of updating a message display using the message information.

22. A system for evaluating the relevancy of an incoming message to a user, the system comprising:

a message feature database including a plurality of records, each record descriptive of the features of a message;

a user profiles database including a profile of the user, including information descriptive of the user'"'"'s preferences for the features of the messages;

means for generating a plurality of similarity scores, each similarity score indicating the similarity of the incoming message to the features of a respective one of the messages, including generating each similarity score by comparing the incoming message to the features of the respective one of the messages; and

means for generating a relevancy score for the user indicating a relevancy of the incoming message to the user based on the plurality of the similarity scores and the profile of the user, including means for comparing the user profile to the plurality of similarity scores to generate the relevancy score.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for generating the relevancy score comprises:

means for querying the message feature database using the incoming message to develop search results; and

means for generating the relevancy score based on the search results.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the user profiles includes a preference matrix indicating preferences of a plurality of users, including the user, for the features, and wherein the means for generating the relevancy scores comprises:

means for generating the relevancy score by performing vector multiplication of a vector representing the similarity scores by a vector in the preference matrix corresponding to the user.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising a step of:

means for providing the relevancy score to a delivery mechanism to deliver message information derived from the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user to the user.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving user feedback from the user; and

means for modifying the user'"'"'s profile in the user profiles database based on the user feedback.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for receiving user feedback comprises means for receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a positive preference for the message information.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for receiving user feedback comprises means for receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a negative preference for the message information.

29. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for developing message information based on the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user; and

means for delivering the message information to the user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the user profiles database includes a relevancy threshold for the user, and wherein the means for developing message information comprises means for comparing the relevancy score to the relevancy threshold, and

wherein the means for delivering the message information comprises means for delivering the message information to the user only if the relevancy score satisfies the relevancy threshold.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the user profiles database includes a maximum number users to whom the message information is to be delivered, and wherein the means for delivering the message information comprises means for delivering the message information to no greater than the maximum number of users.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for delivering the message information comprises means for sending the message information to the user as an electronic mail message.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the means for delivering the message information comprises means for updating a message display using the message information.

34. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program for execution on a host computer in a computer system including the host computer, the program, when executed on the host computer performs a method for evaluating the relevancy of an incoming message to a user of a system having a message feature database including a plurality of records, each record descriptive of the features of a message and having a user profiles database including a profile of the user, including information descriptive of the user'"'"'s preferences for the features of the messages, the method comprising steps of:

(A) generating a plurality of similarity scores, each similarity score indicating the similarity of the incoming message to the features of a respective one of the messages, including generating each similarity score by comparing the incoming message to the features of the respective one of the messages; and

(B) generating a relevancy score for the user indicating a relevancy of the incoming message to the user based on the plurality of the similarity scores and the profile of the user, including comparing the user profile to the plurality of similarity scores to generate the relevancy score.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the step (A) comprises steps of:

querying the message feature database using the incoming message to develop search results; and

generating the relevancy score based on the search results.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the user profiles includes a preference matrix indicating preferences of a plurality of users, including the user, for the features, and wherein the step (B) comprises steps of:

generating the relevancy score by performing vector multiplication of a vector representing the similarity scores by a vector in the preference matrix corresponding to the user.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises a step of:

(C) providing the relevancy score to a delivery mechanism to deliver message information derived from the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user to the user.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

(C) receiving user feedback from the user; and

(D) modifying the user'"'"'s profile in the user profiles database based on the user feedback.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the step (C) comprises a step of receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a positive preference for the message information.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the step (C) comprises a step of receiving an indication from the user that the user has expressed a negative preference for the message information.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

(C) developing message information based on the incoming message, the relevancy score, and the profile of the user; and

(D) delivering the message information to the user.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the user profiles database includes a relevancy threshold for the user, and wherein the step (C) comprises steps of:

(C)(1) comparing the relevancy score to the relevancy threshold; and

wherein the step (D) comprises a step of;

(D)(1) delivering the message information to the user only if the relevancy score satisfies the relevancy threshold.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the user profiles database includes a maximum number of users to whom the message information is to be delivered, and wherein the step (D) comprises a step of:

(D)(1) delivering the message information to no greater than the maximum number of users.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the step (D) comprises a step of sending the message information to the user as an electronic mail message.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the step (D) comprises a step of updating a message display using the message information.