User interface methods and systems for selecting and presenting content based on user navigation and selection actions associated with the content

1. A user-interface method of presenting a collection of items in which the presentation is ordered at least in part based on navigation and selection behavior of a user learned over time, the method comprising:

providing access to a set of items;

associating an initial relevance weight with each of a plurality of the items of the set;

receiving input entered by the user for identifying desired items;

in response to the input entered by the user, selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a first presentation order of items browsable by the user wherein the arrangement of the items within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial associated relevance weights associated with the items;

receiving input entered by the user for browsing through the first presentation order of items and for identifying and selecting the desired items;

in response to a selection by the user of an item, presenting said item to the user and adjusting the associated relevance weight of said item;

subsequent to adjusting the associated relevance weight of any of the items, selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a second presentation order of items browsable by the user wherein the arrangement of the items within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the items.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the initial relevance weights associated with an item of the plurality of items is based on a relative measure of a likelihood that the item is desired by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

organizing the set of items into nodes based on the information content of the items;

associating an initial relevance weight with at least one of the nodes; and

in response to the selection by the user of an item, adjusting the relevance weight associated with the node containing the selected item;

wherein the selecting and presenting the subset of items in the first presentation order includes selecting and presenting a subset of the nodes within the first presentation order wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial relevance weights associated with the nodes; and

wherein the subsequent selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in the second presentation order includes selecting and presenting a subset of the nodes within the second presentation order wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a context in which the user performed the selection actions, the context including at least one of geographic location of the user, day, date, and time; and

associating the contexts of the user selection actions with the corresponding items selected by the user;

wherein the arrangement of items within the second presentation order are further based on a match between contexts associated with the items and a context in which the subsequent selection and presentation occurs.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted associated relevance weights are decayed as time passes from the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted associated relevance weights are decayed based upon the number of user selections occurring after the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.

7. A user-interface system for presenting a collection of items in which the presentation is ordered at least in part based on navigation and selection behavior of a user learned over time, the system comprising:

logic for providing access to a set of items;

logic for associating an initial relevance weight with each of a plurality of the items of the set;

logic for receiving input entered by the user for identifying desired items;

logic, responsive to the input entered by the user, for selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a first presentation order of items browsable by the user wherein the arrangement of items within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial associated relevance weights associated with the items;

logic for receiving input entered by the user for browsing through the first presentation order of items and for identifying and selecting the desired items;

logic, responsive to a selection by the user of an item, for presenting said item to the user and for adjusting the associated relevance weight of said item;

logic for selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a second presentation order subsequent to adjusting the associated relevance weight of any of the items, wherein the arrangement of items within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the items.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the initial relevance weights associated with an item of the plurality of items is based on a relative measure of a likelihood that the item is desired by the user.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

logic for organizing the set of items into nodes based on the information content of the items;

logic for associating an initial relevance weight with at least one of the nodes; and

logic, responsive to the selection by the user of an item, for adjusting the relevance weight associated with the node containing the selected item;

wherein the logic for selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a first presentation order of items includes logic for selecting and presenting a subset of nodes within the first presentation order, wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial relevance weights associated with the nodes; and

wherein the logic for selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in a second presentation order of items includes logic for selecting and presenting a subset of nodes within the second presentation order, wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted relevance weights associated with the nodes.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

logic for determining a context in which the user preformed the selection actions, the context including at least one of geographic location of the user, day, date, and time; and

logic for associating the contexts of the user selection actions with the corresponding items selected by the user;

wherein the logic for selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in the second presentation order of items includes logic for arranging items within the second presentation order further based on a match between contexts associated with the items and a context in which the subsequent selection and presentation occurs.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising logic for decaying the adjusted associated relevance weights as time passes from the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising logic for decaying the adjusted associated relevance weights based upon the number of user selections occurring after the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.

13. A computer readable medium comprising program instructions for presenting a collection of items in which the presentation is ordered at least in part based on navigation and selection behavior of a user learned over time, wherein execution of the program instructions by a computer system causes the computer system to:

provide access to a set of items;

associate an initial relevance weight with each of a plurality of the items of the set;

receive input entered by the user for identifying desired items;

in response to the input entered by the user, select and present a subset of items to the user in a first presentation order of items browsable by the user wherein the arrangement of the items within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial associated relevance weights associated with the items;

receive input entered by the user for browsing through the first presentation order of items and for identifying and selecting the desired items;

in response to a selection by the user of an item, present said item to the user and adjust the associated relevance weight of said item;

subsequent to adjusting the associated relevance weight of any of the items, select and present a subset of items to the user in a second presentation order of items browsable by the user wherein the arrangement of the items within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the items.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the initial relevance weights associated with an item of the plurality of items is based on a relative measure of a likelihood that the item is desired by the user.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the program instructions by the computer system further causes the computer system to:

organize the set of items into nodes based on the information content of the items;

associate an initial relevance weight with at least one of the nodes; and

in response to the selection by the user of an item, adjust the relevance weight associated with the node containing the selected item;

wherein the selecting and presenting the subset of items in the first presentation order includes selecting and presenting a subset of the nodes within the first presentation order-wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the first presentation order is based at least in part on the initial relevance weights associated with the nodes; and

wherein the subsequent selecting and presenting a subset of items to the user in the second presentation order-includes selecting and presenting a subset of the nodes within the second presentation order wherein the selection and arrangement of the nodes within the second presentation order is based at least in part on the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the nodes.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the program instructions by the computer system further causes the computer system to:

determine a context in which the user performed the selection actions, the context including at least one of geographic location of the user, day, date, and time; and

associate the contexts of the user selection actions with the corresponding items selected by the user;

wherein the arrangement of items within the second presentation order are further based on a match between contexts associated with the items and a context in which the subsequent selection and presentation occurs.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the program instructions by the computer system further causes the computer system to decay the adjusted associated relevance weights as time passes from the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein execution of the program instructions by the computer system further causes the computer system to decay the adjusted associated relevance weights based upon the number of user selections occurring after the act of adjusting the associated relevance weights.