# US 2020/0394665 A1 · Negative example degree calculation apparatus, negative example degree calculation method, and computer readable recording medium

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- Number: US 2020/0394665 A1
- Document ID: US20200394665A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/968,352
- Filed: 2018-02-08
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-08
- Assignees: NEC Corporation
- Applicants: NEC Corporation
- Inventors: Koji ICHIKAWA; Shinji NAKADAI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200394665A1

## CPC

- G06Q 30/0202: Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
- G06F 16/9535: Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
- G06F 17/16: Matrix or vector computation {, e.g. matrix-matrix or matrix-vector multiplication, matrix factorization (matrix transposition G06F7/78)}
- G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)}
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A negative example degree calculation apparatus 10 is provided with a purpose inference unit 11 that infers a purpose for which a user used an item in the past from relational data specifying the item used by the user in the past and purpose information indicating a use purpose of the item by the user, and a negative example degree computation unit 12 that computes a negative example degree indicating a possibility of the item not being selected by the user, based on the inferred purpose and the purpose information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A negative example degree calculation apparatus comprising:
a purpose inference unit configured to infer a purpose for which a user used an item in the past from relational data specifying the item used by the user in the past and purpose information indicating a use purpose of the item by the user; and
a negative example degree computation unit configured to compute a negative example degree indicating a possibility of the item not being selected by the user, based on the inferred purpose and the purpose information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, in a case where a negative example degree is computed for another item other than a specific item:
the purpose inference unit is configured to use the purpose information indicating the use purpose of the specific item by the user, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to compute the negative example degree, based on the inferred purpose and purpose information indicating the use purpose of the other item.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a latent information extraction unit configured to generate a matrix specifying the item used by the user from the user and the item that are included in the relational data, and to derive a vector representing a preference of the user and a vector representing a latent attribute of the item from the generated matrix, and extract latent information from the derived vectors,
wherein the purpose inference unit is configured to infer the purpose for which the user used the item in the past, using the latent information instead of the relational data and the purpose information, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to compute the negative example degree, using the latent information instead of the purpose information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the latent information extraction unit is configured to update the matrix after generation of the matrix, using the negative example degree computed by the negative example degree computation unit, and extract new latent information from the updated matrix,
the purpose inference unit is configured to infer the purpose again, using the new latent information, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to compute the negative example degree again, using the new latent information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a data division unit configured to divide the relational data into a plurality of segments chronologically,
wherein the purpose inference unit is configured to infer the purpose from the divided relational data and the purpose information, per segment used in the division, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to compute the negative example degree, per segment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the purpose inference unit is configured to infer the purpose from the purpose information and context information that includes information relating to when the item specified by the relational data was used, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to select the item to undergo computation of the negative example degree, based on the context information, and compute the negative example degree for the selected item.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The negative example degree calculation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a context information inference unit configured to infer context information that includes information relating to when the item specified by the relational data was used, based on the relational data and the purpose information,
wherein the purpose inference unit is configured to infer the purpose from the context information and the purpose information, and
the negative example degree computation unit is configured to select the item to undergo computation of the negative example degree, based on the context information, and compute the negative example degree for the selected item.

### Claim 8

A negative example degree calculation method comprising:
inferring a purpose for which a user used an item in the past from relational data specifying the item used by the user in the past and purpose information indicating a use purpose of the item by the user; and
computing a negative example degree indicating a possibility of the item not being selected by the user, based on the inferred purpose and the purpose information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 8,
wherein, in a case where a negative example degree is computed for another item other than a specific item:
the purpose information indicating the use purpose of the specific item by the user is used, and
the negative example degree is computed, based on the inferred purpose and purpose information indicating the use purpose of the other item.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 8, further comprising:
generating a matrix specifying the item used by the user from the user and the item that are included in the relational data, and of deriving a vector representing a preference of the user and a vector representing a latent attribute of the item from the generated matrix, and extracting latent information from the derived vectors,
wherein, the purpose for which the user used the item in the past is inferred, using the latent information instead of the relational data and the purpose information, and
the negative example degree is computed, using the latent information instead of the purpose information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 10,
wherein, the matrix is updated after generation of the matrix, using the negative example degree computed, and new latent information is extracted from the updated matrix,
the purpose is inferred again, using the new latent information, and
in the computing the negative example degree, the negative example degree is computed again, using the new latent information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 8, further comprising:
dividing the relational data into a plurality of segments chronologically,
wherein, p, the purpose is inferred from the divided relational data and the purpose information, per segment used in the division, and
the negative example degree is computed, per segment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 8,
wherein the purpose is inferred from the purpose information and context information that includes information relating to when the item specified by the relational data was used, and
the item to undergo computation of the negative example degree is selected, based on the context information, and the negative example degree is computed for the selected item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The negative example degree calculation method according to claim 8, further comprising:
inferring context information that includes information relating to when the item specified by the relational data was used, based on the relational data and the purpose information,
wherein, the purpose is inferred from the context information and the purpose information, and
the item to undergo computation of the negative example degree is selected, based on the context information, and the negative example degree is computed for the selected item.

### Claim 15

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium that includes a program recorded thereon, the program including instructions that cause a computer to carry out:
inferring a purpose for which a user used an item in the past from relational data specifying the item used by the user in the past and purpose information indicating a use purpose of the item by the user; and
computing a negative example degree indicating a possibility of the item not being selected by the user, based on the inferred purpose and the purpose information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15,
wherein, in a case where a negative example degree is computed for another item other than a specific item:
the purpose information indicating the use purpose of the specific item by the user is used, and
the negative example degree is computed, based on the inferred purpose and purpose information indicating the use purpose of the other item.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15, the program further including instructions that cause the computer to carry out:
generating a matrix specifying the item used by the user from the user and the item that are included in the relational data, and of deriving a vector representing a preference of the user and a vector representing a latent attribute of the item from the generated matrix, and extracting latent information from the derived vectors,
wherein, the purpose for which the user used the item in the past is inferred, using the latent information instead of the relational data and the purpose information, and
the negative example degree is computed, using the latent information instead of the purpose information.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 17,
wherein, the matrix is updated after generation of the matrix, using the negative example degree computed, and new latent information is extracted from the updated matrix,
the purpose is inferred again, using the new latent information, and
the negative example degree is computed again, using the new latent information.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15, the program further including instructions that cause the computer to carry out:
dividing the relational data into a plurality of segments chronologically,
wherein, the purpose is inferred from the divided relational data and the purpose information, per segment used in the division, and
the negative example degree is computed, per segment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 15,
wherein, the purpose is inferred from the purpose information and context information that includes information relating to when the item specified by the relational data was used, and
the item to undergo computation of the negative example degree is selected, based on the context information, and the negative example degree is computed for the selected item.

### Claim 21

(canceled)