Annotations based on hierarchical categories and groups

Abstract

Systems and methods for recommending entities to a user are presented. In at least one embodiment, a user is identified as belonging to one or more groups of users, or to a hierarchy of groups. A category of entities, preferred by at least of the hierarchy of identified groups, is identified. The category of entities preferred by the at least one identified group corresponds to the category of a user-preferred entity preferred by the user. An entity from the category of entities is selected; the selected entity is not the user-preferred entity. The selected entity is provided to the user as a recommended entity to the user.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for providing a recommended entity to a user, the method comprising:
 identifying a group to which the user belongs;   identifying a category of entities preferred by the identified group, wherein the category of entities preferred by the identified group corresponds to the category of a user-preferred entity preferred by the user;   selecting an entity of the category of entities having the greatest affinity value between the group and the selected entity, wherein the selected entity is not the user-preferred entity; and   providing the selected entity as a recommended entity to the user and associating an annotation with the selected entity, the annotation including an annotation relationship identifying that the identified group has an affinity to the selected entity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of search results responsive to a search query received from the user; and 
 generating a search results page, the search results page including a subset of the obtained plurality of search results and further including the recommended entity and the associated annotation; 
 wherein providing the selected entity as a recommended entity to the user comprises providing the generated search results page to the user. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one search result of the subset of search results included in the generated search results page corresponds to the selected entity, and wherein the annotation associated with then entity is placed proximately to the at least one search result in the generated search results page. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a basis for which the recommended entity is relevant to the identified group. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a positive affinity between the identified group and the recommended entity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a negative affinity between the identified group and the recommended entity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the affinity values between the group and the entities of the category of entities are determined according to one or more probability density functions. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the search query is directed to items of the category of entities. 
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing device having at least a processor and a memory, carry out a method for providing recommendations of entities to a user, the method comprising:
 obtaining a plurality of search results responsive to receiving a search query from a user;   determining a group from a hierarchy of groups to which the user belongs;   identifying a plurality of entities of a category that are preferred by the group;   for each of the plurality of entities, determining an affinity value between the group and the entity;   selecting the entity having the greatest affinity value to the group;   generating a search results page responsive to the search query, the search results page including:
 a subset of the obtained search results; 
 the selected entity presented as a recommended entity to the user; and 
 an annotation, the annotation comprising an annotation relationship identifying that the identified group has an affinity to the selected entity; and 
   providing the generated search results page to the user responsive to the search query.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein at least one search result of the subset of search results included in the generated search results page corresponds to the selected entity, and wherein the annotation associated with then entity is placed proximately to the at least one search result. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a basis for which the recommended entity is relevant to the identified group. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a positive affinity between the identified group and the recommended entity. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the annotation relationship describes a negative affinity between the identified group and the recommended entity. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the affinity values between the group and the entities of the category of entities are determined according to one or more probability density functions. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the search query is directed to items of the category of entities. 
     
     
         16 . A system for recommending an entity to a user, wherein the recommendation system is implemented on a computer system comprising at least a processor executing instructions stored in a memory, and further comprising:
 an annotation store, the annotation store storing relationship information between a plurality of groups of users and a plurality of entities; and   a recommendation component that, responsive to an entity recommendation for a user:
 identifies a group of users to which the user belongs; 
 identifies a category of entities preferred by the identified group, wherein the category of entities preferred by the identified group corresponds to the category of a user-preferred entity preferred by the user; and 
 selects an entity of the category of entities having the greatest affinity value between the group and the selected entity, wherein the selected entity is not the user-preferred entity; 
   wherein the system provides the selected entity as a recommended entity to the user.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising an annotation component that associates an annotation with the selected entity, and wherein the system provides the selected entity as a recommended entity to the user with the associated annotation. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising a search results retrieval component that obtains a plurality of search results responsive to the system receiving a search query from the user; and
 a search results page generator that generates a search results page responsive to the system receiving the search query from the user, the search results page including a subset of the obtained plurality of search results and further including the recommended entity and the associated annotation. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein at least one search result of the subset of search results included in the generated search results page corresponds to the selected entity, and wherein the associated annotation is placed proximately to the at least one search result in the generated search results page. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the affinity values between the group and the entities of the category of entities are determined according to one or more probability density functions.