Abstract:
Adapting information to a user of an application program is provided. An arbiter receives a request object from the application program. The request object contains profile elements that convey characteristics of the user. The profile elements are analyzed by the arbiter, and, based on the outcome of the analysis, the arbiter selects a personalization engine from a plurality of personalization engines. The request object is passed to the selected personalization engine, which accesses a content database to retrieve a personalized content object comprising information tailored to the user. The personalized content object is sent to the application program, which interprets it for the user. Various embodiments include an expert-system arbiter, and an arbiter comprising computer code that is provided according to conventional object-oriented analysis and design methods executing on a programmable processor. The plurality of personalization engines may include a rule-based engine, a collaborative-filtering engine, or a predictive-modeling engine.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to information delivered over the Internet, also known as the worldwide web, and in particular to the tailoring of such information in response to characteristics of an Internet user to minimize information overload. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   With the advent and rapid growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web, the quantity of information that many people now encounter has brought the term “information overload” into the lexicon. As the quantity of information continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to tailor the content of information to meet the needs of Internet users—the consumers of information—so that they are not overloaded, and to meet the desires of information providers so that their voices are heard by the intended audience. 
   In the context of the Internet, the problem of tailoring information to combat information overload has been addressed in two ways. The first way is for the information provider to employ a personalization engine to tailor the information that is sent to the user, where the tailoring is guided by a sketchy characterization of the user that is appended to the message that the user&#39;s browser sends to open the information provider&#39;s web site. The second way is essentially the same as the first, except that the personalization engine retrieves the sketchy characterization of the user from a database that keeps historical records of the user&#39;s past interactions with the information provider. 
   Although providing some advantage, each of these approaches has its drawbacks. The rapid growth of the Internet has been accompanied by a wide variety of behavior patterns exhibited by Internet users, and a wide variety of equipment types employed by Internet users. Because of this wide variety, a one-size-fits-all approach to tailoring information does not work well, as the information provider cannot today determine with any degree of certainty how to best tailor the information delivered to the user so that potential for information overload is minimized. 
   Thus there remains a need to tailor the content of information delivered to a user in a way that efficiently accommodates a wide variety of behaviors, situations, and equipment, so that the user is not overloaded and the provider of the information is able to deliver an effective message. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a way of tailoring the content of information that is effective in dealing with a wide variety of users&#39; behaviors, situational contexts, and equipment. 
   The user&#39;s request is characterized by a request object that includes profile elements, which provide information about the character or situation of the user. The request object (a) is carried in a message that flows from the user&#39;s application program such as a web browser to an information provider such as a retailer&#39;s web page, or (b) is retrieved from a profile database available to the provider, or (c) is constructed according to a combination of both of the aforementioned. The request object is passed to an arbiter. The arbiter analyzes the profile elements of the request object and, in response to the outcome of the analysis, selects one of a plurality of personalization engines. The personalization engine that the arbiter selects is the personalization engine indicated by the arbiter&#39;s analysis to best suit the user&#39;s character or situation. The selected personalization engine identifies tailored information that is to be fetched from a content database. The tailored information includes a personalized content object that comprises content elements tailored to the user. The personalized content object is passed to the user&#39;s application program for presentation to the user. 
   In one embodiment of the invention, the arbiter comprises computer code produced by conventional analysis and object-oriented design procedures. In another embodiment of the invention, the arbiter comprises an expert system. Yet another embodiment of the invention includes a business-rule personalization engine, a collaborative-filtering personalization engine, and a predictive-modeling personalization engine. 
   By drawing upon the power of a personalization engine that is selected by the arbiter in response to analysis of the user&#39;s character and situation, the present invention provides a way of tailoring information effectively under widely varying circumstances. This and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following descriptions of embodiments of the invention when considered together with the drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a context suitable for use of the invention. 
       FIG. 2A  shows an exemplary structure of a request object sent from a user to an information provider in the context of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2B  shows an exemplary structure of a personal content object sent from the information provider of  FIG. 2A  to the user shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram that shows the structure of an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram that shows the operation of an exemplary arbiter that may be included in the structure illustrated by the block diagram of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram that shows aspects of the operation of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention will now be described more fully, making reference to the accompanying drawings, which show embodiments of the invention. In the drawings and in the description that follows, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The invention may also be embodied in many different forms; consequently, the invention should not be construed to be limited to the embodiments set forth here. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the invention may be embodied as methods or devices. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an embodiment entirely in hardware, an embodiment entirely in software, or an embodiment combining hardware and software aspects. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary context suitable for the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a user  105 , which may be either a human or an automation, interacts with an application program  110 . The application program  110  requests information from a server  120  by sending a message over the Internet  115  or over another kind of communication network. In response to receiving the request, the server  120  sends information to the application program  110 . For example, the user  105  may be a shopper, the application program  110  may comprise a web browser, and the server  120  may comprise a retailer&#39;s web site. In this example, the request may be an HTTP message that flows from the application program  110  to the server  120 . 
   The request sent from the application program  110  to the server  120  characterizes the user  105 , in the sense that the request bears data regarding the characteristics of the user  105 . This data comprises a set of profile elements, which set is called here a request object  200 . Although the request has been introduced here as an HTTP message, and the request object  200  couched accordingly, more generally the request object  200  may be any object provided by the application program to the server  120  where that object characterizes the user  105 . 
     FIG. 2A  shows an exemplary request object  200 . The request object  200  comprises one or more fields that carry one or more profile elements, which profile elements are shown in  FIG. 2A  as N profile elements  205 A through  205 N, where N may have different numerical values for different request objects  200 . Each of the N profile elements  205 A through  205 N gives information regarding the characteristics of the user  105  or the application program  110 . Profile elements  205 A through  205 N may include the user&#39;s name, network ID, the user&#39;s history of interaction with the server  120  including a retail customer&#39;s purchase history and status or context as a valued customer or a first-time customer, items previously viewed or added to a shopping cart, and so forth. The foregoing list of profile elements  205 A through  205 N is to be construed as illustrative rather than limiting. 
     FIG. 2B  shows an exemplary personalized content object  210 , which comprises information tailored to the advantage of the user  105  or the application program  110 , or tailored to the advantage of a party associated with the server  120 , for example the retailer mentioned earlier. The personalized content object  210  includes one or more content elements, which are shown in  FIG. 2B  as J content elements  215 A through  215 J, where J may have different numerical values for different personal content objects  210 . Each of the J content elements  215 A through  215 J gives information to be sent to the application program  110 , which application program  110  may comprise a web browser for interpreting displaying the J content elements  215 A through  215 J, or information derived therefrom, to the user  105 . 
   For clarity of illustration, the request object  200  and the personalized content object  210  are shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , respectively, as vectors. This is by way of illustration, and is not a limitation of the present invention. Rather, the request object  200  and the personalized content object  210  are any structures capable of transporting the profile elements  205 A through  205 N and the content elements  215 A through  215 J. 
     FIG. 3  shows a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 3 , input logic  305  receives the request object  200 . The input logic  305  may include a modem or other communication interface or adapter. The input logic  305  accesses a profile database  320  through a profile database proxy  315 . The profile database  320  may contain profile elements that are known to the server  120  but not presently included in the request object  200 . The input logic  305  incorporates into the request object  200  any such relevant profile elements that are found in the profile database  320 . 
   The input logic  305  passes the request object  200  to an arbiter  310 , which is described further hereinbelow, for analysis. The arbiter  310  has at least two outputs. One of these two outputs is the request object  200 , which the arbiter  310  passes to one of a plurality of personalization engines  325 A through  325 M, where M is the count of personalization engines making up the plurality of personalization engines. The personalization engine  325 A through  325 M are described further hereinbelow. The other of the two outputs of the arbiter  310  is an enable signal that selects and enables one of the plurality of personalization engines  325 A through  325 M to analyze the request object  200 . The personalization engine that is selected and enabled by the arbiter  310  is referred to here as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ (not shown explicitly in the drawings). 
   The selected personalization engine  325 ′ analyzes the profile elements  205 A through  205 N of the request object  200 . Based on the outcome of this analysis, the selected personalization engine  325 ′ identifies a personal content object  210  stored in a content database  335 , and retrieves the identified personal content object  210  through a content database proxy  330 . Alternately, the personalization engine can generate new content itself. The content database proxy  330  passes the personalized content object  210  to the output logic  340 . The output logic  340  may include a modem or other communication interface or adapter. The output logic  340  passes the personal content object  210  through the Internet  115  to the application program  110 . In practice, the profile database  320  and the content database  335  may be combined into a single database, and the profile database proxy  315  and the content database proxy  330  may be combined into a single database proxy. 
   More generally, the present invention provides the user  105  with information tailored to the benefit of the user  105  or to the benefit of a party associated with the server  120  such as a retailer who has a web site. The function of the selected personalization engine  325 ′ is to decide how information is to be tailored, or more specifically, which personalization content object  210  is to be selected from the content database  335 . 
   At least three kinds of standard personalization engines are known to those skilled in the art. These are known as business-rules engines, collaborative-filtering engines, and predictive-modeling engines, all of which are appropriate for use in the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the use of these standard engines, however, and accommodates other kinds of personalization engines as well, including new or non-standard engines developed to accommodate other circumstances. 
   One kind of personalization engine may be optimal for one set of circumstances, yet sub-optimal for another set of circumstances. For example, when a great deal is known about past behavior of a large set of users, a collaborative-filtering engine, which is based on statistical clustering, may outperform a business-rules engine or a predictive modeling engine. On the other hand, when the identity of the user is unknown, a predictive-modeling engine, which observes a user&#39;s behavior and therefrom makes predictions regarding the nature of the user, may outperform a business-rules engine or a collaborative-filtering engine. Finally, when circumstances change quickly and the operation of the personalization engine needs to change in response to these circumstances, for example in the context of e-commerce web sites that offer cross-sell and up-sell promotions, a business-rules engine may be the most suitable choice. 
   According to the present invention, the arbiter  310  selects and enables the personalization engine that is expected to provide the best performance given the circumstances of the user  105  or the application program  110 . In the present invention, the arbiter  310  may be embodied according to standard object-oriented analysis and design methods, or more generally may comprise an expert system that is rule based, model based, or knowledge based, all of which are appropriate for use in the present invention. The selection made by the arbiter  310  is based on information that is provided by the request object  200  or the profile database  320 , or some combination of the request object  200  and the profile database  320 , regarding the user  105  or the application program  110 . Because the personalization engine that is expected to provide the best available performance is selected from a plurality of personality engines, the present invention provides the best available tailoring of information under a wide range of circumstances. 
   More specifically,  FIG. 4  shows an exemplary arbiter  310  that is suitable for use in an online-shopping embodiment of the present invention that has three personalization engines: a business-rules engine, a predictive-modeling engine, and a collaborative-filtering engine. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the arbiter  310  receives the request object  200  and examines the profile elements  205 A through  205 N (step  410 ). If the user  105  is in a critical situation (step  415 ), the arbiter  310  selects a business-rules engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the business-rules engine  325 ′ (step  420 ). For example, a business-to-business user might be in a critical situation in that they need an item immediately. In this case, execution is passed to the business rules engine, which executes a special set of rules for fast delivery of the item. 
   Otherwise (i.e., the user  105  is not in a critical situation), the arbiter  310  examines the date of the request object  200  (step  425 ). If the date of the request object  200  falls within the last five days of a month, the arbiter  310  selects the business-rules engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the business-rules engine (step  420 ). 
   Otherwise (i.e., the date of the request object  200  does not fall within the last five days of the month), the arbiter determines if the identity of the user  105  is known (step  430 ). 
   If the ID of the user  105  is not known, the arbiter  310  determines whether the usage or short-term history path of the user  105  is known (step  435 ). 
   If the path of the user  105  is not known, the arbiter  310  selects the business-rules engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the business-rules engine (step  420 ). Otherwise (i.e., the path of the user  105  is known), the arbiter  310  selects the predictive-modeling engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the predictive-modeling engine  325 ′ (step  440 ). 
   Otherwise (i.e., the ID of the user  105  is known), the arbiter  310  determines whether a shopping history is available (step  450 ). 
   If a shopping history of the user  105  is not available, the arbiter  310  determines whether the path of the user  105  is known (step  435 ). If the path of the user  105  is not known, the arbiter  310  selects the business-rules engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the business-rules engine (step  420 ). Otherwise (i.e., the path of the user  105  is known), the arbiter  310  selects the predictive-modeling engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the predictive-modeling engine  325 ′ (step  440 ). 
   Otherwise, (i.e., the shopping history of the user  105  is available), the arbiter  310  determines whether a collaborative filtering engine at the disposal of the arbiter  310  has sufficient statistical knowledge to support a selection of the collaborative filtering engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ (step  455 ). For example, the test for sufficiency may comprise an examination of whether or not 20,000 samples are known to the collaborative filtering engine. 
   If statistical knowledge is sufficient, the arbiter  310  selects the collaborative-filtering engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the collaborative-filtering engine  325 ′ (step  460 ). 
   Otherwise (i.e., the statistical knowledge is not sufficient), the arbiter  310  determines whether the path of the user  105  is known (step  435 ). If the path of the user  105  is not known, the arbiter  310  selects the business-rules engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the business-rules engine (step  420 ). Otherwise (i.e., the path of the user  105  is known), the arbiter  310  selects the predictive-modeling engine as the selected personalization engine  325 ′ and passes the request object  200  to the predictive-modeling personalization engine  325 ′ (step  440 ). 
     FIG. 5  shows another aspect of the present invention, which aspect is a method of operation of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 3 , and which may include the operation of the exemplary arbiter  310  discussed above and illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Although the method of  FIG. 5  will now be discussed as it may be performed by the server  120 , the method is not limited in its scope to the server  120 , and may be used as well by the application program  110  or by a third-party entity (not shown), for example by a service provider. 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , the input logic  305  at the server  120  receives the request object  200  (step  510 ). The server  120  accesses the profile database  320  through the profile database proxy  315 , and incorporates any profile elements found in the profile database  320  into the request object  200  (step  515 ). The input logic  305  then passes the request object  200  to the arbiter  310  (step  520 ). The arbiter  310  analyzes the profile elements  205 A through  205 N of the request object  200  according to the method illustrated in  FIG. 4  (step  525 ) or according to another method as mentioned above. Responsive to this analysis, the arbiter  310  selects a personalization engine to be the selected personalization engine  325 ′ (step  530 ), and passes the request object  200  to the selected personalization engine  325 ′ (step  535 ). The selected personalization engine  325 ′ analyzes the request object  200 , and based on the outcome of the analysis identifies a personalized content object  210  to be retrieved from the content database  335  (step  540 ). The selected personalized content object  210  is retrieved through the content database proxy  330  (step  545 ). The content database proxy  335  passes the personalized content object  210  through the internet  115  to the application program  110  (step  550 ).