US7043698B2
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Method and system for profiling users based on their relationships with content topics
Assignee: Trend Micro Inc
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Filing: 2002-01-15
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Granted: 2006-05-09
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Expires: 2022-01-15
Abstract
Abstract An affinity generation system according to the present invention analyzes a profiled user's authorship and document usage within an ‘intranet’ to create a set of affinities between documents and topical classifications used in a hierarchical content catalog. These affinities are weighted depending on the system usage and amount of collected evidence. Once a certain threshold has been reached, the threshold being fixed or dynamically set to achieve a desired policy, the affinities are published into the content catalog. The user looking for specific expertise can then search or browse the content catalog and find both documents and people with strong affinities to the selected content area.
Inventors
- 👤 David L. Newbold
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:53
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/02; G06Q10/025; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for publishing affinity information concerning a user, comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; creating a content catalog; creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the plurality of documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized in the content catalog based on the closeness values; generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in a user profile repository; and creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the user link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
196 words
A method for publishing affinity information concerning a user, comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; creating a content catalog; creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the plurality of documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized in the content catalog based on the closeness values; generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in a user profile repository; and creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the user link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining whether the affinity strength exceeds a threshold, wherein this determining step is performed prior to the step of storing the affinity in the user profile.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 2 , wherein steps of storing the affinity in the user profile and creating a user link are performed if the affinity strength exceeds the threshold.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the threshold is predefined.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the threshold is dynamically set.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
131 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising: requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity, the affinity being stored in a private section of the user profile; determining whether the user consents to the publication of the affinity, wherein creating the user link to the user profile in the content catalog is performed if it is determined that the user consents to the publication of the affinity; and publishing the affinity by moving the affinity from the private section of the user profile to a public section of the user profile, wherein the public section of the user profile is accessible to a plurality of other users and the private section of the user profile is not accessible to at least one user in the plurality of other users.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity comprises the step of transmitting an e-mail to the user.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of determining whether the user responded to the request for approval within a predetermined amount of time measured from when the request was sent to or received by the user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of accessing a policy document that specifies the predetermined amount of time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the affinity strength is determined based on the user's activities on the plurality of documents.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
206 words
A system for publishing affinity information concerning a user, comprising: means for storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; means for generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; means for determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; a content catalog; means for creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized within the content catalog based on the closeness values; means for generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; a user profile repository; means for storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in the user profiIe repository; means for creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
206 words
A system for publishing affinity information concerning a user, comprising: means for storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; means for generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; means for determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; a content catalog; means for creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized within the content catalog based on the closeness values; means for generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; a user profile repository; means for storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in the user profiIe repository; means for creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 11 , further comprising means for determining whether the affinity strength exceeds a threshold.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 12 , wherein the means for storing the affinity in the user profile does so if it is determined that the affinity strength exceeds the threshold.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
11 words
The system of claim 13 , wherein the threshold is predefined.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 13 , wherein the threshold is dynamically set.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
136 words
The system of claim 11 , further comprising: means for requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity, the affinity being stored in a private section of the user profile; means for determining whether the user consents to the publication of the affinity, wherein the means for creating the user link in the content catalog does so if it is determined that the user consents to the publication of the affinity; and means for publishing the affinity by moving the affinity from the private section of the user profile to a public section of the user profile, wherein the public section of the user profile is accessible to a plurality of other users and the private section of the user profile is not accessible to at least one user in the plurality of other users.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 16 , wherein the means for requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity comprises means for transmitting an e-mail to the user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 16 , further comprising means for determining whether the user responded to the request for approval within a predetermined amount of time measured from when the request was sent to or received by the user.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 18 , further comprising a policy document that specifies the predetermined amount of time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 11 , wherein the means for generating the affinity determines the affinity strength based on the user's activities on the plurality of documents.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
209 words
A computer program product for publishing affinity information concerning a user, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for: storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; creating a content catalog; creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the plurality of documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized in the content catalog based on the closeness values; generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in a user profile repository; and creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
209 words
A computer program product for publishing affinity information concerning a user, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for: storing a plurality of documents in a document management system; generating a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document; determining closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; creating a content catalog; creating document links in the content catalog, wherein the document links link to the plurality of documents stored in the document management system, and the document links are organized in the content catalog based on the closeness values; generating an affinity between one or more topics derived from the plurality of topics and the user, wherein the affinity has an affinity strength; storing the affinity in a user profile associated with the user, the user profile being stored in a user profile repository; and creating a user link in the content catalog, wherein the user link links to the user profile stored in the user profile repository, and the link is organized in the content catalog based on the affinity strength of the affinity.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising computer instructions for determining whether the affinity strength exceeds a threshold.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein the computer instructions for storing the affinity and creating a user link are executed if it is determined that the affinity strength exceeds the threshold.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the threshold is predefined.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the threshold is dynamically set.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
135 words
The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising computer instructions for: requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity, the affinity being stored in a private section of the user profile; determining whether the user consents to the publication of the affinity, wherein the computer instruction for creating the user link in the content catalog is executed if it is determined that the user consents to the publication of the affinity; and publishing the affinity by moving the affinity from the private section of the user profile to a public section of the user profile, wherein the public section of the user profile is accessible to a plurality of other users and the private section of the user profile is not accessible to at least one user in the plurality of users.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein the computer instructions for requesting approval from the user to publish the affinity comprises computer instructions for transmitting an e-mail to the user.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer program product of claim 26 , further comprising computer instructions for determining whether the user responded to the request for approval within a predetermined amount of time measured from when the request was sent to or received by the user.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer program product of claim 28 , further comprising computer instructions for accessing a policy document that specifies the predetermined amount of time.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the affinity strength is determined based on the user's activities on the plurality of documents.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
180 words
A system for discovering and publishing a user's affinities, comprising: a document management system that stores a plurality of documents; a topic generation program that generates a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document, and determines closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; usage metric software routines that function to discover the user's affinities to the plurality of topics, wherein each of the affinities includes an affinity strength; a user profile repository that stores a user profile associated with the user, wherein the affinities discovered by the usage metric software routines are stored in the user profile; and a content catalog that stores document links to the documents stored in the document management system and one or more user links to the user profile, wherein the links to the documents are organized by the closeness values and the links to the user profile are organized by the affinity strength of the user's affinities.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
180 words
A system for discovering and publishing a user's affinities, comprising: a document management system that stores a plurality of documents; a topic generation program that generates a plurality of topics for each of the plurality of documents based on document content included in the corresponding document, and determines closeness values for each document based on a relationship between the document content and the topics with which the document is associated; usage metric software routines that function to discover the user's affinities to the plurality of topics, wherein each of the affinities includes an affinity strength; a user profile repository that stores a user profile associated with the user, wherein the affinities discovered by the usage metric software routines are stored in the user profile; and a content catalog that stores document links to the documents stored in the document management system and one or more user links to the user profile, wherein the links to the documents are organized by the closeness values and the links to the user profile are organized by the affinity strength of the user's affinities.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
106 words
The system of claim 31 , further comprising: an approval agent that monitors a private section of the user profile for newly discovered affinities and requests approval from the user to publish any newly discovered affinities; a publication agent that publishes affinities that the user approves for publication by moving the affinities that the user approves for publication to a public section of the user profile, wherein the public section of the user profile is accessible to a plurality of other users and the private section of the user profile is not accessible to at least one of the users from the plurality of other users.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 32 , wherein the approval agent includes determining means for determining whether the user has responded to the request for permission within a timeout period.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the usage metric software routines discover the user's affinities to the plurality of topics based on the user s activities on the plurality of documents and the closeness values between the plurality of documents and the plurality of topics.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 34 , further comprising a usage database that stores metadata associated with the plurality of documents, wherein the usage metric software routines determine the user's activities on the plurality of documents by accessing the usage database.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the content catalog is hierarchical.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the approval agent comprises notification means for notifying the user of a newly discovered affinity and for requesting permission to publish the discovered affinity.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 31 , wherein the content catalog is searchable.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2017-05-08 | 2017-11-07 | 2018-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |