System and method for profiling clients within a system for harvesting community knowledge

Abstract

A privacy-preserving system and method is disclosed for profiling clients within a system for knowledge management. The method of the present invention discloses steps for generating a client profile in support of receiving and processing messages using scoring techniques and/or filtering techniques. The method of the present invention further includes steps for generating a client profile in support of a method for generating and obtaining responses to messages using scoring techniques and/or filtering techniques. The system of the present invention, includes all means for implementing the method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a client profile from the data target information;    storing the profile on a client computer;    receiving a message; and    scoring the message with respect to the profile.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collecting element includes: 
 retrieving stored data target information.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the collecting element includes: 
 capturing real-time data target information.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing messages.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing email.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing files.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing web pages.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing installed hardware.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the accessing element includes accessing installed software.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the retrieving element includes retrieving information stored on the client computer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the retrieving element includes retrieving information stored on a network.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the capturing element includes capturing user commands.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the capturing element includes capturing cached data.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating element includes analyzing the data target information using data mining techniques.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating element includes identifying structured data items within the data target information.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating element includes generating a positive client profile.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating element includes generating a negative client profile.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the storing element includes storing the structured data items in the client profile.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating element includes: 
 identifying unstructured data items within the data target information; and  
 performing a statistical analysis on the unstructured data.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the performing element includes: 
 identifying a set of keywords; and  
 calculating a frequency of occurrence of each keyword within the unstructured data.  
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the performing element includes: 
 identifying a set of key phrases; and  
 calculating a frequency of occurrence of each key phrase within the unstructured data.  
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the storing element includes storing the statistical analysis in the client profile.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 supplementing the client profile with information provided explicitly by a user.  
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the storing element includes storing the client profile only on the client computer.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the storing element includes encrypting the client profile.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the storing element includes password protecting the client profile.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the scoring element includes: 
 identifying a filtering criteria within the message;  
 associating a first value with those filter criteria found within the profile;  
 associating a second value, which is lower than the first value, with those filter criteria not found within the profile;  
 assigning a weighted percentage to the message score and each filter criteria; and  
 calculating an overall message score by combining the weighted percentages.  
 
     
     
         28 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a client profile from the data target information;    storing the profile on a client computer;    accessing a web page; and    scoring the web page with respect to the profile.    
     
     
         29 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a client profile from the data target information;    storing the profile on a client computer;    receiving an e-mail; and    scoring the e-mail with respect to the profile.    
     
     
         30 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a client profile from the data target information;    storing the profile on a client computer;    opening a file; and    scoring the file with respect to the profile.    
     
     
         31 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a client profile from the data target information;    storing the profile on a client computer;    receiving a message including filtering criteria; and    displaying the message on the computer if the filtering criteria is found within the profile.    
     
     
         32 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 generating a message;    transmitting the message from a sending client to a set of receiving clients;    accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a receiving client profile from the data target information;    scoring the message with respect to the profile; and    displaying the message on a receiving client's computer.    
     
     
         33 . A method for knowledge management, comprising: 
 generating a message including filtering criteria;    transmitting the message from a sending client to a set of receiving clients;    accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    collecting data target information from the data targets;    generating a receiving client profile from the data target information;    scoring the message with respect to the profile; and    displaying the message on the receiving client's computer if the filtering criteria is found within the profile.    
     
     
         34 . A system for knowledge management, comprising: 
 means for accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    means for collecting data target information from the data targets;    means for generating a client profile from the data target information;    means for storing the profile on a client computer;    means for receiving a message; and    means for scoring the message with respect to the profile.    
     
     
         35 . A system for knowledge management, comprising: 
 means for accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    means for collecting data target information from the data targets;    means for generating a client profile from the data target information;    means for storing the profile on a client computer;    means for receiving a message including filtering criteria; and    means for displaying the message on the computer if the filtering criteria is found within the profile.    
     
     
         36 . A system for knowledge management, comprising: 
 means for generating a message;    means for transmitting the message from a sending client to a set of receiving clients;    means for accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    means for collecting data target information from the data targets;    means for generating a receiving client profile from the data target information;    means for scoring the message with respect to the profile; and    means for displaying the message on a receiving client's computer.    
     
     
         37 . A system for knowledge management, comprising: 
 means for generating a message including filtering criteria;    means for transmitting the message from a sending client to a set of receiving clients;    means for accessing a predetermined set of data targets;    means for collecting data target information from the data targets;    means for generating a receiving client profile from the data target information;    means for scoring the message with respect to the profile; and    means for displaying the message on the receiving client's computer if the filtering criteria is found within the profile.