Patent ID: 7308451
Filing Date: 2007-12-11
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for clustering a plurality of items, each of the items including information, the method comprising: inputting a plurality of items, each of the items including information, into a clustering process; inputting an initial organization structure into the clustering process, the initial organization structure including one or more categories, a first one of the items being associated with at least one of the categories of the initial organization structure; processing, using at least processing hardware, the plurality of items in at least the clustering process, the clustering process being based in part upon the initial organization structure and in part upon the information in each of the items, the clustering process being biased toward the categories of the initial organization structure, wherein the processing comprises determining a likeness level between a first item and a second item, the likeness level being defined such that the likeness level between two items is increased to the extent that both of the two items are associated with a same one or more of the categories of the initial organization structure, and wherein determining the likeness level between the first item and the second item comprises: automatically determining, using at least the processing hardware, a resulting organization structure based upon the processing of the plurality of items, the resulting organization structure comprising at least a portion of the initial organization structure and a modification to at least one of the categories of the initial organization structure such that an association of a first one of the items to at least one of the categories of the resulting organization structure is different from an association of the first one of the items to at least one of the categories of the initial organization structure; and storing the resulting organization structure in memory.