US 20090248.614A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0248.614 A1 Bhagwan et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 1, 2009 (54) SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR Related U.S. Application Data CONSTRUCTING TARGETED RANKING FROMMULTIPLE INFORMATION SOURCES (60) Provisional application No. 61/041,128, filed on Mar. 31, 2008. (75) Inventors: Varun Bhagwan, San Jose, CA O O (US); Tyrone Wilberforce Andre Publication Classification Grandison, San Jose, CA (US); (51) Int. Cl. Daniel Frederick Gruhl, San Jose, G06F 7/30 (2006.01) CA (US); Jan Hendrik Pieper, San Jose, CA (US) (52) U.S. Cl. ............... 707/1: 707/E17.005: 707/E17.134 Correspondence Address: (57) ABSTRACT VAN N. NGUY IBM CORPORATION ALMADEN RESEARCH Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method CENTER 9 for determining preferences from information mashups and, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW DEPT in particular, a system and method for constructing a ranked C4TAAU2B 650 HARRY ROAD list from multiple sources. In an exemplary embodiment, the SAN JOSE CA 95120-6099 (US) system and method tunably combines multiple ranked lists by 9 computing a score for each item within the list, wherein the (73) Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS score is a function of the associated rank of the item within the MACHINES CORPORATION list. In one exemplary embodiment, the function is equal to Armonk, NY (US) s 1/(n(1/p)), where p is a tuning parameter that enables selec s tion between responsiveness in the combined ranking to one (21) Appl. No.: 12/195,098 candidate ranked highly in one source versus responsiveness in the combined ranking to a candidate with lower but broader (22) Filed: Aug. 20, 2008 Support among the various sources ranking the candidates. 1 Jerry Michael Matthew Larry Larry Larry Larry Jerry Betty e Jerry Matthew Narrow support Broad support Patent Application Publication Oct. 1, 2009 Sheet 1 of 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 FIGURE 1A 3 Robert Timothy I Betty 6 William Sandra Kathleen 8 Richard Larry Pamela 9 Charles James Frank FIGURE 1B Je Narrow support Broad support Patent Application Publication Oct. 1, 2009 Sheet 2 of 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 i : : : X- & : in rank order) Patent Application Publication Oct. 1, 2009 Sheet 3 of 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 302 FIGURE 3A FIGURE 3B FIGURE 3C score 101520253013540.4550 score 101520l25.303540.45150 score 10152025.30|35140|4550 il Rihanna i Eminen #1 Erninem Eminen Rihanna i2 The Beatles Simple Plan The Beatles #3 Rihanna 4. The Beatles Britney Spears #4 Lincoln Park Timbaland Simple Plan #5 Green Day Britney Spears iG Linkin Park is Radiohead In Flames Green Day #7 Britney Spears #8 Belle and Sebastian Cascade #8 Simple Plan Cascada is Tinbaland i9 Fall Out Boy O Green Day O My Chemical Romance O My Chemical Romance #11 Linkin Park # Fall Out Boy 1 Avenged Sevenfold it 12 Miley Cyrus 2 50 Cent i2 50 Cet #3 Paramore 13 Avenged Sevenfold #3 Snoop Dogg i4 Metallica 4. Radiohead #14 Cascada i5 50 Cent is In Flames #1S Timbaland 16 My Chemical Romance fié Metallica i16 Johnny Cash #17 Akon #17 Paramore #17 Hilary Duff i8 R.E.M. #8 Nickelback i18 Cassie #9 Fogging Molly it 9 Leona Lewis #19 Amy Winehouse i2O Fall Out Boy #20 Snoop Dogg #20 Aerosmith W 2 Bon Jovi #2 Hilary Duff #21 Bloc Party #22 Leona Lewis i Bon Jovi i22 Rage Against the Machine #23 Coldplay #23 Avenged Sevenfold #23 Amy Winehouse #24 Nickelback i24 Cassie #24 Lostprophets i25 Billy Joel 25 Belle and Sebastian #25 Kate Nash #26 We the Kings #26 Rage Against the Machine #26 Metalica #27 Rage Against the Machine #27 Slipknot #27. Killswitch Engage i28 AC/DC #28 Akon i28 System of a Down i29 The Medic Droid i29 Aerosmith #29 Arctic Monkeys #30 Slipknot i30 Kate Nash #30 Led Zeppelin #31 3. #31 30 Seconds to Mars Amy Winehouse Miley Cyrus #32 Nickelback i32 Avril Lavigne #32 Coldplay 33 Audioslave f33 Arctic Monkeys #33 Gorillaz #34 The Rolling Stones #34 R.E.M. i;34. Korn i35 #35 Paranore #35 Hilary Duff System of a Down #36 KT Tunstall #36 Van Morrison i36 Led Zeppelin #37 #37 Deep Purple #37 Nirvana Deep Purple #38 Leona Lewis i38 Cassie #38. Flogging Molly #39 #39 Kylie Minogue Deep Purple Johnny Cash fia.0 Iron Maiden 40 40 30 Seconds to Mars Snoop Dogg i41 i4 Megadeth 4. Gorillaz Lily Allen Patent Application Publication Oct. 1, 2009 Sheet 4 of 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 46 44 Processor Main memory 50 Display interface Display unit Communication Infrastructure (BUS) Secondary memory Hard disk drive 56 60 Removable Removable storage drive StOrage unit 58 64 Removable Interface storage unit 62 68 Communicationinterface Communication path FIGURE 4 Patent Application Publication Oct. 1, 2009 Sheet 5 of 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 - EE st d SERVER STORAGE CLIENT 108 FIGURE 5 US 2009/0248.614 A1 Oct. 1, 2009 SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR 0006. Also provided is a user interface for tunably com CONSTRUCTING TARGETED RANKING bining multiple ranked lists, the user interface including a FROM MULTIPLE INFORMATION SOURCES display to display a combined list of items from multiple ranked lists, wherein each item in a list of the multiple ranked CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED lists has an associated rank, n, within the list, and wherein the APPLICATIONS combined list is based on combining the items in the multiple lists, the combining including assigning a value to a variable 0001. This application claims the benefit of and incorpo p, the value being neither 0 nor negative; for each list in the rates by reference in its entirety U.S. provisional application multiple lists, computing a score for each item within the list, No. 61/041,128, which was filed on Mar. 31, 2008. wherein the score is a function of the associated rank, and wherein the function is equal to 1/(n(1/p)); for each item, FIELD OF INVENTION Summing corresponding scores to produce a total score for 0002 The present invention relates to information mash the item; and ranking each item based on the corresponding ups, and in particular to a system and method for constructing total score of each item. The user interface also includes a tool targeted rankings from multiple information Sources. to receive input indicating a new value of p, the tool config ured to transmit the input to trigger construction of a new BACKGROUND combined list based upon the new value of p. 0007. A computer program product fortunably combining 0003. Through the advances of technology, today's world multiple ranked lists is also provided. The computer program has become inundated with information. One continuing product includes a computer readable medium; first program technological and Societal challenge is finding methods and instructions to receive multiple lists, wherein each list systems to extract and combine useful data, knowledge, and includes items each having an associated rank, n, within the understanding from a pool of information that is constantly list; and second program instructions to combine the items in growing in quantity and increasing in granularity. the multiple lists into a combined list, wherein the combining 0004. Even when we narrow our analysis to one domain of includes assigning a value to a variable p, the value being interest, e.g. ranking wines, how do we combine all the infor neither 0 nor negative; for each list in the multiple lists, mation indicating preferences within the domain when the computing a score for each item within the list, wherein the information is available from multiples sources and the score is a function of the associated rank, and wherein the sources differ in modality? For example, how do we combine function is equal to 1/(n(1/p)); for each item, Summing cor multiple lists of preferences, e.g., from different online com responding scores to produce a total score for the item; rank munities, sales numbers from different stores, etc.? How do ing each item based on the corresponding total score of each we combine the information in a manner that will reveal the item; and outputting the combined list based on the ranking, aspects of that information that are important, valuable, sig wherein the first and second program instructions are stored nificant to an entity (e.g., a machine, business, customer, on the computer readable media. end-user, etc.) requesting the results'? And how do we enable 0008. A method for providing a combined ranked list from tuning of the outcome, e.g., at the touch of a button, to target multiple ranked lists is also provided. The method includes certain characteristics and elevate those characteristics to the receiving an identification of a domain of interest; receiving forefront? information describing a business objective; gathering mul tiple ranked lists on the domain of interest from multiple SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Sources, wherein each list includes items each having an associated rank, n, within the list; combining the items in the 0005. A computer-implemented method fortunably com multiple lists into a combined list, wherein the combining bining multiple ranked lists is provided. The method includes includes automatically computing a score for each item receiving multiple lists, wherein each list includes items each within each of the multiple lists using a function equal to having an associated rank, n, within the list. The method 1/(n(1/p)), wherein p is a variable and the value of p is further includes combining the items in the multiple lists into determined based on the business objective and is neither 0 a combined list, wherein the combining includes assigning a nor negative; and transmitting the combined list.