US20120240080A1 - Profile based searching and targeting - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and a method of segmenting information, is provided where a user may select a topic from a displayed topic list, including a question indicative of the topic and a response which then displays correlated content to the response. Another option is for the user to select a pre-generated compounded statement, where upon selecting, the correlated content is displayed. The correlated content is provided a priority and specific sequence, where the user may select a filter from a plurality of filters and there are options to remove and/or switch responses. An opposite correlated content is also provided, that is opposite responses to the correlated content and a public content is that is indicative of what is popular among the public. The user is provided with a tracking overlay comprising a rating panel, including rating factors, and a selecting panel, including commands for sorting the correlated content.

Description

BENEFIT CLAIM
• This application is a continuation and claims benefit and priority from a prior application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/611,648, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEGMENTING INFORMATION,” filed on Dec. 15, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
• 1) Field of the Invention
• The invention relates generally to information retrieval systems, more particularly, a system, a method and a computer readable medium for segmenting information.
• 2) Discussion of the Related Art
• Millions of people currently access the Internet on a daily basis to search and shop for goods and services, find information, and to communicate with friends, family, and others who may or may not have like-minded interests. When a consumer wishes to purchase a product or find information on the Internet, the consumer enters an address into a web browser of a website associated with the product, service or information. If the consumer is not aware of a website associated with the product or service, the consumer may search using a search engine.
• Search engines are a powerful resource. Several search engines exist that facilitate the searching of information from different information sources. For example, Google® and Yahoo® are both commonly used search engines that search information on the World Wide Web. When a user or consumer is seeking products, services or information, the user will enter text or a string of text relevant to the information sought. The user then receives a number of results or “hits” based on the search query.
• The user is generally able to search within the first search and narrow down results by clicking an option to search within results. In addition, the user may assign certain filtering parameters to the search. The filtering may be absolute or relative. The net results are then listed, often in order of relevance by a predetermined algorithm. The user is then presented with a large number of websites in which the user must navigate and determine, of the websites, which is the most valuable to the user's interests. The sheer number of websites presented to the user is a deterrent from finding a site that is uniquely tailored to the user's interests. Moreover, search engines rarely ask any uniquely identifying information which would function to distinguish the user. Essentially, the query itself is the only distinguishing feature.
• After a user purchases a product found on a website, or a consumer enters a search query using a search engine, where the usage is tracked, a subsequent visit may bring up suggestions of other products that other users have bought, who also bought the first product, or searched using the same previously submitted search queries. Currently, Amazon.com® provides a “suggestion engine”, i.e. “people who bought this book also bought that book.” While this is a great feature, there are many disadvantages. Suggestion engines will use other customer's usage habits as a base to recommend products. The suggestion is inefficient because the suggested product is based on low correlating data, i.e. the fact(s) that both had previously purchased the same product(s), or used the same search terms in a search. Without more data on both users, the probability that the user will actually benefit from the suggestion is relatively low.
• The power of the suggestion becomes even more attenuated when the data used in the suggestion may have been based on a user buying for a family member or friend, an item that may have been a gag gift, resulting in a suggestion tailored for a completely different purpose. Compounding further, current suggestion engines are unable to gather the necessary data to tailor the suggestion. This is because, given the state of the art, users are unwilling to spend the time necessary to enter the appropriate data into the system.
• A user using a search engine, such as Google®, is faced with other disadvantages as well. Currently, search engines allow the user the ability to enter a search query and receive results. However, if the user wanted to modify search parameters and visualize the distinctions between, and effect of, each parameter, the user would be unable to do so without having to start each search over, thus requiring the user to enter text separately, tracking each query and result.
• Currently, the art does not have the ability to provide tailored information to users and functionality to searching. What is needed is a way to segment searched information so it can be categorized, such as segment like-minded interests and traits; segment products, items, places, services, websites, and people; segment information and search formats such as text, video, audio, images, and combinations of format types; segment marketing campaigns by their appeal or success; and segment individual words, terms, concepts, or categories used in a text, audio, and/or video search. Further needed are ways to compare and correlate these segments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates an information retrieval client-server network.
• FIG. 2 is a flow chart, illustrating a method of segmenting information.
• FIG. 3aillustrates a tracking overlay, including a rating panel with a plurality of rating factors and a selecting panel with a plurality of commands.
• FIG. 3billustrates a tracking overlay, including an undo feature as a command.
• FIG. 3cillustrates a result of selecting a detail feature as a command.
• FIG. 4aillustrates a web screen of a displayed correlated content.
• FIG. 4billustrates a web screen of the tracking overlay, including the displayed correlated content.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a web screen of an at least one profile, including management of an at least one profile.
• FIG. 6 illustrates a web screen of an at least one topic list and an at least one pre-generated compound topic list.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a web screen of the at least one topic, including an at least one question, including a plurality of response forms.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a web screen of the at least one question, including a plurality of response forms, including a selection of an answer form.
• FIG. 9 illustrates a web screen of a plurality of filters, including an option to switch and an option to delete, the answer form and the question, respectively.
• FIG. 10 illustrates a web screen of a correlated content generated, including the tracking overlay.
• FIG. 11 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user could use variables to search and/or discover new content.
• FIG. 12 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user's overall value could be created utilizing the collective value of the CMYK channel values.
• FIG. 13 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user could interact with advertisement offers provided to a particular user from a selected advertiser.
SUMMARY
• In a first embodiment, a method of segmenting information comprises the displaying of a topic list; selecting a topic from the topic list, including a question indicative of the topic; selecting the question, including a plurality of response forms; selecting a response form; and displaying a correlated content to the response form. Further, wherein the method may include selecting a filter from a plurality of filters; displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form; while providing an option to remove the a question from the selected response form; and providing an option to switch the response form. Furthermore, wherein the option to switch includes the correlated content.
• The method may also include displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority and a tracking overlay, the tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content. Further, wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value. Furthermore, wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including an opposite correlated content. The method may also include managing an at least one user profile, including comparing the at least one profile with a correlated content. Further, wherein the at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme. The method may include at least one collaborative component and display a public content.
• In a second embodiment, a method of segmenting information comprises displaying a pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; selecting a pre-generated compounded topic; and displaying the correlated content. Further, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters and displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form, displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority; and including a tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content. Further, wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value and wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including an opposite correlated content.
• The method also includes the managing an at least one user profile, including comparing the at least one profile with a correlated content and wherein the at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme. The method may include at least one collaborative component and display a public content.
• In a third embodiment, a computer implemented system configured to segment information comprises at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer that comprises a means for displaying a topic list; a means for selecting a topic from the topic list, including a question indicative of the topic; a means for selecting the question, including a plurality of response forms; a means for selecting a response form; and a means for displaying a correlated content to the response form. Further, this computer implemented system may include selecting an filter from a plurality of filters. The computer implemented system may include displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form. The computer implemented system may include providing an option to remove the question from the selected response form of the question and may provide an option to switch the response form, wherein the option to switch includes the correlated content. The computer implemented system may also include displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority, and include a tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content. Further, wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value and wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content. The means for managing one user profile, may include comparing the one profile with a correlated content and wherein the one user profile may be associated with a coding scheme. The computer implemented system may include at least one collaborative component and may include displaying a public content.
• In a fourth embodiment, a computer implemented system configured to segment information, comprising at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer, comprises a means for displaying a at least one pre-generated compounded topic, the at least one pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; a means for selecting a pre-generated compounded topic; and a means for displaying the correlated content. The computer implemented system may include selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters; include displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form; and include displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority. The computer implemented system may include a tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content. Further, wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value and wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• The computer implemented system may include a means for managing an at least one user profile, including comparing the at least one profile with a correlated content and wherein the at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme. Further, the computer implemented system may include at least one collaborative component and may include displaying a public content.
• In a fifth embodiment, a computer readable medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform a method of segmenting information, the method comprises displaying and selecting a at least one topic from the at least one topic list, including a question indicative of the topic; selecting the question, including a plurality of response forms; selecting a response form; and displaying a correlated content to the response form. This computer readable medium may include selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters; include displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form; and may provide an option to remove the at least one question from the selecting a response form of the at least one question.
• The computer readable medium may provide an option to switch the response form; wherein the option to switch includes the correlated content; and may include displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority. Further, the computer readable medium may include a tracking overlay, the tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content, wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value. Further, wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• The computer readable medium may include managing an at least one user profile, including comparing the at least one profile with a correlated content; wherein the at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme. The computer readable medium of claim may include at least one collaborative component and may include displaying a public content.
• In a sixth embodiment, a computer readable medium containing instructions and stored on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform a method of segmenting information, the method comprises displaying and selecting a pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; and displaying the correlated content. The computer readable medium may include selecting a filter from a plurality of filters and may include displaying a correlated content, opposite to the correlated content to the response form. The computer readable medium may include displaying a correlated content to the response form according to a priority. The computer readable medium may include a tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of the correlated content to the response and generating a correlated content; and wherein the sorting correlated content increases content value. Further, wherein in the sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes the correlated content from the displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content. The computer readable medium may include managing an at least one user profile, including comparing the at least one profile with a correlated content. Further, wherein the at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme and may include at least one collaborative component and include displaying a public content.
• In a seventh embodiment, a method of gathering data on at least one website, comprises placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, the tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing the user to work with the concurrently active program; capturing the data within the tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of the data from the at least one website; and storing the data, including the plurality of identifying markers within at least one database. Further, wherein the tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting the data.
• In an eighth embodiment, a computer implemented system provides gathering data on at least one website, the system comprising at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer, and comprises a means for placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, the tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing the user to work with the concurrently active program; a means for capturing the data within the tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of the data from the at least one website; and a means for storing the data, including the plurality of identifying markers within at least one database. Further, wherein the tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting the data.
• In a ninth embodiment, a computer readable medium containing instructions and stored on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, which includes a memory and at least one processor, to perform a method of gathering data on at least one website, comprises placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, the tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing the user to work with the concurrently active program; capturing the data within the tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of the data from the at least one website; and storing the data, including the plurality of identifying markers within at least one database. Further, wherein the tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting the data.
• In a tenth embodiment, the system displays a prompt and a plurality of responses to a first user, receives a first chosen response selected from said plurality of responses from said first user, displays said prompt and said plurality of responses to a second user, receives a second chosen response selected from said plurality of responses from said second user, and displays a content to said second user based on correlation between said first chosen response and said second chosen response. The prompt could be a question or a content. The plurality of responses could be a list of answers to said question, a rating, or a ranking. The system may also display an option to remove said prompt and said plurality of responses to a user.
• In another embodiment, the system could additionally display said content and a content response to said first user and receive a first user selection of said content response, wherein said displaying said content to said second user is also partially based on said first user selection of said content response. The system could then receive a second user selection of said content response and display an updated content to said second user partially based on said second user selection of said content response.
• In an eleventh embodiment, the system displays a prompt and a plurality of responses to a first user, displays an option to remove said prompt to a first user, receives a first user selection either of a chosen response selected from said plurality of responses or of said option to remove from said first user, and after receiving a chosen response, generates a content to said first user partially based on said first user selection from said plurality of responses.
• The system could additionally display a prompt and a plurality of responses to a second user, and display an option to remove said prompt to a second user. After receiving a chosen response, the system can generate a content to said second user partially based on said first user selection from said plurality of responses. The system can also display an updated prompt and an updated plurality of responses to a user after receiving a user selection of said option to remove. The system can also display a sub-prompt and a sub-response to said user after receiving said selection. The content can be generated according to a prior user's association of a response and a correlated content.
• In a twelfth embodiment, the system can display a prompt to a first user, receive a first selection of a response to said prompt from said first user, receive a first user rating of a content, display said prompt to a second user, receive a second selection of a response to said prompt from said second user, and display said content to said second user partially based on correlation between said first response and said second response.
• In any of the embodiments, the content could be one of movies, music, concerts, television shows, books, games, toys, electronics, restaurants, vehicles, travel, real estate, schools, products, services, service providers, stores, advertisements, dates, and/or other users. The content can also be displayed according to a priority.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention discussed below includes systems, methods and articles of manufacture which segment information, created either by questions answered within divisive topics, issues and other subject matter, or pre-generated compounded topics including the same. The present invention may be implemented by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware, in various applications or may include a computer. The computer may be configured by a computer readable medium or program code to provide functionality. The program instructions may be those designed for the purposes of the present invention.
• FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a general overview of an information retrieval client-server network2 in which the invention may be implemented, including a variety of components that communicate over apublic network6, preferably the Internet. The information retrieval client-server network2 includes aclient system4 and asearch system8. Theclient system4, using Uniform Resource Locators (URL), accesses web servers through, in one embodiment, over a local area network (LAN), wireless area network (WAN), or an internet service provider (ISP). Theclient system4 in one embodiment may include a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant or cell phone, or generally, any device that includes a graphical user interface (GUI) and/or a voice response unit (VRU) and can access a network. Theclient system4 typically includes one or more processors, memories and input/output devices.
• Thesearch system8 includes one ormore search engines10, acomputer10a, including a processing system, one ormore content servers12 and one ormore profile servers14. Generally, servers may include a central processing unit (CPU), a main memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a storage device and a communication interface all coupled together via a bus. Thesearch engine10, including a program, processes a search query entered by a user, and communicates with thecontent server12 or theprofile server14, to retrieve content. Thecontent server12 stores content associated with thesystem8, and theprofile servers14 store profiles generated by users, both acting as information providers for the client-server network2, accessed by thecomputer10a, when the user submits a query into thesearch engine10.
• Servers include databases, which may be implemented in a single storage device or in a plurality of storage devices located in a single location or distributed across multiple locations. The databases are accessible to the servers and clients, within the client-server network2. The information stored in the databases may be stored in one or more formats that are applicable to one or more software applications that are used by the clients and servers.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a method for segmenting information. Thesearch system8 is responsible for processing submissions by the user of theclient4 and displaying content in correlation with the submission(s). An at least onetopic list112 is displayed on the graphical user interface of theclient system4. The at least onetopic list112 is comprised of topics from current issues and other information. In one embodiment, the at least onetopic list112 is related to social and political opinions, favorite media and brands, sports, hobbies or other topics that are either contested, debated, popular or polarizing to a population of people.
• Thesearch system8 provides the user a means for selecting an at least onetopic114, from the at least onetopic list112. Typically theclient4 includes a mouse, touch screen, keyboard, or other technological improvements therein, to effectuate the selection by the user. The user then selects an at least onequestion116 indicative of the at least onetopic114. The at least onequestion116, includes a plurality of response forms118. In one embodiment, the plurality of response forms118 may be a selection of “yes” or “no.” In another embodiment, the plurality of response forms118 may be a selection of brands, locations or other forms that are other than “yes” or “no.” The user then selects aresponse form118 and thesearch system8 displays a correlatedcontent120a. In another embodiment, thesearch system8 displays an opposite correlatedcontent120b. In another embodiment, thesearch system8 displays apublic content120c, which may include content that is currently popular among the general public.
• In one embodiment, the correlated content and opposite correlated content,120aand120b, may be based on data generated from a population who answered an initial series of questions, or an “initial poll.” In another embodiment, the at least onetopic list112, the at least onetopic114, and the at least onequestion116 may be generated by the initial poll of a population. The initial poll will generate topics and questions that are currently debated, contested, popular, or polarizing to a population of people, by subjecting the population to a primary set of questions. In another embodiment, the initial poll will also contain questions concerning media, brands, sports, hobbies, interests and other information, so thesearch system8 may correlate data and generate content.
• FIG. 2 illustrates another method of segmenting information, according to an embodiment of the invention. Thesearch system8 includes a method of segmenting information by displaying an at least one pre-generated compoundedtopic list112a. The user uses similar means described above for selecting from the at least onetopic list112. The pre-generated compoundedtopic114ais selected and thesearch system8 displays the correlatedcontent120aassociated with the selection of the pre-generated compoundedtopic114a. The pre-generated compoundedtopic114a, in one embodiment, may be a combination of the at least onetopic114.
• In an embodiment, thesearch system8 displays an opposite correlatedcontent120b. In another embodiment, the search system displays thepublic content120c, which may include content that is currently popular among the general public. The correlated content and opposite correlated content,120aand120brespectively, may be generated in a similar fashion by the initial poll. Thepublic content120cprovides the user an ability to view, rank/sort, and compare content devoid of correlated influences placed on content displayed in120a/120b.
• The pre-generated compoundedtopic list112aincludes current issues or other information. In another embodiment, the subject matter is related to social and political opinions, favorite media and brands, sports, hobbies or other topics that are either contested, debated, popular or polarizing to a population of people.
• Thesearch system8 includes an option to select an at least one filter of a plurality offilters122, modifying the displayed correlatedcontent120a. In one embodiment, thefilter122 may be a range such as age, price, location, and/or time. Thesearch system8 then displays theopposite content120band the correlatedcontent120a, allowing the user the ability to visualize the content directed to those users who selected the opposite, or different,response form118.
• Thesearch system8 includes an option to remove124, or temporarily remove124a, the at least onequestion116 and an option to switch126 theresponse form118. The options provide the user the ability to view distinctions, by a single movement or click, in the displayed content without having to start over by re-entering questions into thesearch system8. In one embodiment, thesearch system8 includes displaying the correlatedcontent120a, theopposite content120b, to theresponse form118 according to a priority. The priority may be by popularity, but may also include such factors as alphabet, release date, and/or price. The user is then able to customize how the content is displayed.
• FIG. 3aincludes atracking overlay32. The trackingoverlay32 is comprised of arating panel34, including a plurality of rating factors34a, and a selectingpanel36, including a plurality ofcommands36a. The trackingoverlay32 functions to sort and rate the displayed correlatedcontent120a, the opposite correlatedcontent120b, and thepublic content120c, using the selectingpanel36 and therating panel34, respectively.
• FIG. 3billustrates the trackingoverlay32 and the selectingpanel36, including an undo feature as acommand36a, aiding the user in instances where a mistake in sorting occurs.FIG. 3cillustrates a detail feature as acommand36a, including, an at least onedetail element36ai. The at least onedetail element36ai, in one embodiment, allows the user to retrieve details about the correlated content, opposite correlated content, public content,120a,120band120crespectively and view current popular reviews and/or other user reviews, including those users with “like-minded” or “opposite-minded” views.
• FIG. 4aillustrates the displayed correlatedcontent120a, the opposite correlatedcontent120b, or thepublic content120c. In one embodiment, the displayed correlated content, opposite correlated content and public content,120a,120band120c, respectively, are displayed simultaneously.FIG. 4billustrates the use of thetracking overlay32. The user places the trackingoverlay32 over the correlated content, the opposite correlated content, or the public content,120a,120b,120c, respectively and as describe above, provides the user options to sort, using the selectingpanel36, and rank, using therating panel34, the displayed content.
• The user, upon using a mouse or tracking device, to which thetracking overlay32 is guided, selects the correlated content, the opposite correlated content, and/or the public content,120a,120band120c, respectively, and in one embodiment, the plurality ofcommands36amay serve to add content to associated bins, which may include a favorites bin for movies already seen and rated, a shopping cart bin for movies the user would like to buy, rent, or download, a wish list bin for movies that the user would like to see, but is not ready to buy, rent, or download yet, a trash bin for movies the user saw and did not like or does not care to see in any of the displayed content again, or the detail feature, which includes content details.
• The user, upon selecting the correlated content, opposite correlated content, and/or thepublic content120a,120b, and120c, respectively, in one embodiment, serves to generate a correlated content in the database of the servers, and also to increase a value of the selected content within thesearch system8.
• In one embodiment, the sorting of the correlatedcontent120a, optionally, disposes the correlatedcontent120a, including theopposite content120bandpublic content120c, allowing the user to prevent the correlatedcontent120a,120b,120cfrom being displayed in120a/120b/120c. Thesearch system8 functions to slide the correlatedcontent120a, the opposite correlatedcontent120b, and thepublic content120c, laterally into the trackingoverlay32, providing the user minimal motion to sort. Thesearch system8 allows the tracking overlay to sort through thousands of content by the click of a mouse, a keyboard or functional equivalent and store that content in different unique locations, without having to drag and drop separately. Thesearch system8 provides the user with varied profiles, allowing the means to manage the at least oneuser profile38, in cases where the user may be interested in information for others.
• The system can track all currently selected questions of the at least onequestion116 and the plurality of response forms118 along with the content or item being sorted and/or ranked by the trackingoverlay32. Depending on the strength of the data known about the user, the response form data further builds the correlations with content in the database. For example, if the user is known to be relatively new to the website/application and/or uses the system anonymously, the correlation may be none or relatively low. As the user uses the system over time and creates more definitive data and/or creates profiles, the correlation to the response form data and the user's content sorting and/or rating for use by other users increases.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a means for managing an at least oneuser profile38. The user profile is generated from sorting the correlated content, the opposite correlated content, and/or the public content,120a,120band120c, respectively, in one embodiment, using thetracking overlay32. The user may manage various profiles created for family, friends, groups or any other association for which the user may search for information. In another embodiment, thesearch system8 includes the ability to compare the at least oneprofile38 to other profiles within thesearch system8.
• In one embodiment, the user may compare generated profiles, other user profiles, including those profiles opposite or similar in thinking, and subsets of profiles, including the at least onetopic114, the at least onequestion116, and the associated bins; favorites, shopping cart, wish list and trash. For example, the user may restrict the search to a specific topic such as polar, social, media, brands, and/or hobbies, or a specific question(s) within those topics, presenting the user with associated content. The user may also compare associated bins with another user or users.
• In one embodiment, generated profiles may be assigned a coding scheme associated with the at least onetopic114 and/or the at least onequestion116. The coding scheme in one embodiment may represent a color channel of a spectrum, or a plurality of color channels of the spectrum, wherein the user's color code may be values, or intensities, within the channel(s). The color may represent a category of associated topics and/or questions. For example, politics may be a blue channel of the spectrum, and questions within the topic may determine whether the user is liberal, moderate, or conservative based on how the user answers. If other questions are answered that fall into other topics with other color channels, the user may be assigned a value, or intensity, within those colors and the total applicable colors may be combined, while individual values based on the combination are still retained, creating a unique identifier. The coding scheme allows for the classification of users by retrieving and analyzing the plurality of response forms118, which identifies and distinguishes users, segmenting them into groups in which there are members. The information will be stored in a manner that associates the user with the selected group.
• Management of the at least oneprofile38 also allows the user to compare generated profiles, other user profiles, and subsets of profiles by cost and/or time functions. For example, the user may compare costs associated with profiles generated for different family vacations. The user may also compare profiles according to a time schedule, which may highlight changes between compared generated profiles, another user's profile and/or subsets of profiles, from month to month, year to year, or other time frame. In one embodiment, the user may compare the use of thetracking overlay32 on different websites with content generated within the system.
• In one embodiment, a plurality of collaborative components may be included. The plurality of collaborative components may include a blog application, discussion forum, persistent chat application, shared voice application, shared calendar, shared media library/inventory, shared shopping history, and a shared document library. The collaborative components provide the user a way to publicize data, share information, such as the initial series of questions, or initial poll, and participate in debates. In another embodiment, the discussion forum may allow the user to filter out responses from selected users, and also allowing collaboration with those who are “like” or “opposite” minded.
• In use, the user accesses theclient4 graphical user interface, configured to access thesearch system8, through thepublic network6.FIG. 6 illustrates a web screen according to an embodiment of the invention. The user is presented with the at least onetopic list112 on the graphical user interface of theclient system4, including a pre-generatedcompound topic list112a. The user selects the at least onetopic114 or the least one pre-generated compoundedtopic114a. In one embodiment, the pre-generated compoundedtopic114ais selected and thesearch system8 displays content.
• FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a web screen of the at least onetopic114. The at least onetopic114 may include acondensed statement115. In another embodiment the at least onetopic114, may include a plurality of at least onequestion116. Thecondensed statement115 may be a short version of the at least onequestion116, and in some examples may generate the at least onequestion116 when chosen, as seen inFIG. 8.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a web screen of the user selecting theresponse form118. For example, the user selected “stem cell research” as thecondensed statement115 under the at least onetopic114, “Polar,” and is presented with a “pro” or “against”response form118. In this example, the user selected “pro.”FIG. 9 illustrates a web screen that occurs after theresponse form118 is selected. Thesearch system8 includes an option to select the at least one filter of a plurality offilters122. Thefilter122 may include a range such as age, price, location, and/or time. The filter may also include religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, gender, and/or income. Thesearch system8 also includes the option to remove124, or temporarily remove124a, the at least onequestion116 and an option to switch126 theresponse form118, modifying content, allowing the user to visualize the distinctions in each displayed content without having to start over by re-entering questions into thesearch system8.
• In one embodiment the option to switch includes the correlated content. For example, theresponse form118 may contain responses corresponding to brands, manufacturers, or other information that does not require a “yes” or “no” answer. When the user elects to switch theresponse form118, the option to switch will display the correlated content as to which brand, manufacturer, or other information that is most sought after within the system.
• FIG. 10 illustrates thesearch system8 displaying the correlatedcontent120a, including the opposite correlatedcontent120band thetracking overlay32. In one embodiment, the correlatedcontent120ais displayed in the priority. In one embodiment, the user may customize the display, either by alphabet, popularity, release date, or price. Theopposite content120bis displayed, so the user is able to visualize the content directed from those users who selected adifferent response form118.
• The correlated content, opposite correlated content, and public content,120a,120b, and120c, respectively, in one embodiment may encompass books, movies, and other media. In another embodiment, the content may correspond to hotel locations or be websites corresponding to hotel location, or generally be any type of product, service, item, place, person, website, or information that users may search for. In another embodiment, where the user selects brands or response forms other than “yes” or “no,” theopposite content120bmay include content associated with a remainder, i.e. products, services, items, places, persons, advertisements, video clips, audio clips, websites, or other information correlated to the brands not chosen by the user. For example, the user may be presented with a selection of names of four automobile manufacturers and asked for a favorite. After selection, the user may then be presented with content associated with those who also selected the same manufacturer in the displayed correlatedcontent120a, and the remainder of the manufacturers may be presented in the displayed opposite correlatedcontent120b.
• In one embodiment, the user may be presented with a list of hobbies and asked for a favorite. After selection, the user may then be presented with the displayedcontent120ato those who also selected the same hobby as one of their favorites, and the remainder of the collected user opinions from all other hobbies may be prioritized and presented in the opposite correlatedcontent120b.
• The system allows the user to place the trackingoverlay32 over the correlated content, either120a,120b, and/or120cto sort and/or rate data by use of therating panel34 and selectingpanel36, respectively. In one embodiment, thesearch system8 functions to slide the correlatedcontent120aand opposite correlatedcontent120btowards the trackingoverlay32.
• In an embodiment, the trackingoverlay32 includes an undo feature as acommand36a, aiding the user in instances where a mistake in sorting occurs. In another embodiment, the mentioned associated bins, or subsets, may be associated with the management of at least oneprofile38. The bins may be compared over time and against generated profiles and/or other user's profiles and associated bins.
• In an embodiment, the trackingoverlay32 may be used separately, on at least one website, operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing the user to work with the concurrently active program. The trackingoverlay32 captures a plurality of identifying markers of the data from the at least one website and stores the identifying markers with theprofile server14.
• Generally, search sites offer a select group of products (e.g. cars), people (e.g. dating), or items (e.g. travel). These sites become bookmarks when users find themselves in the market. An advantage of the invention is that the system functions as a central repository for a user's entire history, including views on products of interest, media tastes, shopping desires, product purchases, places, people, advertisements, video clips, audio clips, websites, along with the user's detailed personal profile, including such things as gender, age, occupation, income, health, appearance, political views, legal views, hobbies, brand preferences, sports tastes and interests, travel history and interest, views on animals, family structure, sex, religious beliefs, and environmental views. It follows that suggestions included in the invention become more tailored, and thus more efficient because the user has invested in this central repository.
• Another advantage of the invention includes the ability to shop and search for products and interests of segmented people, allowing the user to discover and converse with like-minded people or venture into neighboring groups of “near” “like-minded” people. These segmented profiles not only provide comradeship, but they can be tremendous sources of expertise. The invention also provides the ability to discover and communicate to “opposite-minded” people, to learn from or confront them via social search, blog pages, chat sessions, or forums.
• One advantage the invention offers is the ability to search items using segmented personality traits, views, or opinions without typecasting oneself. For example, a user may search for items based on “conservatives that support stem cell research,” when the user is actually a liberal, not a conservative. This may be for entertainment purposes or to shop for a friend that meets that profile without disrupting the user's own profile.
• When traditional shopping sites inform the user that “people who bought that book,” the user is about to buy, “also bought these books” the site is creating and using correlation tables. These features are useful to users, but there are flaws and limitations. For one, the system does not allow for creating separate individual profiles for individual moods/personas. Each of us has several completely different profiles, e.g. one for our sports interests, one for our occupation, and another for our travel desires.
• Furthermore, the suggestions that are made from existing art come from a very limited amount of knowledge about the shopper or searcher. If a website can attract shoppers by making a suggested purchase off of a single previous book purchase, it follows that a suggestion would become better if the website knew far more purchases that the shopper already made. However, few shoppers/people want to take the time to rate/rank that much content, especially if it means that they would have to first find it and/or type the name of each title in one-by-one. Thus, another advantage of the invention is that the user is able to share or store prior interests or purchases relatively quickly. For one, the invention'stracking overlay32 tool easily allows people to quickly build a list of items to place in one's favorites, wish lists, shopping cart, and/or trash.
• Another advantage of the invention is how search results are displayed and consumed by the user. With existing art, interpreting a user's search result can be a time-consuming process of reading reams of text or a nonsensical colleague of images. The invention provides for a highly organized layout with items prioritized from left to right in several rows. Row one or a top bin is typically the response to the user's answered questions with correlatedcontent10a, such media or items, like movies, music, or games, but it may also be such things as travel locations, college courses, or suggested doctors.
• The user can simply place the trackingoverlay32 over the first item within the search results120a/120band then click theappropriate rating factor34aon thetracking overlay32 that represents his/her feelings towards this item, e.g. “5 stars” for “love it” to “1 star” for “not so good”, and/or command36a, including “w” for “wish list” to “$” for “add to shopping cart”.
• Another advantage of the invention is that when the trackingoverlay32 is used, the invention functions to conveniently slide the next item of interest under this powerful tool for the user in a fraction of a second. This in turn allows this user to continually critique the prearranged/sorted content without having to move the mouse outside the trackingoverlay32 itself and/or around the web/app page. The content that moves under the trackingoverlay32 that has been prearranged according to the user's currently selected priority settings (e.g. popularity) and the user's answers given to a single, or list of, questions does not end at the five items displayed in the correlatedcontent120aand opposite correlatedcontent120b.
• For example, if the content is movies, typically the default view for any given row of content in120a/120b/120cis five images at a time, but the user can change this value to show more or less images at a time and more or less text information/details. By default the user only sees unadulterated box cover art, allowing them to determine what the movie is immediately and the ability sort at a high speed. Furthermore, the list of prioritized content continues off the page and as the content slides into view, each can be sorted/ranked according to the user's views until the content in the entire database has been exhausted. Meaning that if the user asked the system to show him the movies that ranked the highest among “males” verses “females”, then that list may be for thousands of movies.
• Even though the user would only see the first five movies at a time, this list may continue to as many movies that have ever been previously sorted/ranked by males in the system. So a user may use thetracking overlay32 and never leave the relatively small screen real estate that makes up thetracking overlay32 and within a matter of minutes, sort/rank hundreds if not thousands of movies or as fast as the user can select an appropriate symbol and click the mouse. Sort means to place in a bin associated with a subject, e.g. Favorites, Wish List, Shopping Cart, or Trash. Rate or rank means to provide a score to the content or item, such as “5” for “the best”, down to “1” for “not that good”.
• The benefit to sorting/ranking so many movies is that now a suggestion can be made on hundreds of movies in the user's profile and from other's profiles. Furthermore, the database not only stores other movies or media items to suggest, but also the individual's opinions, views, and interests based on other profiles in the database. The user can use these tools and remain anonymous, protecting privacy. The better the suggestions, the more likely the user is to continue to increase his/her usage. Even if the user remains anonymous, his/her usage will build better correlation tables for content suggestions to future users.
• If the user made a mistake, changes his or her mind, or later wish to re-categorize a sorted/ranked/tagged item, there are several methods available. Tagged/tagging means to assign comments or views to an item or content, e.g. “saw this movie with my wife and she liked it, but I didn't.” A user can use the undo feature as acommand36aon thetracking overlay32 that allows the user to undo any rating or bin/sort assignment. In one embodiment for example, the user clicks the “W” symbol on the overlay tracking32 to place the selected item from content in either120a/120b/120cinto the user's “wish list”. While remaining in displayedcontent120a/120b/120c, the “W” symbol on thetracking overlay32 remains a “W” to allow the user to place the next prioritized item that appears into the user's “wish list”. When the user moves the overlay tracking32 to a particular bin, in this example the “wish list”, the “W” symbol changes to a “U” symbol for the “undo” feature. The user can then click “U” to remove the applied ranking or sorting and the item reverts back to its appropriate position incontent120a/120b/120c.
• If the user's opinion changes on a movie or an item the user can remove it or reassign it from an assigned bin, e.g. favorites, wish list, shopping cart or the trash. If the user discovers it in someone else's profile, e.g. someone else's favorites/wish list/shopping-cart/or trash and the user decides that he or she has yet to include this movie or item into a designated bin, then that user can sort/rank/tag and move this selected item into a bin without affecting the other user's bin(s) or assigned classifications/rankings.
• The system also records how and when an item was removed from a bin, e.g. the trash. For example, was the item removed right away and likely placed there by mistake, or was it removed when the user was comparing data with another friend's Favorites, and thus likely that the user was influenced by this other user's taste.
• The advantage to the collection of the data on when and where items move from one bin to another (e.g. like-minded polls/opposite-minded polls; my: favs/wish/trash/cart; and others: favs/wish/trash/cart) is that the data may show which item was most removed from the database's collective trash over the past month. If the data indicated that the number one item removed from the collective trash over the past month was a local restaurant that was recently remodeled, then that data may be shared and affect how other users view the restaurant in the future.
• The system can also track who was the first user to make this sorting/ranking/tagging assignment change and thus credit this early influencer with points or provide some other beneficial means to credit the user. This also applies to users that are first to sort/rank/tag new items in the system or from thepublic content120c, whereas these users may receive more points/credits than those users who end up sorting/ranking/tagging these same items much later in time or after a certain numeric threshold. Thus encouraging people to be the first to review/sort/rank/tag an item. An advantage to comparing a user's personal bin activity and changes made over time or against other users, creates useful discovery tools in trends.
• Another aspect of this unique social search is that the results of answering a question from the list of questions, not only shows what “like-minded” people with the same beliefs to a particular issue or question have said, but also what the complete opposite had to say (referred here as to the “polar opposite”). For example, if a user was searching for a DVD movie suggestion based on political affiliation to either the Clintons or the Bushes, the search results120a/120bmight bring back something like this:
• The most popular movies overall for those who prefer theClintons120a:
• 1—The Godfather, I®
• 2—Blade Runner®
• 3—Forrest Gump®
• 4—The Godfather, II®
• 5—The Matrix®
• 6—Fight Club®
• 7—The Shawshank Redemption®
• 8—2001: A Space Odyssey®
• 9—Apocalypse Now®
• 10—Citizen Kane®
• The most popular movies overall for those who prefer theBushes120b:
• 1—Forrest Gump®
• 2—Star Wars®
• 3—Pride and Prejudice®
• 4—The Passion of the Christ®
• 5—The Matrix®
• 6—Austin Powers®
• 7—Guess Who's Coming to Dinner®
• 8—A River Runs Through It®
• 9—Lawrence of Arabia®
• 10—Cool Hand Luke®
• This unique two-sided method has many benefits. For one, the user might find interest in some of the movie suggestions from the opposite correlated content, or “polar opposite”list120b. This would benefit the user, in cases where the user prefers the Clintons and really liked the movie “Pride and Prejudice®” or had hoped to buy it, but the movie currently only appears under the Bushes in the opposite correlatedcontent120b. Also, in some cases this item may never have crossed the user's mind, had it not appeared in the “polar opposite” list. If the user assigns a movie to a bin, this in turn also moves that particular movie up the ranks among Clinton supporters.
• The invention allows for adjusting more than single variables. The user can add in filters for gender or age to further find interests and views of like-minded people (the user's age) or where these people are likely to be congregating during the user's upcoming trip or for the user's weekends where he/she stays in town. Such detailed social search tools are not presently built into searches at Hotels.com or even Google®. Craigslist® has become a very geo-targeted search site, where people search local events of like-minded people in their local communities, but there is quite a bit of effort required. There is relatively little structure or tools available for even like-minded reviews or suggestions, let alone the complete “opposite” or a variety of segments.
• When people create their own personalized web page and/or blogs with existing art, it is relatively difficult to normalize their opinions or systematically compare those opinions with others. The invention not only helps normalize media content, but most of the terms used for opinions, interests, hobbies, personal characteristics, and beliefs as well. So instead of someone simply classifying oneself as “left-wing”, “a liberal”, “a democrat”, or similar, the system provides users with questions and concrete/normalized answers, such as: “Do you consider yourself socially conservative or liberal?” and “Do you consider yourself fiscally conservative or liberal?” Other more granular details are also available, such as one's views on stem cell research, gay marriage, abortion, gun-control, term-limits, government spending, and war (just to name a few) which can also help distinguish the differences among a group of so-called liberals or conservatives.
• Another significant advantage of this invention over existing search and segmentation art is the ability for the user to quickly and effectively determine the relevance of individual elements of the user's information searches. When the user answers several individual questions and then stacks those answers, e.g. beliefs, brands preferences, and/or personality traits one on top of another, the system provides a collective result correlated content andopposite content120a/120bto the combination of answers.
• For example, if a user wanted to see the top movies for his answers of (1) “Pro” “Stem Cell Research”, (2) favors the retailer “Target®” (over “Wal-Mart®”), and (3) “Had A Happy Childhood” (verses “Had An Unhappy Childhood”) then the system would combine these three answers to create a list of correlatedcontent120aof the top movies among like-minded people who said that they too were “Pro” Stem Cell Research, preferred “Target®” and “Had A Happy Childhood” and another list ofopposite content120bof “opposite-minded” people who said that they instead were “Against” “Stem Cell Research”, preferred “Wal-Mart®”, and “Had An Unhappy Childhood”.
• With traditional search tools it can be very difficult and time consuming to determine exactly how each individual variable is affecting the collective results within a search parameter/query. With existing art it also can be frustrating when one tries to put together the right combination of terms, only to lose or forget what search terms one originally started with. However, within the current invention, the user can quickly make changes without the consequences of losing one's original search or search parameters.
• The invention provides the user the ability to temporarily remove an answer/term/trait/hobby from a stack and see how it affects the results and/or switch answers all with a single click of the mouse. For temporarily removing an item, the user removes a check mark that can be toggled on/off and then immediately see the results. The invention is an advantage over existing art where a search result typically means a page full of text that is difficult for one to quickly digest and thoroughly compare to the previous search results without having to slowly read all the material on the page.
• The invention provides the user the ability toggle multiple variables on/off and/or “switch” variables, and quickly compare the results, not just of text, but of box cover art of movies or pictures of people or places that the user recognizes as they move up and down the user's search result rankings, or as items disappear from the user's search results all together with each of the user's mouse clicks or variable toggles (see an instance, depicted inFIG. 11).
• From the example above, the user may switch his answer on “Target®” to “Wal-Mart®” and immediately see that the number one movie “Godfather®” in row correlatedcontent120ahas moved down/right to position four and now the number one movie is instead “Forrest Gump®”. He may then temporarily turn off his selected variable/view that he “Had A Happy Childhood” and see how that change affects his movie search results. This can create a very entertaining and useful experience, especially when the user is getting immediate feedback from his changes and he finds that he can create a large list of answers that he can fine-tune to find the right combination answers/traits for him to pull from that match his favorites/tastes or most desired media interests.
• When the user is using the system for the first time, many of the movies or items may already be familiar to the user because the user has already viewed/consumed the movies or items. This also helps the user determine what stack of answers/variables creates the results that best represents the user's tastes. These search results or list ofmovie content120a/120bcan be used to pull movies that the user has already seen and add to his existing list of “favorites”, put into his “wish list”, “shopping cart” or “trash”.
• Most sites that request that people provide their favorite media items, typically request that they type up the list. This also creates problems with misspellings, or lack of normalized data, even with proper spellings. When people refer to the same movie slightly differently, e.g.Harry Potter 4®, the Goblet of Fire®, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire®, the fourth Harry Potter Movie®, etc., this creates problems when comparing data. An advantage of the invention lets users click on “pre-select/normalized” questions, answers, and box cover art. Consequently, the data is normalized from the start. Even if the user performed a text search, the data returns known normalized titles from the invention database.
• FIG. 11 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user could use variables to search and/or discover new content. Starting with a step200 where a “User enters a variable, e.g. term(s) or selects a variable(s) from an available/existing list”. In step200, the user can enter a variable or variables as is used in typical search and/or select provided variables made available in a list. A variable represents one of several potential “variables” utilized in determining correlated content found in a search and/or discovery result.
• In a next step202, a “Computer executes discovery based on variable(s) entered and/or selected by user” and in a following step204 is where the “User interface displays content correlated to variable(s)”. In a step206, is where the “Correlated content is displayed visually in segmented categories, such as: Movies, Music, Books, Games, Restaurants, Travel, Colleges, People-to-Date, Doctors, Lawyers, Contractors, Products, Services, Stores, etc.” An example embodiment of this visual display of content is segmented categories is also depicted inFIG. 10 withpart number120a/120b/120c.
• In addition to the segmented categories in the step206, astep212 has “Each variable employed is displayed separately and in a visual stack with toggling features”. In a step214, the “User can toggle on/off each variable employed in discovery results to quickly modify results”. This toggle on/off feature per variable is also depicted as thepart124ainFIGS. 9 and 10.
• In a step216, the “User can use a pull down menu to view a list of alternative variables to each variable currently employed in the user's discovery results”. A step218 is where the “User can also sort potential variable replacements contextually, e.g. by such methods as terms that are similar or terms that are opposite to the existing variable employed”. An example of “similar options” were cited earlier in specification where the user in one instance has selected “Verizon” and a list of “cell phone providers” could offer the user alternative variables/keywords such as (1) “Cingular”, (2) “Sprint”, (3) “T-mobile”, or (4) “Other” and the like.
• In astep220 is where the user makes his/her selection to “Replace an existing variable”. These user variable changes in turn are reflected in the step206 where the correlated content is displayed visually in segmented categories. In a step208 is where the “User can select which category Segments to display/Not display”. These categories are also illustrated inFIG. 5, under the “Categories” column with the following examples depicted: (1) Movies—DVDs, (2) In-Theater, (3) Music, (4) Concerts, (5) Television, (6) Books, (7) Games, (8) Toys, (9) CE Products, (10) Cell Phones, (11) Computers, (12) Hardware/Tool, (13) Shoes, (14) Jewelry, (15) Furniture, (16) Hotels, (17) Restaurants, (18) Doctors, (19) Attorneys, (20) Cars/Trucks, (21) Real Estate, (22) Colleges, (23) Travel, (24) Dating, (25) Events, and (25) Other. These “Categories” also allows for “Category subcategories” shown as Genres for Movie-DVDs in theFIG. 5 example.
• After the correlated content is displayed, in a step210 is where the “User can use overlay tool to personally categorize and tag content”. The overlay tool is also depicted inFIGS. 3a,3b, and4b, aspart32.
• A benefit of the graphical interface of the invention, which is based primarily on images and visual tools, is that the human mind can recognize an image much quicker and easier than a large list of text. Using images allows content to be recognized by people of all ages and backgrounds, including those that are too young to read, those who do not speak English, and those who struggle reading fine text on computer monitors.
• Besides the ability to easily store and categorize the user's media tastes, an advantage of the invention is it allows for a user to share opinions and media tastes with others. The invention provides users with values or color codes for individual profiles, collections of profiles, and/or an overall color/code. For centuries, humankind has tried to segment the general population for a variety of purposes. Today, large advertisers try to define their “core” audience well beyond traditional demographics. One of the earliest segmentation tools known is the zodiac symbols. These symbols are supposed to divide the entire world population into just 12 unique categories. To this day, people discuss the likelihood of a relationship's continued success based on the zodiac signs of each individual.
• Filtering down the 6 billion people on the planet into 12 separate and distinctly different categories simply based on one's date of birth would seem rather difficult, if not impossible. People traditionally seek out like-minded individuals, but segmenting people for all circumstances can also be very difficult. Surely, one's search for like-minded people goes well beyond those that share one's zodiac sign. Consider a group of pro football fans who follow the same football team. These people share an intense interest during the events, but many may have very little else in common outside the events. This demonstrates the need for multiple profiles for each of us.
• Today, companies such as eHarmony™ have created long surveys to try and segment their dating pool into single profiles. However, most of this data remains hidden from their paid customers and is certainly not made publicly available. Another advantage of the invention is that the system can turn the data outward without violating people's ability to remain anonymous, because for one, most of the data leads to very specific items, e.g. a DVD movie and not necessarily an individual's personal data, e.g. someone you are looking to date.
• The user can keep all personal data private and can also remain anonymous. Should the user wish to share views to a limited number of fellow members/users on a limited number of subjects/items, the user can choose to. In addition, the user can participate in chats, forums, IMs (instant messaging), etc, as completely anonymous; as a specific profile; or as a collection of the user's profiles referred to here as the user's overall value.
• This overall value is a combination of all of the user's opinions, purchases, decisions, and points/credits. By telling others a user's overall value, the user is revealing to others a short code for who the user is in regards to several issues. Just as a print shop manager describes a single color value in terms of four CMYK values, where C equals the amount of cyan ink to use, M the amount of magenta, Y the amount of yellow, and K the amount of black, the user's overall value says far more about the user then just a single simple color code value like “orange” might imply (an instance, depicted inFIG. 12 below).
• FIG. 12 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user's overall value could be created utilizing the collective value of the CMYK channel values. Starting with a step300, where the system collects a “User's data (regarding): Laws, Government, Politics, and the News” and collectively quantifies those values as being either a “Very Liberal”302 value, a “Somewhat Liberal”304 value, a “Center”306 value, a “Somewhat Conservative”308 value, or a “Very Conservative”310 value. This is a simplified example and there could be a far more intermediate values dispersed along this continuum. The collective value generated creates a “Cyan channel value” instep312 for this particular user.
• Similarly to the above steps300-312, in a step314 is where the system collects a “User's data (regarding): Brands, Media, Entertainment, and Sports-related” and collectively quantifies those values as being either a “Very Liberal”316 value, a “Somewhat Liberal”318 value, a “Center”320 value, a “Somewhat Conservative”322 value, or a “Very Conservative”324 value. This is a simplified example and there could be a far more intermediate values dispersed along this continuum. Quantifying the user's data as either liberal or conservative for a subject such as the entertainment and sports can be accomplished with data that reflect the user's views. For instances with entertainment, the user's views as to how much he/she likes the music of the Dixie Chicks®, Marilyn Mansion®, and Carrie Underwood®. For instances with sports, the user's views as to whether college athletes should be paid or not paid. The collective value generated creates a “Magenta channel value” instep326 for this particular user.
• Similarly to the above steps314-326, in a step328 is where the system collects a “User's data (regarding): Animals, the Environment, Family, and Society-at-Large” and collectively quantifies those values as being either a “Very Liberal”330 value, a “Somewhat Liberal”332 value, a “Center”334 value, a “Somewhat Conservative”336 value, or a “Very Conservative”338 value. This is a simplified example and there could be a far more intermediate values dispersed along this continuum. Quantifying the user's data as either liberal or conservative for a subject such as the environment and family can be accomplished with data that reflect the user's views. For instances with the environment, his/her views as to whether the US should drill for oil offshore. For instances with the Family, his/her views as to whether a parent should or should not physically spank their child. The collective value generated creates a “Yellow channel value” instep340 for this particular user.
• In a step342 is where the system collects a “User's data (regarding):: Demographic and Psychographic” and collectively quantifies this value from a group of individual values including an “Education”344 value, an “Occupation & Income”346 value, a “Health & Appearance”348 value, a “Spirituality & Religion”350 value, and a “Lifestyle & Hobbies”352 value. This is a simplified example and there could be a far more individual demographic and psychographic values. Quantifying the user's data for such subjects as education can be accomplished with scores that start with complete zero for birth and with values that increase with more education. The collective value generated creates a “Black channel value” instep354 for this particular user.
• The values insteps312,326,342, and354 are a passed along to aterminator356 to collectively generate a “User's Overall (CMYK) Value”. In another embodiment, each section above (312,326,342, and354) could be separately distinguished to each generate a “User's Value” for that particular section.
• For example, the steps342 through354 for the “User's data (regarding): Demographics and Psychographics” could instead be separated out where, for instances, the Cyan Channel Value is instead made up the user's “Education, Occupation, & Income”; the Magenta Channel Value is instead made up the user's “Health & Appearance”; the Yellow Channel Value is instead made up the user's “Spirituality & Religion”; and the Black Channel Value is instead made up the user's “Lifestyle & Hobbies”. This collection would create a CMYK value just for these subjects, or in this instance, subjects within the user's Demographics and Psychographics.
• In addition and in another embodiment, each of the individual elements, such as the user's “Education, Occupation, & Income”, “Health & Appearance”, “Spirituality & Religion”, and “Lifestyle & Hobbies” could also be separated out to distinguish and create a CMYK value just for the user's “Education”, and the like.
• An advantage of the invention is the coding of a user's complete personality, interests and purchase history into a universal system that allows one to then extrapolate the user's individual traits. For example, the user's cyan channel may be made up of the user's views on such things as “Laws, Government, Politics, and the News”, the user's magenta channel may be made up of the user's tastes and views on “Brands, Media, Entertainment, and Sport-related subjects”, the user's yellow channel may be made up of the user's views on “Animals, the Environment, Family, and Society-at-large” and the user's black channel may be made up of the user's current demographic and psychographic profile of such things, as; “Education, Occupation, Income, Health, Age, Appearance, Hobbies, Spirituality, and Lifestyle”. Then each of these values may be combined together to create a single color without losing the critical data that these independent color channels represent and without losing the ability to reserve out that data/channel later.
• By this above example, like-minded people would cluster into similar color ranges where people that were described as a certain shade of orange, for example, would have similar views to other shades of orange. The benefit of this system is that it creates a very simple description for some extremely detailed data. It also has the ability to quickly discern who is a neighboring view and who is an opposite view by the relationship of the colors on a color wheel.
• In addition, the center of the color wheel may represent one's birth where all color values are at zero and equal to black. As the user grows and gains views, the user moves out into brighter and brighter colors and wider options, with ever the increasing diameter and range of color values available. With these color-coded values from the invention, instead of two people saying that the couple's relationship was likely to fail because their zodiac symbols did not align, one might instead truly have a wealth of supporting data that in fact “Red37s” rarely marry “Blue6s”. One's overall value may also be tracked over time to see what path his/her personality has taken over time. For example, data might be found to show that educated blue males tend to drift towards purple after being married for three or more years.
• Advertisers would no longer have to describe their advertising campaign as being targeted towards “upwardly mobile baby-boomers who enjoy a digital lifestyle”, but perhaps instead as targeted towards “Green33s to Green44s”. Furthermore, the rest of the world would have an opportunity to also understand what these “advertising terms” actually mean or represent, because they themselves are either considered a “Green”, they are somewhat near “Green”, or perhaps they are the complete opposite of “Green”. The point is that there would be a system that would allow for relative comparisons that is easy to use and understand. Whereas a system that used symbols for example, such as a “zebra” instead of a color such as “Green” would be more difficult to relate neighboring data. The user would not necessarily know whether a “Zebra” is a neighbor to a “Tiger” like “Greenish-Blue” is a neighboring color to “Green”.
• These assigned segmentation values can be tracked to help advertisers discover which segment(s) best appreciate their current advertising campaign. These assigned segmentation values may also be used to monitor how changes to a particular advertisement can change its appeal among each segment.
• An advantage of the invention is that the user can rank, sort, and tag advertisements. These advertisements may appear in a variety of means, such as: page banners, video clips, audio messages, text, images, and combinations of these formats. On web pages or among those areas where interactive advertising appears, users may help classify these advertisements by “accepting” or “rejecting” them, and/or go deeper with normalized classifications, such as: “offensive”, “not-interested”, “already have it”, “make me a better offer”, or “show me more”. This data may then be collected and tracked along with the user's assigned segment and/or overall value (see an instance, depicted inFIG. 13 below).
• Other users, marketing companies, and advertisers may also use the data in the invention for comparison purposes. The invention would allow advertisers to target only specific segments or go deeper by selecting individual personality traits, or other defining characteristics, such as “a truck-driving Green Bay Packer® fan” from a list of pre-existing known traits.
• An advantage of the invention is that the user may create a counter offer or determine the acceptable terms with a specific advertiser and/or advertisement where the user may designate such things as: permanently reject all advertisements from this company and/or brand; permanently reject just a particular “advertisement” from this particular company and/or brand; make me, the user, a better offer; and/or the user may define the terms where the user might and/or would accept a deal (also see an instance, depicted inFIG. 13 below).
• In cases where the user permanently rejects advertisements from a particular company and/or brand, that designated company and/or brand would no longer have advertisements that appear anywhere within the user's experience or while using the application. This may be based on a cookie stored on the user's computer or based on the user logging into the system.
• In cases where the user permanently rejects a particular advertisement, the advertiser may return another advertisement and/or offer based on pre-established rules, e.g. as long as it's an advertisement for a different product. For example, a travel agent may show an advertisement for a trip to a particular city. The user rejects the advertisement, but not the advertiser. So the system returns another advertisement for another travel city.
• There may also be benefits or credits provided to the user if they allow a particular advertiser, brand, and/or advertisement to appear during the user's usage of the system. The user may obtain additional benefits or credits by consuming the advertisement with such methods as clicking on the advertisement to read further, watching a video clip, hearing an audio message, giving feedback, or tagging the advertisement with comments.
• In cases where the user requests a better offer, the user may designate the user's specific concerns or objections, such as the price, the timeframe to decide or consume, and/or any other specifics of the offer. The user may wait for another offer or specify what terms would be acceptable.
• These advertisements may appear totally separate from the user's usage of the system, such as a banner or skyscraper advertisement, and/or these advertisements may appear during a request for information by the user. For example, the user may request information about a particular item such as a request to view a movie trailer for a particular movie, and an advertisement and/or questions from the advertiser may appear before, during, and/or after the information.
• The system may then track such information as which advertisers, brands, and/or particular advertisements have been ranked, tagged, sorted, accepted, rejected, rejected permanently, rejected then accepted, along with other relevant information, such as by whom, when, and during what user activity. This information may then be ranked and prioritized with such parameters as selected timeframes, cost ranges, and/or user segments.
• FIG. 13 is a flowchart that depicts an example embodiment of the process by which a user could interact with advertisement offers provided to a particular user from a selected advertiser. Starting with a step222 where a “User logs in or interacts anonymously with website”. Followed by astep224 where the “Website tracks user usage data and/or profile”.
• In a following step226 is where a “Correlated advertisements appear on website based on known user data”. The step226 can incorporate a range of data options into the advertisement selection by employing an “Incorporate User Data/Profile”230 step, an “Incorporate User Shopping History”232 step, an “Incorporate User Ad Interactions”236 step, and an “Incorporate User Counter Offer (From Step260)” step238.
• In a next step228 is where a “Selected advertiser makes user a specific offer”. The specific offer can include an option240 whereby the “User Offers Feedback” such as the ability to give feedback in a poll. In addition this feedback could be to sort, rank and/or score products/services and/or terms in the offer. In anoption263 is where the user can select a “Show Me Details” whereby the user is directed to aterminator264 “Show Details or Link To Site with Details” where offer details can appear on the current website or can link the user to another website.
• The specific offer could include anoption268 whereby the user can “Accept Offer” provided by the Advertiser. If the user accepts the offer, he/she is sent to a termination270 whereby the “User can make the purchase or link to site to make purchase”.
• The specific offer could include anoption244 whereby the user can “Reject Offer” provided by the Advertiser. In addition, the244 “Reject Offer” can include a range of reasons for the rejection including an “Offensive”246 option, a “Not Interested”248 option, an “Already Have It”250 option, a “Permanently Remove Advertiser”252 option, a “Permanently Remove Advertisement per User”254 option, a “Make Me a Better Offer”256 option, and the “Show Me Details”263 option.
• The “Show Me Details”263 option advances the user to theterminator264 whereby a “Show Details or Link to Site with Details” is executed. With the “Offensive”246 option, the “Not Interested”248 option, and the “Already Have It”250 option, the user can go on to also utilize the “Permanently Remove Advertiser”252 option, the “Permanently Remove Advertisement per User”254 option, or the “Make Me a Better Offer”256 option.
• With the “Permanently Remove Advertiser”252 option, the information is sent to aterminator262 whereby a “Remove advertiser from pool of available advertisers per user's ID and select a new advertiser” function is executed. With the “Permanently Remove Advertisement per User”254 option, the information is sent to a step266 whereby an “Advertiser incorporates info to make user another offer”.
• With the “Make Me aBetter Offer256 option, the user can go on to also utilize either a “No Counter Terms from User”258 option or a “Counter Terms from User”260 option whereby the user can send the advertiser counter terms to the offer and this information is sent to a step266 whereby an “Advertiser incorporates info to make user another offer”. From the step266, the user utilize theoption268 to “Accept Offer”, option240 the “User Offers Feedback”, or theoption244 to “Reject Offer”.
• One disadvantage of much of the prior art today is that it does not allow users to permanently or even temporarily remove items from future search results. For example, if the user searches a site for hotels in Las Vegas for a particular trip and the user knows up front that there are certain hotels that the user is not interested in, it can then be frustrating every time a search is performed and the same property shows up within the search results/list. This is even more frustrating when it is several properties or items. Perhaps the properties can not be filtered out easily because the user's views for removal have nothing to do with the website's filter capabilities for such things as: price, location, or star rating. The user does not like these hotels for different reasons. An advantage of the invention is that the user can mark those properties/items or remove them to his/her permanent “trash” so that the user never sees them again in any other bin except his/her trash bin.
• This feature also applies to favorites. When the user decides on a particular item and wants to find new or related items, it can also become frustrating to see those favorite items over and over again. For example, if the user's searches keep bringing back the same favorite movies in the search results120a, that the user has already seen, the search system might lose its appeal. However, an advantage of the invention is that as the user moves these popular items to the user's other bins (favs/wish/cart/trash) and these items by default no longer keep appearing in the user's future searches. The user still has a switch that allows him/her to reverse the setting if desired.
• With traditional search art, the user typically lacks the ability to set/tag items to no longer appear, not only in that same search again, but any future search. For example, the user decides to move a popular movie found on a shopping site to the user's shopping cart. The next day the user returns and searches the most popular movies and his/her movie comes up within the search. The user goes to the sub-genre of “dramas” and there the movie is again. The invention provides the user the option to keep seeing these same items over and over, as with existing art, or these items can be moved to a bin of the user's own designation, preventing these items from appearing in any future searches (unless the user switches the setting).
• In terms of saving information found at a particular website, today people typically try and bookmark the webpage. Thus, there are websites and tools now that allow people to save and share bookmarks. However, this is somewhat inefficient and limiting. When one returns to the bookmarked site it can be difficult to determine what exactly was interesting at the earlier time, especially if the data has moved and/or changed. An advantage of the invention is that the user can use thetracking overlay32 to collect and tag these individual items.
• The trackingoverlay32 operates independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within the user interface, to collect products, information, and items individually. For example, a user may go to a shopping site for cars and instead of that user being restricted to the search tools and functionality of that site, the user may load and use thetracking overlay32 on top of that site. The trackingoverlay32 has the ability to recognize images on the web page and resizes itself to surround the individual images on any given page. Then the user can use the symbols found on thetracking overlay32 that designate a bin classification and that are now familiar to the user to place these images/items into the appropriate bins and/or profiles in the invention databases.
• There are several benefits to this system. For one, the user is not limited to comparing items found on one shopping site. The user is free to use as many sites as the trackingoverlay32 recognizes. Now the user has a central repository not just of several bookmarked pages, but of cars from specific websites along with such details as to when the image was saved, the specific URL that it came from, and any additional information the users decided to have added and/or tagged. This also creates a nice fast and efficient way to uniformly search and compare products from different sites by looking at the images in one location verses shifting through bookmarks that may be meaningless, until one takes the time to click on and load each bookmarked page.
• The invention thus becomes a central location to collect and sort several items of interest and these items can be sorted visually. All of these items further make up who the user is and what makes the user relative to someone else. If the user needs to buy a gift for someone who is the polar opposite, the user can simply swing the dial to the other side of the color spectrum from one's own value and see what items come up or use the “polar opposite”120bbins with the social search tools.
• As the user searches items, he can also put those items into associated bins with profiles assigned to other people or users, such as his son's “shopping cart” or “wish list”. However, this would likely be only from Dad's own perspective and not necessarily directly into his son's own designated “shopping cart” or “wish list” unless they have both prearranged to do so. Meaning that the user can create profiles for other people that the user uses separately from those that other users have personally created for a similar purpose, e.g. a wish list. Together these users can decide whether to share his/her actual bins/profiles or not. If so, the user can then combine the bins/profiles or decide to keep the bins/profile contents separate and use them only for comparison purposes.
• For example, dad's number one item on his wish list for his son may not be the number one item found on his son's personal wish list. The benefit of this system is that it keeps track of the two separate viewpoints and can monitor the changes over time in terms of purchases actually made and/or the changing viewpoints/opinions over time. Dad and son, or husband and wife, may track overtime, for example, who is winning the battle of the minds in terms of the most actual purchases made from whose wish list.
• The ability to stack variables and then toggle their effects on/off or “switch” them has value well beyond attaching this functionality to the user's profile or social search. As described above, the “switch” capability allows a user to switch an answer to a question that may either have a simple two-sided answer, such as Yes/No or Pro/Against Clicking the switch button would provide immediate results and reverse the appropriate data/results (also see an instance, depicted inFIG. 11).
• In an embodiment, clicking “switch” or perhaps another selected symbol, such as an arrowhead, may provide the user with a drop down list of options. This list of options may be used if there were more than two possible answers to an individual query, such as: “Which cell phone provider do you prefer?” Here the user may have originally selected “Verizon®” and the user may now click on the “switch” or the appropriate arrow symbol that brings down a list, for example, of “Cingular®”, “Sprint®” “T-mobile®”, or “Other”. In another embodiment, the “switch” feature may cycle through these five options (also see an instance, depicted inFIG. 11).
• In an embodiment, the user may use similar functionality in a traditional text search, where the user would stack variables and have the ability to temporarily turn on/off or switch variables without having to start the entire search over again. In this case, the “switch” button or drop down option, may return a list of options that were either known as similar or opposite options. For example, the “opposite” of male may be female, but a “similar” list may be: dad, son, husband, brother, boyfriend, male-friend, etc. The similar list for a brand named product may be made up of competing brands associated with the brand name or a list of terms that are most often purchased on a pay-per-word/click system in conjunction with the searched brand name or term searched. With this system the user would determine how the user wanted the search terms broken into individual variables/terms.
• Searching for a Verizon® store in the 310 area code that sells BlackBerry® phones using existing text search art may instead create a stack of the four individual terms in four rows using the invention. For example: “Verizon®” on line/row one, “store” on row two, “310” on row three, and “BlackBerrys®” on row four. Here the user may temporarily turn off each variable to see how it affects the total number of results within the search, without having to start the search entirely over. Using the “switch” or a “drop down menu” tool may provide the user with either a list of known opposite values, similar values, or what are currently the next most popular values. So clicking “switch” on “310” for example, may go through other neighboring area codes, and/or prices for similar phones, if the search system did not already know or indicate that “310” meant an “area code”.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes the following methods.
• Method 1. A method of segmenting information, the method comprising: displaying a at least one topic list; selecting a at least one topic, from said at least one topic list, including a at least one question indicative of said topic; selecting said at least one question, including a plurality of response forms; selecting a response form; and displaying a correlated content to said response form.
• Method 2. The method ofmethod 1, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Method 3. The method ofmethod 1, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Method 4. The method ofmethod 1, including providing an option to remove said at least one question from said selecting a response form of said at least one question.
• Method 5. The method ofmethod 1, including providing an option to switch said response form.
• Method 6. The method ofmethod 5, wherein said option to switch includes said correlated content.
• Method 7. The method ofmethod 1, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Method 8. The method ofmethod 1, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Method 9. The method ofmethod 8, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Method 10. The method ofmethod 8, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including an opposite correlated content.
• Method 11. The method ofmethod 1, managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Method 12. The method of method 11, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Method 13. The method ofmethod 1, including at least one collaborative component.
• Method 14. The method ofmethod 1, including displaying a public content.
• Method 15. A method of segmenting information, the method comprising: displaying a at least one pre-generated compounded topic, said at least one pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; selecting a pre-generated compounded topic; and displaying said correlated content.
• Method 16. The method ofmethod 15, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Method 17. The method ofmethod 15, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Method 18. The method ofmethod 15, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Method 19. The method ofmethod 15, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Method 20. The method of method 19, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Method 21. The method of method 19, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• Method 22. The method ofmethod 15, managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Method 23. The method of method 22, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Method 24. The method ofmethod 15, including at least one collaborative component.
• Method 25. The method ofmethod 15, including displaying a public content.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes the following computer-implemented-systems.
• Computer-implemented-system26. A computer implemented system configured to segment information, the system comprising at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer, comprising: means for displaying a at least one topic list; means for selecting a at least one topic, from said at least one topic list, including a at least one question indicative of said topic; means for selecting said at least one question, including a plurality of response forms; means for selecting a response form; and means for displaying a correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-implemented-system27. The computer implemented system of system26, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Computer-implemented-system28. The computer implemented system of system26, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-implemented-system29. The computer implemented system of system26, including providing an option to remove said at least one question from said selecting a response form of said at least one question.
• 30. The computer implemented system of system26, including providing an option to switch said response form.
• Computer-implemented-system31. The computer implemented system of system30, wherein said option to switch includes said correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system32. The computer implemented system of system26, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Computer-implemented-system33. The computer implemented system of system26, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system34. The computer implemented system of system33, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Computer-implemented-system35. The computer implemented system of system33, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system36. The computer implemented system of system26, means for managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system37. The computer implemented system ofsystem36, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Computer-implemented-system38. The computer implemented system of system26, including at least one collaborative component.
• Computer-implemented-system39. The computer implemented system of system26, including displaying a public content.
• Computer-implemented-system40. A computer implemented system configured to segment information, the system comprising at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer, comprising: means for displaying a at least one pre-generated compounded topic, said at least one pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; means for selecting a pre-generated compounded topic; and means for displaying said correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system41. The computer implemented system of system40, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Computer-implemented-system42. The computer implemented system of system40, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-implemented-system43. The computer implemented system of system40, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Computer-implemented-system44. The computer implemented system of system40, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system45. The computer implemented system of system44, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Computer-implemented-system46. The computer implemented system of system44, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system47. The computer implemented system of system40, means for managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Computer-implemented-system48. The computer implemented system of system47, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Computer-implemented-system49. The computer implemented system of system40, including at least one collaborative component.
• Computer-implemented-system50. The computer implemented system of system40, including displaying a public content.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes computer-readable-medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform the following methods.
• Computer-readable-medium51. A computer readable medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform a method of segmenting information, the method comprising: displaying a at least one topic list; selecting a at least one topic, from said at least one topic list, including a at least one question indicative of said topic; selecting said at least one question, including a plurality of response forms; selecting a response form; and displaying a correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-readable-medium52. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Computer-readable-medium53. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-readable-medium54. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including providing an option to remove said at least one question from said selecting a response form of said at least one question.
• Computer-readable-medium55. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including providing an option to switch said response form.
• Computer-readable-medium56. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium55, wherein said option to switch includes said correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium57. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Computer-readable-medium58. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium59. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium58, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Computer-readable-medium60. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium58, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium61. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium62. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium61, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Computer-readable-medium63. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including at least one collaborative component.
• Computer-readable-medium64. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium51, including displaying a public content.
• Computer-readable-medium65. A computer readable medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform a method of segmenting information, the method comprising: displaying a at least one pre-generated compounded topic, said at least one pre-generated compounded topic generated from a correlated content; selecting a pre-generated compounded topic; and displaying said correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium66. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including selecting an at least one filter of a plurality of filters.
• Computer-readable-medium67. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including displaying a correlated content, opposite to said correlated content to said response form.
• Computer-readable-medium68. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including displaying a correlated content to said response form according to a priority.
• Computer-readable-medium69. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including a tracking overlay, said tracking overlay comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting of said correlated content to said response and generating a correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium70. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium69, wherein said sorting correlated content increases content value.
• Computer-readable-medium71. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium69, wherein in said sorting of correlated content, optionally, disposes said correlated content from said displaying of correlated content, including a opposite correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium72. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, managing an at least one user profile, including comparing said at least one profile with a correlated content.
• Computer-readable-medium73. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium72, wherein said at least one user profile is associated with a coding scheme.
• Computer-readable-medium74. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including at least one collaborative component.
• Computer-readable-medium75. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium65, including displaying a public content.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes the following methods.
• Method 76. A method of gathering data on at least one website, comprising: placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, said tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing said user to work with said concurrently active program; capturing said data within said tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of said data from said at least one website; and storing said data, including said plurality of identifying markers within at least one database.
• Method 77. The method of method 76, wherein said tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting said data.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes the following computer-implemented-systems.
• Computer-implemented-system78. A computer implemented system that provides gathering data on at least one website, the system comprising at least one server computer for communicating with a at least one client computer, comprising: means for placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, said tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing said user to work with said concurrently active program; means for capturing said data within said tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of said data from said at least one website; and means for storing said data, including said plurality of identifying markers within at least one database.
• Accordingly, this disclosure includes computer-readable-medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, including a memory and at least one processor to perform the following methods.
• Computer-readable-medium79. The computer implemented system of system78, wherein said tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting said data.
• Computer-readable-medium80. A computer readable medium containing instructions and embodied on a tangible medium for controlling a computer, which includes a memory and at least one processor, to perform a method of gathering data on at least one website, the method comprising: placing a tracking overlay over data on at least one website, said tracking overlay operating independently from any concurrently active program, appearing concurrently within a user interface, allowing said user to work with said concurrently active program; capturing said data within said tracking overlay, including a plurality of identifying markers of said data from said at least one website; and storing said data, including said plurality of identifying markers within at least one database.
• Computer-readable-medium81. The computer readable medium of computer-readable-medium80, wherein said tracking overlay is comprised of a rating panel, including a plurality of rating factors, and a selecting panel, including a plurality of commands, sorting said data.
• While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the current invention, and that this invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described since modification may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.

Claims (20)

1) A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a prompt and a plurality of responses to a first user;

receiving a first chosen response selected from said plurality of responses from said first user;

displaying said prompt and said plurality of responses to a second user;

receiving a second chosen response selected from said plurality of responses from said second user; and

displaying a content to said second user based on correlation between said first chosen response and said second chosen response.

2) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said prompt is a question.

3) The method ofclaim 2 wherein said plurality of responses is a list of answers to said question.

4) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said prompt is a content.

5) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said plurality of responses includes a rating.

6) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said plurality of responses includes a ranking.

7) The method ofclaim 1 further comprising the step of displaying an option to remove said prompt and said plurality of responses to said user.

8) The method ofclaim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying said content and a content response to said first user;

receiving a first user selection of said content response; and

wherein said displaying said content to said second user is also partially based on said first user selection of said content response.

9) The method ofclaim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving a second user selection of said content response; and

displaying an updated content to said second user partially based on said second user selection of said content response.

10) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said content is one of movies, music, concerts, television shows, books, games, toys, electronics, restaurants, vehicles, travel, real estate, schools, products, services, stores and/or advertisements.

11) The method ofclaim 1 wherein said content is one of animals, lawyers, doctors, service providers, dates, and/or other users.

12) A method comprising:

displaying a prompt and a plurality of responses to a first user;

displaying an option to remove said prompt to said first user;

receiving a first user selection either of a chosen response selected from said plurality of responses or of said option to remove from said first user; and

after receiving a chosen response, generating a content to said first user partially based on said first user selection from said plurality of responses.

13) The method ofclaim 12 further comprising:

displaying a prompt and a plurality of responses to a second user;

displaying an option to remove said prompt to a second user;

after receiving a chosen response, generating a content to said second user partially based on said first user selection from said plurality of responses.

14) The method ofclaim 12 further comprising displaying an updated prompt and an updated plurality of responses to said first user after receiving said first user selection of said option to remove.

15) The method ofclaim 12 further comprising the step of displaying a sub-prompt and a sub-response to said user after receiving said selection.

16) The method ofclaim 12 wherein said content is generated according to a prior user's correlation of a response and a content.

17) The method ofclaim 12 wherein said content is one of movies, music, concerts, television shows, books, games, toys, electronics, restaurants, vehicles, travel, real estate, schools, products, services, stores and/or advertisements.

18) The method ofclaim 12 wherein said content is one of animals, lawyers, doctors, service providers, dates, and/or other users.

19) A method comprising:

displaying a prompt to a first user;

receiving a first selection of a response to said prompt from said first user;

receiving a first user rating of a content;

displaying said prompt to a second user;

receiving a second selection of a response to said prompt from said second user; and

displaying said content to said second user partially based on correlation between said first selection of a response and said second selection of a response.

20) The method ofclaim 19, wherein said content is displayed according to a priority.

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