System for generation of object profiles for a system for customized electronic identification of desirable objects

A method for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, and wherein said sets of target object characteristics comprise sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing on said electronic storage media each target object;
• automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects and their associated target object characteristics comprising:
• automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs a requesting one of said users to at least a subset of said sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic media, comprising:
• sorting all sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and
• generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said requesting user to identify ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said requesting user.

Apparatus for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, said apparatus comprising:

• means for storing on said electronic storage media each target;
• and
• means for automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects and that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects their associated target object characteristics, comprising:
• means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs said users to at least a subset of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic media, comprising:
• means for sorting all target objects in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target objects based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target objects, and
• means for generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target objects sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said identified user to identify ones of said plurality of target objects stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said identified user.

Apparatus for cataloging a plurality of target objects that are stored on an electronic storage media, where users are connected via user terminals and bidirectional data communication connections to a target server that accesses said electronic storage media, said apparatus comprising:

• means for storing on said electronic storage media each target;
• and
• means for automatically generating in said target server, target profiles for each of said target objects and that are stored on said electronic storage media, each of said target profiles being generated from the contents of an associated one of said target objects their associated target object characteristics, comprising:
• means for automatically generating a hierarchical menu that directs a requesting one of said users to at least a subset of said sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic media, comprising:
• means for sorting all sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users in said subset into a plurality of clusters of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users based on an empirical measure of similarity of content of said target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users, and
• means for generating a hierarchical menu that identifies the content in common of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users sorted into each of said plurality of clusters, to enable said requesting user to identify ones of said plurality of target sets of user interest characteristics for a virtual community of users stored on said electronic storage media that are likely to be of interest to said requesting user.