System and method for common interest analysis among multiple users

Abstract

A method and apparatus for updating user profiles of interest by identifying sets of user profiles according to common interests and notifying other user profiles of a set when one common interest profile has an update to the common interest.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for updating user profiles comprising: 
 identifying sets of user profiles of a plurality of user profiles, each set identified according to at least one common interest among user profiles of a set; and    notifying other user profiles of a set when one common interest profile has an update to the common interest.    
     
     
         2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein identifying comprises linking user profiles having at least one common interest.  
     
     
         3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein a common interest is selected from the group consisting of types of programs, genre and content of programs.  
     
     
         4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein notifying comprises sending a message informing users of the other user profiles of the update.  
     
     
         5 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , further comprising each of the users of the other user profiles selecting whether the update is to occur.  
     
     
         6 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein notifying comprises automatically updating the other user profiles with the update.  
     
     
         7 . A computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed in a processing system performs a method for updating user profiles comprising: 
 identifying sets of user profiles of a plurality of user profiles, each set identified according to at least one common interest among user profiles of a set; and    notifying other user profiles of a set when one common interest profile has an update to the common interest.    
     
     
         8 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein identifying comprises linking user profiles having at least one common interest.  
     
     
         9 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein notifying comprises sending a message informing users of the other user profiles of the update.  
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising each of the users of the other user profiles selecting whether the update is to occur.  
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein notifying comprises automatically updating the other user profiles with the update.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of user profiles, the user profiles identifying at least one interest of a corresponding user;    an interest evaluation engine, the engine identifying sets of user profiles of the plurality of user profiles, each set identified according to at least one common interest among user profiles of a set and notifying other user profiles of a set when one common interest profile has an update to the common interest.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising links establishing the sets of user profiles, the links identified according to the corresponding common interest.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the interest evaluation engine notifies by sending a message informing users of the other user profiles of the update.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 14 , further comprising an input device enabling users of the other user profiles to select whether the update is to occur.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the interest evaluation engine notifies by automatically updating the other user profiles with the update.