# US 2014/0046957 A1 · Alerting Users to Items of Current Interest

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- Number: US 2014/0046957 A1
- Document ID: US20140046957A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/867,792
- Filed: 2013-04-22
- Published: 2014-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2000-01-28
- Assignees: Interval Licensing LLC
- Inventors: Michael Naimark; Aviv Bergman; Emily Weil; Ignazio Moresco; Baldo Faieta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140046957A1

## CPC

- G06F 16/24578: {using ranking}
- G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- Y10S 707/959: Network
- Y10S 707/99932: Access augmentation or optimizing
- Y10S 707/99933: Query processing, i.e. searching
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Disseminating to a participant an indication that an item accessible by the participant via a network is of current interest is disclosed. An indication that the item is of current interest is received in real time. The indication is processed. The participant is informed that the item is of current interest.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method of informing a participant user that an item accessible by the participant user via a network is of current interest, comprising:
receiving via the network indications from source users other than the participant user that the item is of current interest;
processing the indications using one or more computer processors including:
determining an intensity value for a first indication of the indications from a first user of the source users;
blocking a second indication of the indications from a second user of the source users from being used in ranking the item based on data regarding identity of the second source user; and
calculating a rank for the item based on the intensity value of the first indication and not based on an intensity value for the second indication, the rank indicating a level of current interest of the item relative to other items accessible by the participant user via the network; and
informing the participant user via the network that the item is of current interest based on the rank for the item.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second indications are received in real time from the first and second users while the first and second users are viewing the item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the data regarding identity of the second source user comprises data regarding unwanted indications from the second source user.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the data regarding unwanted indications from the second source user comprises data regarding unreliableness of the second source user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a time decay for the first indication;
wherein the rank is calculated based on the time decay for the first indication.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the time decay is determined based on elapsed time from when the first indication was received.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the time decay causes the rank to decrease as the elapsed time from when the first indication was received increases.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the rank decreases exponentially as the elapsed time from when the first indication was received increases.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the rank is calculated based on the time decay after expiration of a predetermined time interval of elapsed time from when the first indication was received.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the intensity value for the first indication includes determining the intensity value based on data regarding a type of activity taken by the first user in relation to the item.

### Claim 11

A computer-implemented method of informing a participant user that an item accessible by the participant user via a network is of current interest, comprising:
receiving via the network an indication from a source user other than the participant user that the item is of current interest;
processing the indication using one or more computer processors including:
determining an intensity value for the indication based on data provided with the indication regarding a type of activity taken by the source user in relation to the item;
determining a time decay for the indication; and
calculating a rank for the item based on the intensity value and the time decay for the indication, the rank indicating a level of current interest of the item relative to other items accessible by the participant user via the network; and
informing the participant user via the network that the item is of current interest based on the rank for the item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the indication is received in real time from the source user while the source user is viewing the item.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the time decay is determined based on elapsed time from when the indication was received.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the time decay causes the rank to decrease as the elapsed time from when the indication was received increases.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the rank decreases exponentially as the elapsed time from when the indication was received increases.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the rank is calculated based on the time decay after expiration of a predetermined time interval of elapsed time from when the indication was received.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the time decay is determined based on subtracting the predetermined time interval from the elapsed time from when the indication was received.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein data regarding the type of activity taken by the source user is received with the indication.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein a higher intensity value is determined for the indication in response to the activity taken by the source user being of an active type and a lower intensity value is determined for the indication in response to the activity taken by the source user being of a passive type.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the determining the intensity value for the indication includes adjusting the intensity value based on data regarding identity of the source user; and
wherein the rank is calculated based on the adjusted intensity value.

### Claim 21

A computer-implemented method of informing a participant user that a particular item accessible by the participant user via a network is of current interest, comprising:
receiving via the network a particular indication from a source user other than the participant user that the particular item is of current interest;
processing the indication using one or more computer processors including:
determining an intensity value for the particular indication including adjusting the intensity value based on data regarding additional indications previously received from the source user for additional items accessed by the source user via the network;
determining a time decay for the particular indication; and
calculating a rank for the particular item based on the intensity value and the time decay for the particular indication, the rank indicating a level of current interest of the particular item relative to other items accessible by the participant user via the network; and
informing the participant user via the network that the particular item is of current interest based on the rank for the particular item.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the particular and additional indications are received in real time from the source user while the source user is viewing the particular and additional items.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the data regarding the additional indications previously received from the source user comprises data regarding quality of the additional indications previously received from the source user.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the quality of the additional indications previously received from the source user comprises relevance of the additional indications previously received from the source user.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the quality of the additional indications previously received from the source user comprises helpfulness of the additional indications previously received from the source user.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the time decay is determined based on elapsed time from when the particular indication was received.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein the time decay causes the rank to decrease as the elapsed time from when the particular indication was received increases.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, wherein the rank decreases exponentially as the elapsed time from when the particular indication was received increases.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the rank is calculated based on the time decay after expiration of a predetermined time interval of elapsed time from when the particular indication was received.

### Claim 30 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the determining the intensity value for the particular indication includes determining the intensity value based on data regarding a type of activity taken by the first user in relation to the item.

### Claim 31 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein adjusting the intensity value reflects the participant user and the source user being in a relatively smaller community of users within a larger community of users.

### Claim 32 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the data regarding the additional indications previously received from the source user comprises data indicating the source user is associated with a relatively smaller community of users within a larger community of users.