Patent ID: 7698300
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An information processing apparatus for managing long-term preference attributes of a user, comprising: a processor; a memory storing the long-term preference attributes, the long-term preference attributes being based on attributes of content selected by the user during a first period; means for receiving the user's selection of content during a second period that is shorter than the first period; means for generating short-term preference attributes of the user from attributes of the content selected by the user during the second period; and decision means for determining content to be recommended from content available to the user, comprising: means for computing a first similarity value based on a similarity between the long-term preference attributes and the short-term preference attributes, the first similarity value indicating how similar the long-term preference attributes are to the short-term preference attributes; means for determining whether the first similarity value is below a reference value; and means for, when it is determined that the first similarity value is below the reference value: generating weight information for recommending the content to the user based on performing a mathematical operation on the first similarity value and a predetermined weight value weighting attributes of the short-term preference attributes that are dissimilar to corresponding attributes of the long-term preference attributes more heavily than attributes of the short-term preference attributes that are similar to corresponding attributes of the long-term preference attributes; computing a second similarity value based on a similarity between the short-term preference attributes of the user and corresponding attributes of the content available to the user and on the weight information; and selecting for recommendation the content from the content available to the user based on the second similarity value such that the selected content tends to have attributes that are dissimilar to corresponding attributes of the long-term preference attributes; and means for recommending the selected content to the user, wherein as the user selects content during the second period, the reference value is reduced.