WO2001071598A1

WO2001071598A1 - Preference management agency system and method for the internet information users

Info

Publication number: WO2001071598A1
Application number: PCT/KR2001/000469
Authority: WO
Inventors: Young-Chan Park
Original assignee: Webpattern Technologies, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-03-24
Filing date: 2001-03-23
Publication date: 2001-09-27
Also published as: AU4284801A; KR20010090241A; KR20030009396A; KR100443698B1

Abstract

In a method and a system for a preference management agency system, a client preference collector captures a dynamic preference of users in the Internet, and a preference management agency server analyzes this collected information to deliver preference information or give recommendations to the users who are the members of agency service.

Description

PREFERENCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY SYSTEM & METHOD FOR THE INTERNET INFORMATION USERS

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an agency system of managing variable preference of the Internet information users on behalf of them, and a method of vicariously managing the preference of the information users by using the same system.

BACKROUND OF ART The virtual space referred to as the Internet is immeasurable in scale, which is extraordinarily changing every moment. It is a dynamic space in which a great number of service spaces appear or vanish in a day. Because the information users who are the subjects of making navigation throughout the virtual space individually search for information, the information providers who supply the information in the Internet free of charge or with fee are not able to grasp the whole situation of virtual space. Furthermore, it is difficult for the information providers to recognize how the information users utilize the information services provided by them. That is, it is been appreciated that there is nothing but an indefinite connection between n:n.

As a traditional way to solve the foregoing state, there is only one- directional model of receiving one-way information from the information users to supply it to the information providers, that is based on the method of television audience rating survey. In other words, a panel is organized with the information users to obtain available information, at the stage of collecting the preference of the information users who utilize the information. When such a panel is organized, monetary or other advantages are given to the panelists in compensation for furnishing their own information preference to the information providers. However, the method of investigating the preference of the information users by applying the afore-mentioned method of audience rating survey is disadvantageous, in that the constituent members of the panel cannot be increased without limit and a certain amount of expense is always incurred in maintaining the panel. Furthermore, the above method is that of one-direction in surveying the information preference, by which the information providers who supply the information one-sidedly and collectively gather the preference of the information users. Whereas there has been no preference managing method to date for supplying or recommending information suited for the preference of the information users by collecting and analyzing their preference individually.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to receive the requests for preference management from the information users who utilize the Internet information, to recommend and provide information pertinent to individuals by analyzing the preference of the users requested, and thereby to make the information users utilize their respective virtual space efficiently.

Another object of the present invention is to collectively analyze the preference for the information utilized by the information users and supply the results to information providers, so that the information providers may give the information service of more distinctive and good quality in the Internet.

To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a preference management agency system for the Internet information users including terminals of the information users who wish management agency of their preference in the Internet, and a client preference collector installed in the above terminals to capture preference for the information provided to the information users in the internet. Additionally, a preference management server collectively analyzes the preference of the users captured by the client preference collector, and a preference storage device stores the information collectively analyzed in the preference management server and reads out to utilize it at a desired time. Also, an information recommender which recommends information suited for the preference of the users out of the information stored in the preference storage device via the preference management server or provides information fit for the users on the one-to- one basis, determines the most pertinent information or actions out of several transmittable information or actions, in consideration of the preference of the users. Further to these, an information analyzer provides an analysis of the preference management agencies desired by the information users or the information providers, using the preference and trajectory information of the users.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a preference management agency method for the Internet information users including a step in which an Internet information user registers a request for management agency of its own information preference, and the next step of capturing the information preference of the registered Internet user by the client preference collector. Thereafter, a step of analyzing synthetically the data captured by the client preference collector by means of the preference management server, and estimating and managing the transition of the user's preference is performed. Finally, the information preferred by the user is provided on the basis of the user's preference having been estimated and managed in the above, and then a step of analyzing the source data of the user's preference to furnish an information provider with the preference information of the user is carried out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a preference management agency system for the Internet information users according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a client preference collector of the preference management agency system for the Internet information users according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a process of analyzing the preference of information user in the preference management server of the preference management agency system for the Internet information users according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an information recommender of the preference management agency system for the Internet information users according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an information analyzer of the preference management agency system for the Internet information users according to the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

To begin with, FIG. 1 shows a preference management agency system according to the present invention, which has a server or terminals 30 of information users 20 who wish management agency of their preference in the Internet 10, and a client preference collector 40 installed in the server or terminals 30 to collect the preference for the information provided to the users 20 in the Internet 10. Also, the present invention includes a preference management server 50 for analyzing collectively overall preference of the users gathered by the client preference collector 40, and a preference storage device 60 for storing the information collectively analyzed in the preference management server 50 to permit the stored information to be utilized at a desired time. In addition to these, an information recommender 80 recommends the information stored in the preference storage device 60 to the users 20 via the above server 50 or provides information fit for the users on the one-to-one basis, while determining the most pertinent information or actions to the users out of several transmittable information or actions, in consideration of the users preference. Furthermore, an information analyzer 70 produces the results of preference analysis required by the information users or information providers, using the preference and trajectory information of the users. At this time, the client preference collector 40 may be installed in the preference management server 50 or a server of information provider instead of the server or terminals 30 of the users 20.

A preference management agency method by applying the above-stated preference management agency system is performed by a step of registering the preference management agency, a step of collecting the source data of the users preference, a step of updating and managing the users preference, a step of providing information based on the users preference, and a step of analyzing collectively and synthetically overall source data of the users preference to supply it to the information providers.

First, the step of registering the preference management agency is performed in a manner that an Internet user registers a request for the preference management agency service. Here, the registration is executed for storing and managing respective IDs and basic personal information of the users as existing information requisite for classifying respective users when collecting their individual navigating actions in the Internet. That is, IDs are employed in identifying respective users and providing them with one-to-one-based services. The ID information consists of respectively different series of strings so as to identify respective information users. The available IDs and personal information are transferred to the preference management server that exists in a network to be stored in the storage device of the server. Then, the step of collecting the source data of the users preference is performed by collecting the information which is needed to judge the users preference, for the sake of managing the preference of the information users. In order to update constantly changing preference of the information users, the information on the Internet navigating actions of the users is to be transferred to the server periodically or on real time basis. It is the client preference collector that captures such preference. The client preference collector carries out the function of delivering the strings constituted by the users classified IDs, the Internet navigating action strings, the time of action and so on, to the preference management server. The method of gathering the preference source data differs in accordance with the position where the client preference collector is installed.

When the client preference collector is installed in the system or terminals of the users, it directly delivers the action patterns of the users in the system or terminals to the preference management server via the network. In case that the client preference collector already exists in the server, the preference information can be captured only through the simple registration of the users.

Upon installing the client preference collector or completing the registration as described above, the client preference collector 40, as shown in FIG. 2, delivers the navigating actions of the users in the Internet to the preference management server by using an action watcher module 41 which extracts the users action patterns (e.g., URL addresses, search words or events) while the information users 20 navigate the Internet 10 by means of the server or terminals 30 having a function for the Internet, and an action analyzer 42 which encodes the users actions extracted by the action watcher module 41 to reduce the quantity of delivered data, and arranges the action information to be utilized in the later analysis by adding the time and the user's ID thereto. Successively, an encryptor 43 performs encipherment upon the arranged action information for the encryption required for security and transmission of the information to be delivered via the network, and a sender 44 transfers the data prepared by the encryptor 43 to the preference management server 50, thereby completing the delivery of the users action patterns in the Internet. After this, in the step of managing the users preference in the preference management server 50, the action patterns of the users in the Internet captured by the client preference collector 40 are transferred to the preference management server 50, which conducts operations of judging and newly updating the variable preference of the users. In order to update the preference of the information users with the preference information captured by and delivered from the client preference collector 40, the preference management server 50, as shown in FIG. 3, has an information request and management decoder 51 for managing the user's information request or the requested information, and a user information manager 52 for storing and managing the information of the respective information users in the preference storage device 60, exploiting the information decoded by the information request and management decoder 51. Also, an action-preference class manager 53 which utilizes the decoded information to manage and store the information with respect to the type of the user's preference and the method of processing it in the preference storage device 60, and a position manager of stored preference 54 which utilizes the above decoded information to manage and store the information in regard to the storing position of each user's preference in the preference storage device 60 are formed into the preference management server 50. By using the above formation, the existing preference of corresponding user is read out from the storage device 60, and the readout existing preference and the action information delivered from the client preference collector 40 are compared to newly update the existing preference.

In order to obtain a new preference by comparing the action information transferred as stated above with the existing preference, the information of action-preference transition is considered as a reference. The information of action-preference transition denotes the information for transforming and storing the respective actions of the users captured by the client preference collector into the users preference. This information is utilized in probing which preference information of a certain user is related to an action of the user via the preference management server, and the probed information is supplied to the preference storage device to update the previously stored preference information. Also, the updating method thereof is described for being stored and managed in the action-preference class manager of the preference management server.

The information of action-preference transition stockpiles changes in weight values of preference according to the type of action-preference to change respective actions into preference, by using one or more of techniques, that is, algorithm groups consisting of simple update, probability based update, rule-based update, probability inference based update and state transition based update, which are employed in an artificial intelligence. Then, in the step of providing information service based on the users preference produced by the preference management server 50, information is recommended or service is provided by using the stored users preference information. As shown in FIG. 4, the information recommender 80 carries out the determining function for selecting and providing just one information when the number of information to be provided or recommended to the user is more than one, and the function of providing the fitted information to the users when an action suitable for the user is determined.

The information recommender 80 judges the information by using the similarity between the stored users preference and the information to be provided. The information recommender 80 includes a user identification mode 81, a users preference searcher 82, a similarity comparator 83 to judge the similarity between the information to be provided and the users preference by comparing them with each other, and an information producer 84. The user identification mode 81 receives an ID capable of identifying a user when there is a request of the user for recommendation or delivery of information, and determines whether the information with respect to such a user exists or not. The users preference searcher 82 searches the required user's preference connected with the information requested by the user. The similarity comparator 83 between the information to be offered and the preference determines which information is most pertinent to be provided and recommended to the user among the serviceable information, utilizing the user's preference searched above. Here, a method of comparing the user's preference code with the class code or content information of the affordable information is employed to obtain the similarity. After the information to be provided is determined, the information producer 84 performs a function of converting the information into a suitable format (into the presentation form of HTML, XML, Text, etc.) to deliver it to the corresponding user.

Next, the step of information providing service on the basis of analyzing the source data of users preference is executed, in which the source data of users preference is the Internet navigating actions supplied from the users for the preference management agency. At this time, the information analyzer 70 plays a role of a converter for analyzing the foregoing action information statistically and transforming it into a format to be furnished to the information provider or other information users.

The above information analyzer 70 is to perform a series of information extracting steps, which generate the information desired by the information user through the statistical or pattern analysis with respect to the Internet navigating actions of the users. The information analyzer 70, as shown in FIG. 5, consists of an information provider identification mode 71 for managing and storing what kind of information is supplied and what kind of processing result is desired by a certain information provider. Also, an affordable information composer 72 which receives required information from the preference management server 50 and the preference storage device 60 to sort, collect and separate it for the purpose of constituting the information to be provided, and an information producer/provider 73 which receives information from the affordable information composer 72 to process it into a transmittable form are added thereto. While the information recommender 80 analyzes the information from the point of view of the users who utilize the information, the information analyzer 70 analyzes the Internet navigating actions of the users from the standpoint of the information providers who supply the information in the Internet. Thereby, the information analyzer 70 analyzes what sort of users visit the information providers and what is like the navigating actions of the users, and then provides the results of analysis to the information providers.

The analyzing step stated above is performed by a step of separating the users actions according to each information provider, a step of collecting the information selected by the users per each information service provider, a step of analyzing the users actions and characteristics within respective information service providers, and a step of analyzing the relation between an information service provider and a user. In the present invention as described above, the information users who utilize the information via the Internet authorize a management agency of their own preference, and an operator of the preference management agency system analyzes and synthesizes the preference information to recommend and provide pertinent information to the individual clients of preference management. Thereby, the clients may utilize the virtual space more efficiently.

Moreover, the preference management agent can receive the detailed information with respect to the virtual space, so that it may provide the service of more differentiated and good quality in the virtual space. Further to these, the present invention serves to change a vague relation between the information user and the information provider into a definite relation of one-to-one base, which makes it possible for both the information user and the information provider to obtain favorable results.

Additionally, the information navigating actions of the preference management clients can be grasped by the present invention, for the sake of employing them as marketing data.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

WΗAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A preference management agency system for the Internet information users comprising: terminals of the information users who desire the management agency of their own preference in the Internet; a client preference collector installed in said terminals for capturing preference for information provided to the information users in the Internet; a preference management server for collectively analyzing the preference of the users captured by said client preference collector; a preference storage device for storing the information collectively analyzed in said preference management server, and reading out to utilize it at a desired time; an information recommender for recommending information suited for the preference of the users out of the information stored in said preference storage device via said preference management server or providing fitted information on the one-to-one basis, and determining the most pertinent information or actions in consideration of the preference of the users out of several transmittable information or actions; and an information analyzer for providing an analysis of the preference management agencies desired by the information users or information providers by using the preference and trajectory information of the users.

2. A preference management agency system for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 1, wherein said client preference collector comprises: an action watcher module for extracting information actions of the information users produced while they navigate the Internet by means of the Internet terminals; an action analyzer for encoding the users actions extracted by said action watcher module to reduce the quantity of data delivered, and adding the time and user IDs to arrange action information to be used in an analysis to be conducted later; an encrypter for enciphering the arranged action information to perform encryption required for security and transfer; and a sender for delivering data prepared by said encrypter to said preference management server.

3. A preference management agency system for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said client preference collector is installed in said preference management server or a server of an information service company.

4. A preference management agency system for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said preference management server, for updating the preference of the information users by means of the preference information captured by and delivered from said client preference collector, comprises: an information request and management decoder for managing information request of the users or requested information; a user information manager for managing and storing information with respect to individual information users in said preference storage device by means of the information analyzed in said information request and management decoder; an action-preference class manager for managing and storing the information with respect to the class of the users preference and a processing method thereof by means of the decoded information; and a position manager of stored preference for managing and storing the information with respect to storing position of each user's preference in said preference storage device by means of the decoded information.

5. A preference management agency system for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information recommender comprises: a user identification mode for receiving an ID capable of identifying a user upon receiving the request from the user for recommendation or delivery of information, and determining whether the information with respect to such a user exists or not; a user preference searcher for finding out users preference connected with the information requested by the user; a similarity comparator between information to be offered and preference for determining which information is most pertinent to be provided and recommended to the user among the serviceable information, utilizing the user's preference found by said users preference searcher; and an information producer for, upon determination of information to be provided, processing the information in the form of being able to be utilized by the user, and delivering it to the user.

6. A preference management agency system for the Internet users as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said information analyzer comprises: an information provider identification mode for managing and storing what kind of information is supplied and what kind of processing results is desired by a certain information provider; an affordable information composer for sorting, collecting and separating the required information received from said preference management server and said preference storage device to constitute information to be provided; and an information producer and provider for receiving information from said affordable information composer, and processing the received information into a transmittable format.

7. In a preference management agency system for the Internet information users claimed in claim 1, a preference management agency method for the Internet information users comprising: a step of registering requests of the Internet information users for management agency of their own information preference; a step of capturing information preference of said registered Internet users by a client preference collector; a step of collectively analyzing data captured by said client preference collector by means of a preference management server, and analyzing and managing the transition of users preference; a step of providing the information preferred by the users via an information recommender, on the basis of the users preference having been analyzed and managed; and a step of analyzing the source data of users preference analyzed above, and providing it in accordance with a request of an information provider.

8. A preference management agency method for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of managing the preference in said preference management server comprises: a step of confirming a user by means of a user ID of the information delivered from said client preference collector; a step of reading out a previous preference of the user from a preference storage device, comparing readout existing preference with action information delivered from said client preference collector, and updating previous preference with reference to the information of action-preference transition; and a step of storing a change of weight value in said information of action- preference transition in consideration of said updated preference.

9. A preference management agency method for the Internet information users as claimed in claim 8, wherein a technique of producing said change of weight value in said information of action-preference transition is one or more of algorithm groups consisting of simple update, probability based update, rule-based update, probability inference based update and state transition based update employed for an artificial intelligence.