Patent ID: 6606624
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method to recommend items to at least one user based upon data collected from N users where N>>1, the method executed by a computer under control of a program, the computer including a memory storing the program, the method comprising the following steps:(a) during an initial on-line phase, accumulating a database of preference patterns based upon input from N users, during which phase no recommendations are made; (b) during an initial off-line phase, processing the database accumulated at step (a) to identify a predictor set of items for all future users to rate and to transform high-dimensional preference patterns to lower-dimensional data, and converting said lower-dimensional data into a recommendation map; (c) during a second on-line phase: (i) collecting high-dimensional preference data for said new user; and (ii) generating recommendations for said new user based on data collected in step (c)(i) and based upon said recommendation map derived in one of step (b) and step (d); wherein time-consuming processing steps associated with step (b) and step (d) are avoided and effective magnitude of N is reduced; and (d) during subsequent off-line phases: processing said database of preference patterns based upon input from more than N users accumulated from step (a) and step (c)(i); transforming high-dimensional preference patterns to lower-dimensional data; and converting said lower-dimensional data into a recommendation map.