Method and system of managing and using profile information

Abstract

A method and system for matching a search request to a human assistant and/or other items based on information indicated in a profile associated with the search request is described. A ranking of a guide is determined based on matching of information associated with the guide and information associated with a search request. Profile information such as demographic, geographic, personality, areas of interest, people, hobbies, etc. may be used in addition to other information such as keywords or categories which are associated with a request in order to select a guide. Items such as a search result, an advertisement, a search resource, a previous query, etc. may be selected based on profile information associated with the item. Profile information may be associated with an item based on profile information associated with a guide and/or a user who has expressed an opinion regarding the item.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a request;   obtaining, by a processor, profiles of human assistants;   generating a profile by aggregation of the profiles of the human assistants; and   selecting a result based on the profile and the request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 associating the profile with the request based on a selection received from a source of the request. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting the result based on a match between the profile and a human assistant that indicated the result. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 presenting the request to a human assistant; 
 choosing the human assistant based on a ranking of the human assistant for the profile; and 
 obtaining a response of the human assistant; and 
 selecting the result of the human assistant based on a ranking of the result for content of the request. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting a human assistant to respond to the request based on availability of the human assistant; 
 obtaining results from human assistants matching the profile; and 
 delivering a highest ranking result from the results responsive to the request. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting a human assistant based on the request; and 
 presenting a resource ranked highest for the profile and the request to the human assistant. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 selecting a human assistant based on the request; and 
 presenting a resource ranked highest for the profile and the request to the human assistant. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 associating a human assistant with the request; and 
 choosing the profile based on a selection by the human assistant from a list of profiles. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing historical information of a source of the request to a human guide; 
 ranking the profile based on the historical information; and 
 determining the profile based on a selection obtained from the human guide. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing historical information of a source of the request to a human guide; 
 ranking the profile based on the historical information; and 
 determining the profile based on a selection obtained from the human guide. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 assigning a category to the request; and 
 selecting the profile based on the category and the source of the request. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 presenting the category to the source of the request; and 
 identifying the profile based on a selection received from the source of the request. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a resource; and 
 associating the resource with profile information of a source of the selection. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 ranking the result based on the request; 
 ranking the result based on the profile; and 
 determining a weighting of the profile and the request based on a source of the request. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 ranking the result based on the request; 
 ranking the result based on the profile; and 
 determining a weighting of the profile and the request based on a keyword of the request. 
 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a server device comprising memory and a processor receiving a request, obtaining profiles of human assistants, generating a profile by aggregation of the profiles of the human assistants, and selecting a result based on the profile and the request.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising:
 a user device submitting the request and selecting a profile based on a ranked list of profiles; and 
 a searcher device receiving requests, selecting results and profiles, and providing profile information of a human assistant. 
 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied therein an instruction causing a computer to execute an operation, comprising:
 receiving a request;   obtaining, by a processor, profiles of human assistants;   generating a profile by aggregation of the profiles of the human assistants; and   requesting values of attributes of the human assistants based on the profiles.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18  wherein the operation further comprises:
 determining a category of the request; and 
 associating the profile with the request based on a selection indicating the profile and the category by a source of the request. 
 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18  wherein the operation further comprises:
 providing indicator of profiles to a destination excluding the source of the request based on the request; and 
 identifying the profile based on a selection received from the destination.