US 8,713,009 B2 · Associating objects in databases by rate-based tagging

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide automatic systems and methods for associating objects in databases of a web site by rate-based tagging. The frequencies of users entering specific tag terms for objects stored in the databases of the web site are used to determine hard associations between objects and tag terms and between objects. When the frequencies of user tags exceed established thresholds, hard associations between objects and tag terms are established. When objects are identified or determined to have hard association with tag terms, the objects are determined to be more clearly associated with the corresponding tag terms. Therefore, they should be highlighted or featured in more prominent locations on web pages of the web site to increase users' confidence in content of the web site. To identify hard-associated objects, more weights can be assigned to the hard-associated objects, which allows them to be more likely to be selected for display in prominent locations. In addition, objects that are determined to have hard associations with tag terms can also have hard associations with one another due to the common tag terms they share. The hard association relationship between objects can be displayed through links to associated objects when an object is selected for display.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for automatically generating a hard association of an object with a tag term entered by users for the object of a web site, comprising:

receiving tag terms entered by users for objects of the web site and placing the received tag terms with corresponding objects in at least one database;
determining a criteria of hard association for objects to establish hard associations with tag terms entered for the corresponding objects, wherein the object that passes the criteria of hard association is weighted more during selection of objects to display in a prominent location of a web page of the web site and is more likely to be selected;
processing data in the at least one database of the web site to identify an object and a corresponding tag term that pass the criteria of hard association;
and
automatically creating a database to store the identified object and the corresponding tag terms that pass the criteria of hard association, wherein the criteria of hard association includes a percentage of users entering a particular corresponding tag term for an object, and the percentage of users entering a particular corresponding tag term for the object is greater than or equal to a predefined percentage, and wherein the automatically created database includes a column of object identification, a column of corresponding tag term for the object, a column of a number of users entering the corresponding tag term for the object, and a column of a percentage of users who enter a particular corresponding tag term for the object.

2 more elements

A system for automatically creating hard associations of objects with corresponding tag terms entered by users for the object of a web site, comprising:

at least a server for storing objects in the web site;
a server with an algorithm for collecting tag terms entered by users for objects in the web site;
a server for storing in a database hard associations of objects with corresponding tag terms entered by users;
and
a server for storing algorithm of automatically creating hard associations between the objects with the corresponding tag terms, wherein the hard associations of the objects having hard associations with the corresponding tag terms are defined by a minimal number of users, or a minimal percentage of users who are detected to have entered the corresponding tag terms for the objects, wherein an object that passes a criteria of hard association is weighted more during selection of objects to display in a prominent location of a web page of the web site and is more likely to be selected, and wherein the database includes a column of object identification, a column of corresponding tag term for the object, a column of a number of users entering the corresponding tag term for the object, and a column of a percentage of users who enter a particular corresponding tag term for the object.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Associating objects in databases by rate-based tagging

Life of this patent

Associating objects in databases by rate-based tagging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14