Patent ID: 7516225

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for providing a recommendation of an item to a user, comprising: user input means for inputting a category associated with a first item and a preference level of said first item and for inputting a recommendation request for another item associated with said category, the preference level being within a predetermined preference level range; memory means for storing said preference level in accordance with said first item; evaluate means for evaluating an ambiguity of said preference level in reference to a maximum ambiguous preference level within the preference level range, deriving a weighting factor based on said ambiguity of said preference level and adjusting a preference level evaluation result of said first item based on said weighting factor, said evaluate means deriving said weighting factor based on a difference of said preference level from said maximum ambiguous preference level, such that said ambiguity decreases and said weighting factor correspondingly increases as said preference level increases relative to said said maximum ambiguous preference level within said preference level range, and said ambiguity increases and said weighting factor correspondingly decreases as said preference level approaches said said maximum ambiguous preference level; extract means for extracting, in response to said recommendation request, said other item stored in said memory means based upon the preference level evaluation result of said first item from said evaluate means and a predetermined preference level threshold value; and display means for displaying said other item extracted by extract means in response to said recommendation request.