Method and apparatus for predicting document access in a collection of linked documents featuring link proprabilities and spreading activation
US6115718A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 5, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99943
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for predicting document access within a collection of linked documents. The present invention utilizes a predictive technique known as "spreading activation" where document collections are graphically represented as a network. Empirical data is analyzed according to a law of surfing to generate a decay function which is used to dampen the activation as spreads through the network. Activation is applied to a set of focus documents and propagates through the network until a stable pattern of activation is achieved across all documents. From this stable pattern, the desired usage information is extracted. Such a system will provide several practical benefits to users of the World Wide Web. For example, the present invention can be used to identify relevant pages to a set of one or more focus pages or to predict the number of times a document will be accessed in a collection of linked documents. Further, alone or in combination, this information can be used in connection with web site design or re-design.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.