Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A system and method of selectively recommending, for a user selected from a group of users, items such as movies sampled by one or more of the users in the group but not sampled by the selected user. The recommendations are based on other items previously sampled by the user and preferably on the availability of the items from a source, for example the availability of movies from a video store. A scalar rating is defined for each item sampled by the selected user to represent the reaction of the selected user to that item. The selected user is successively paired with the users in a group for whom have been defined scalar ratings for at least some of the items sampled by the selected user to determine the difference in ratings for items sampled by both members of that pair. An agreement scalar is generated for each pair representing the overall rating agreement between the members of each successive pair. A plurality of the other users are designated as recommending users and the agreement scalar is converted into a weighting value for each of the recommending users. The weighting values are applied to items not yet sampled by the selected user to adjust the recommendation for the selected user to more closely anticipate the actual reaction of the user to that item. Preferably, at least one item is selected to be presented to the selected user based on a predetermined criterion and on the availability of the item from the source.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim