Patent ID: 7630960
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A data processing system comprising: a plurality of peer information processing devices, each including a content database from which content is retrieved based on a content identifier; and a control server connected to the peer information processing devices over a network, the control server including: a user information database for storing: (a) interest information of users of the peer information processing devices and identification data for identifying users, the interest information including: (i) a first vector parameter representing a first degree or level of interest of a first user in categorized interest information; (ii) a second vector parameter representing a second degree or level of interest of a second user in categorized interest information; (iii) a first static initial interest vector associated with the first user; (iv) a second static initial interest vector associated with the second user; (b) a first interest vector corresponding to said first user representing said first degree or level of interest; (c) a second interest vector corresponding to said second user representing said second degree or level of interest, wherein the categorized interest information is grouped into predetermined categories independent of the user information database; content retrieval request processing for, upon receipt of a content retrieval request from one of the peer information processing devices: (a) retrieving the interest information which is stored in the user information database in correspondence with the requesting peer information processing device; (b) determining an order for sequentially issuing a plurality of content search requests based on said first interest vector and said second interest vector; and (c) extracting, in accordance with said determined order, from the user information database a user having a most similar interest information as indicated by measuring a distance between said first interest vector and said second interest vector; device search requesting means for inquiring about the presence or absence of the content in the peer information processing device of the user extracted by the content retrieval request processing means; and user interest managing means for updating the interest vector of a requesting user of the requesting peer information processing device when a content retrieval is performed in response to a content retrieval request from one of the peer information processing devices, wherein: (a) the distance between the interest vector of the requesting user and the interest vector of a user of one of the peer information processing devices which provides the content is reduced; (b) the level of interest in a category of the requesting user is updated based on the level of interest in the category of the user which provides the content; and (c) the interest vector of the requesting user is updated according to a degree of change associated with the user interest information over a predetermined elapsed time.