IP Library Granted Patent US 9,916,599
Granted Patent B2
US 9,916,599 · App. 15/266,433 · Granted Mar 13, 2018

Computer method and system for recommending content in a computer network

Inventors: John L. Mihalik (Pittsburgh, PA); Thomas A. Gerace (Boston, MA); David A. Sandborg (Pittsburgh, PA); Helen R. Feder (Pittsburgh, PA); Richard A. Meyer (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignee: Skyword Inc.
G06Q30/0269G06F17/3053G06F17/30867G06Q10/06G06Q10/063112G06Q30/02G06Q30/0631G06Q40/06G06Q50/01H04L63/101H04L63/107H04L63/1425H04L67/22H04L67/306H04W4/206
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,916,599
App. No.
15/266,433
Granted
Mar 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer method and system for ranking computer network portal users is provided. The system and method comprise a ranking module which determines rank of an individual in a community of global computer network users. The ranking module determines rank of an individual as a function of user demand. The function of user demand includes any one or combination of number of requests to be connected to the individual user, readership following of the individual user and keywords common between profiles or authored works by the individual user and those of other users. An output member is coupled to receive the determined rank from the ranking module and generates an ordered list of user names ordered by determined rank of individuals. The rank of individuals may be provided to external entities such as fraud detection systems or advertising targeting engines.

Claims (24)

1. A computer system for recommending content in a computer network of users, the computer system comprising:

a recommendation module configured to collect one or more recommendations identifying digital content, each recommendation originating from a corresponding recommender-user having a relative rank, the relative rank being derived recursively using an interconnected network graph of connections between users of the computer network of users, such that the relative rank is determined after one pass of iterations by determining a product of a first data structure and a second data structure, the first data structure being based on and representing connections between users of the computer network in the interconnected network graph and the second data structure being based on a number of users in the interconnected network graph; and

at least one computer coupled to the computer network of users, the at least one computer being configured to:

store, in an internet search database, the collected one or more recommendations identifying digital content with the corresponding recommender-users,

prioritize each of the collected one or more recommendations in the internet search database as a function of the relative rank of the corresponding recommender-user, and

in response to receiving a search query, distribute at least some of the identified digital content by returning ordered search results at least partially based on the prioritization.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to combine a plurality of recommendations into a set of recommendations, each of the recommendations originating from at least two different recommend-users.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to weigh each recommendation in the set of recommendations based on a number of different recommender-users-the recommendation originated from and the relative rank of each of the corresponding recommender-users.

4. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to display the set of recommendations as suggested reading on a website or mobile application.

5. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the set of recommendations is created for a topic area.

6. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer is further configured to embed the set of recommendations as suggested reading in an electronic message.

7. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the relative rank of the corresponding recommender-user is determined within a topic area.

8. A computer-implemented method for recommending content in a computer network of users, the computer-implemented method comprising:

using one or more processors:

collecting one or more recommendations identifying digital content, each recommendation originating from a corresponding recommender-user having relative rank being derived recursively using an interconnected network graph of connections between users of the computer network of users, such that the relative rank is determined after one pass of iterations by determining a product of a first data structure and a second data structure, the first data structure being based on and representing connections between users of the computer network in the interconnected network graph and the second data structure being based on a number of users in the interconnected network graph;

storing, in an internet search database, the collected one or more recommendations identifying digital content with the corresponding recommender-users;

prioritizing each of the collected one or more recommendations in the internet search database as a function of the relative rank of the corresponding recommender-user; and

in response to receiving a search query, distributing at least some of the identified digital content by returning ordered search results at least partially based on the prioritization.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising combining a plurality of recommendations into a set of recommendations, each of the plurality of recommendations originating from at least two different recommender-users.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising weighing each recommendation in the set of recommendations based on a number of different recommender-users the recommendation originated from and the relative rank of each of the corresponding recommender-users.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying the set of recommendations as suggested reading on a web site or mobile application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the set of recommendations is created for a topic area.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising embedding the set of recommendations as suggested reading in an electronic message.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the relative rank of corresponding recommender-user is determined within a topic area.

Assignments (8)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2020
From: SKYWORD INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 053426/0295 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2020
From: HERCULES CAPITAL INC., AS AGENT
To: SKYWORD INC.
Reel/Frame 053122/0264 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2019
From: SKYWORD INC.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 050145/0013 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME: 042930/0431 Recorded Nov 7, 2017
From: WESTERN ALLIANCE BANK
To: SKYWORD INC.
Reel/Frame 044767/0789 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 7, 2017
From: SKYWORD INC.
To: WESTERN ALLIANCE BANK
Reel/Frame 042930/0431 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2016
From: MIHALIK, JOHN L.; GERACE, THOMAS A.; SANDBORG, DAVID A.; FEDER, HELEN R.; MEYER, RICHARD A.
To: SKYWORD INC.
Reel/Frame 039766/0111 →
Continuity (4)
Division 15154029 · May 13, 2016
Division 12266893 · Nov 7, 2008
Provisional Application 60986796 · Nov 9, 2007
Related Publication 20170004559A1 · Jan 5, 2017