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Method for searching a collection of librariesRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Database And File Management Or Data Structures, Database Or File Accessing, Query Processing (i.e., Searching)Method for searching a collection of libraries description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070022104, Method for searching a collection of libraries. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/052,849, now pending, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/242,889 filed Oct. 24, 2000, and titled "Algorithms for Searching a Collection of Libraries", which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] This invention relates to a method of compiling a library of data and categorizing the collected data. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for determining commonality of the collected data. [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0005] The matter of locating and determining common data among libraries of collected information is an issue facing information technology today. The prior art methods of addressing this problem have been used in the consumer industry. For example, electronic vendors make product recommendations to customers based upon other products purchased by other customers who also purchased your product. This is one solution of using collected information to make product recommendations. However, this solution is solely based upon a common product purchase, and prior purchase information in the vendor's database. There is a need in information technology to use collective libraries to determine consumers who share interests in products. The prior art algorithms are designed for use with libraries of users who have not ranked their sub-libraries, but have merely expressed an interest in the items in the library by having them included therein. Accordingly, there is a need for an algorithm that will search libraries of information for commonality data between multiple libraries. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] This invention comprises a method for searching identifying data in a library or libraries within a selected population, and determined common data among the libraries. [0007] A first aspect of the invention is a method of implementing a search for identifying information. A master library of data is compiled from users of a network. The master library consists of sub-libraries compiled from the users, with each user contributing one or more sub-libraries. Each sub-library consists of a list of identifying data. Thereafter, proximity of an independent library to a sub-library within the master library is determined. The step of determining proximity of an independent library to a sub-library includes comparing the list of identifying data in the independent library to the list of identifying data in the sub-library and determining the amount of commonality between the two lists. The degree of commonality is measured according to a function whose value depends upon the amount of commonality of entries in the two respective lists. The method includes determining the collection of sub-libraries within the master library whose proximity to the independent library is within a predetermined factor. The method includes the ranking of the identifying data within the master library according to a criterion. The criterion is selected from the group consisting of: appearance in the master library, intensity of use by third parties, cost of use, ease of use, difficulty of use, and frequency of occurrence in selected portions of the master library. [0008] In a second aspect of the invention, a system for searching data is implemented. A master library is compiled from users of a network. A manager is provided to determine proximity of an independent library to a sub-library within the master library. The master library comprises a collection of individual user libraries, wherein each user library is a list of identifying data. The system includes a procedure to assign a rank to a sub-library based upon a preselected criterion. The criterion is selected from the group consisting of: frequency of appearance in the master library, intensity of use by third parties, cost of use, ease of use, difficulty of use, and frequency of occurrence in selected portions of the master library. In addition, a score is assigned to the identifying data in the master library based upon the proximity of the rank of the identifying data in the sub-library to the lists of identifying data in the master library. The score is based upon repetition between a score library and the sub-library. [0009] A third aspect of the invention is an article comprising a computer-readable signal bearing medium readable by a computer system. The article includes a master library compiled from users of a computer network. The medium provides means for determining proximity of an independent library to a sub-library within the master library. The proximity determining means compiles names in the libraries that are common. The article also ranks lists within the libraries based upon a criterion. [0010] Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0011] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a process for compiling a list of common names within a collection of libraries according to the preferred embodiment of this invention, and is suggested for printing on the first page of the issued patent. [0012] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a process for determining proximity in conjunction with the ranking algorithm. [0013] FIG. 3 is a chart illustrating the implementation of the proximity metric. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Overview [0014] Libraries of data are essentially collections of categorized data. The data may be categorized by a variety of subject matter. Each category of data in the library is identified by a name. The name is generally in the form of an alphanumeric string. In addition, each name in the library is also associated with an attribute that is a property of the name or the item identified by the name. An attribute may be in the form of the size of the library or another defining characteristic of the library. A set of libraries may be compiled into a master library. Accordingly, each library is a list of names identified by defining characteristics. Technical Background [0015] A user of the master library is someone who has contributed one or more sub-libraries to the master library and whose sub-library or sub-libraries are part of the master library. An independent user is someone who is consulting the master library with their own sub-library, and/or someone who has contributed their sub-library to the master library. In general, an independent user is referenced as such when they make use of the algorithm to derive information from the master library. The proximity measured by the algorithm provide quantities of data between at least two sub-libraries. An independent user may consult the master library within an independent sub-library to measure proximity between the independent user's sub-library and the sub-libraries of the master library. [0016] A user entering a population of libraries may seek to search for a library or a collection of libraries of interest. The purpose of the preferred embodiments disclosed herein is to search a master library or a sub-library therein to compare a selection of libraries or a single library with a user library and to receive recommendations for data from the selected library or selection of libraries that fall within a predetermined proximity to the user library or to a selected sub-library. If the potential selection is not predetermined, the first step is to search for a library or a set of libraries. In the searching process, the user may view the library or libraries available for selection. Accordingly, the first step in the process is to view libraries within the master library, if deemed necessary, and to select any and all libraries which appear to be of common subject matter. [0017] In the system herein, it is often desirable to define a proximity of a secondary library to another library within a master library. The proximity can be defined by a proximity factor which is based upon a function of two independent libraries. Given two libraries, the proximity metric measures the proximity from a first library to a second library. The function of the proximity metric is shown in the following examples. Continue reading about Method for searching a collection of libraries... Full patent description for Method for searching a collection of libraries Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method for searching a collection of libraries patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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