EP0643359A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for recommending selections based on preferences in a multi-user system
Assignee: MNI Interactive Inc
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Filing: 1994-09-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-09-05
Abstract
Abstract A system for determining selections that a user is likely to be interested in. The determination is made based on the user's prior indicated preferences. The user designates his or her preferred selections as entries in a user's preference list. Entries in the user's list are compared with entries in the other users' lists. When a significant number of matches have been found between two lists, the unmatched entries of the other user's preference list are extracted. The unmatched entries are further processed. Those unmatched entries with a high correlation to the user's preference list are presented to the user as selections in which the user is likely to be interested.
Inventors
- 👤 John Atcheson
- 👤 James R. Miller Iii
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 07:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/40; G06F16/60; G06F16/63; G06F16/635; G06F16/64; G06F16/68; G06F16/70; G06F16/73; G06F16/735; G06Q30/0201; G06Q30/06; G06Q30/0601; G06Q30/0633; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/912; Y10S707/922; Y10S707/953; Y10S707/959; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99935; Y10S707/99938
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A method for outputing recommended preferences based on predetermined preferences, the method executing on a computer system, the computer system including a processor, database, an input device and an output device, wherein the database includes a plurality of datafiles each containing a plurality of preferences, the method comprising the following steps: accepting signals from the input device to indicate a plurality of user preferences; using the processor to search the database and to determine the number of user preferences that match preferences in a given datafile; using the processor to identify datafiles with a number of matching preferences above a first threshold number; selecting preferences from the identified datafiles, wherein the selected preferences do not match the user preferences; and outputing, by means of the output device, the selected preferences.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the preference is an artist's name.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the preference is the title of a movie.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system further includes a data communications network, wherein the processor, database, first user input device, second user input device and output device are coupled to the network, wherein the first and second user input devices are remotely located from each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the "selecting preferences" step further comprises the substeps of (a) for each unmatching preference in the identified datafiles, determining the number of other preferences in the identified datafiles that match it and assigning the determined number to the preference; and (b) using the processor to select one or more unmatching preferences with the highest assigned numbers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the number of preferences in a datafile is limited to 10, and wherein the first threshold number is 5.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 5, wherein the number of preferences in a datafile is limited to 10, and wherein only those unmatching preferences that also appear in 50% or more of the identified datafiles are selected in substep (b).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
126 words
An apparatus for identifying preferences, the apparatus comprising a processor; a database coupled to the processor; means, coupled to the processor, for accepting signals to indicate first and second preferences; means, coupled to the processor, for creating an association between the first and second preferences and for storing the first and second preferences in the database as a first datafile; means, coupled to the processor, for accepting signals to indicate a user preference, wherein the user preference is the same as the first preference; means, coupled to the processor, for determining that the user preference matches the first preference; means, coupled to the processor, for retrieving the correlated second preference from the database; and an output device, coupled to the processor, for outputing the second preference.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for recommending music selections based on a user's preferred music selections, the method including a computer system, the computer system including a database, input device and output device, the method comprising the following steps: storing a plurality of associated music selections in the database; accepting signals from the user input device to indicate a plurality, m, of a user's preferred music selections; using the processor to determine that a number, n, of the preferred music selections match with the associated music selections in the database; using the processor to determine the number of unmatched associated music selections in the database; and outputing, by means of the output device, the unmatched associated music selections.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
97 words
An apparatus for recommending music selections based on a user's preferred music selections, the apparatus comprising: a computer system including a database; means for storing a plurality of associated music selections in the database; means for accepting signals from the user input device to indicate a plurality, m, of a user's preferred music selections; means for determining that a number, n, of the preferred music selections match with the associated music selections in the database; means for determining the number of unmatched associated music selections in the database; and means for outputing the unmatched associated music selections.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
155 words
A method for outputing an ordered list of recommended objects based on an input object, the computer system including a processor, database, input device and an output device, the method comprising the following steps: using the processor to store pairs of ranked objects in the database; using the processor to assign a ranking number to each of the pairs of ranked objects and storing the ranking number as associated with the pair; accepting signals from the input device to indicate an object; using the processor to find occurrences of the selected object in the pairs of ranked objects; for each pair in which the selected object occurs, determining the object in the pair that does not match the selected object; using the processor to order non-matching objects into a list according to the ranking number for the pair that the non-matching object belongs to; and outputing the list as an ordered list of recommended objects.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 11, wherein each object is an artist's name.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 11, wherein each object is the title of a movie.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
174 words
An apparatus for outputing an ordered list of recommended objects based on an input object, the apparatus comprising: a computer system, the computer system including a processor, and a database, wherein the processor is coupled to the database; pairing means, coupled to the processor, for storing pairs of ranked objects in the database; ranking means for assigning a ranking number to each of the pairs of ranked objects and storing a given ranking number as associated with a given stored pair; input means, coupled to the processor, for accepting signals from a human user to indicate a selected object; finding means for finding occurrences of the selected object in the pairs of ranked objects; determining means for determining, for each pair, the object in the pair that does not match the selected object; ordering means for ordering non-matching objects into a list according to the ranking number for the pair that the non-matching object belongs to; and output means, coupled to the processor, for outputing the list as an ordered list of recommended objects.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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