User modeling

About: User modeling is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 10701 publications have been published within this topic receiving 278012 citations.

Systems, methods, and interfaces for providing personalized search and information access

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods that employ user models to personalize generalized queries and/or search results according to information that is relevant to respective user characteristics. A system is provided that facilitates generating personalized searches of information. The system includes a user model to determine characteristics of a user. The user model may be assembled automatically via an analysis of a user's content, activities, and overall context. A personalization component automatically modifies queries and/or search results in view of the user model in order to personalize information searches for the user. A user interface receives the queries and displays the search results from one or more local and/or remote search engines, wherein the interface can be adjusted in a range from more personalized searches to more generalized searches.

Personalized web search by mapping user queries to categories

Abstract: Current web search engines are built to serve all users, independent of the needs of any individual user. Personalization of web search is to carry out retrieval for each user incorporating his/her interests. We propose a novel technique to map a user query to a set of categories, which represent the user's search intention. This set of categories can serve as a context to disambiguate the words in the user's query. A user profile and a general profile are learned from the user's search history and a category hierarchy respectively. These two profiles are combined to map a user query into a set of categories. Several learning and combining algorithms are evaluated and found to be effective. Among the algorithms to learn a user profile, we choose the Rocchio-based method for its simplicity, efficiency and its ability to be adaptive. Experimental results indicate that our technique to personalize web search is both effective and efficient.

Context of Use within usability activities

Abstract: Designing for usability involves establishing user requirements for a new system or product, developing design solutions, prototyping the system and the user interface, and testing it with representative users. However, before any usability design or evaluation activity can begin, it is necessary to understand the Context of Use for the product, i.e. the goals of the user community, and the main user, task and environmental characteristics of the situation in which it will be operated. This paper describes the background to, and importance of, understanding Context of Use, and presents a process for performing a context analysis. The method described is particularly aimed at non-experts in the area of user-centred design and evaluation.

System and method for developing and selecting a customized wellness plan

Abstract: A System and Method for Developing a Customized Wellness Plan for measuring a user's wellness by determining a user's physiological age. The system and method also help a user to learn about personalized wellness options, where the wellness options have been chosen for the user based upon wellness factors input by the user, additional constraints input by the user and the most recently available information relating to the health sciences. The user can select one or more options, and determine the potential effect implementing the options could have on the user's physiological age over the short or long term. In this fashion, the user can continue selecting various groups of alternatives until he or she has determined the group of options that the user would like to implement as a wellness plan. The user can then obtain further information regarding the chosen wellness plan. The system and method also provide ways whereby a user can monitor their progress toward improving wellness, wherein this progress can be positive or negative.

Method and systems for online advertising to users using fictitious user idetities

Abstract: Various methods, systems and apparatus for associating fictitious user identities (e.g. screen names, user names, email addresses, handles, etc.) used in electronic communications (e.g. over the internet or mobile network via instant messenger, e-mail, social networks, ecommerce, auction websites, etc.) with real personal information (e.g. the true identity of an individual such as their name, address, credit score, driving record, mobile number, etc.) are disclosed. One such method may include discovering, verifying and storing real personal information, associated with fictitious user identities and email addresses. The method may further include allowing a remote user or service to submit a fictitious user identity and a query requesting real-user information associated with the submitted fictitious user identity. In one possible embodiment, a targeted-advertising service may utilize real user information, associated with a fictitious user name, to target advertisements at the user of the fictitious user name.