Subscription-based Temporally Sequenced Recommendations

Abstract

A method and system for temporally-sequenced recommendations in subscription-based systems delivers to users of a subscription-based system multiple recommended objects that are arranged in a temporal sequence. The delivered recommended objects are in accordance with user subscriptions and/or inferences of preferences that are based, at least in part, on usage behaviors. Variations of the system and method include delivering recommended objects in accordance with the contents of the objects and user direct feedback with regard to the objects. Information as to why objects were delivered to users may be provided to the users.

1 . A method, comprising:
 contributing a plurality of usage behaviors to a computer-implemented usage function through use of a portable processor-based device, wherein one behavior of the plurality of behaviors is a subscription to an object representing a user; and   interacting with a plurality of recommended objects through use of the portable processor-based device, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are arranged in a temporal sequence, and wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with an automatic inference of a preference based, at least in part, on a plurality of usage behaviors.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 contributing the plurality of usage behaviors, wherein one behavior of the plurality of behaviors is a physiological response.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 interacting with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with at least one direct feedback behavior that is associated with at least one object of the plurality of objects.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 interacting with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with the at least one direct feedback behavior that is associated with the at least one object of the plurality of objects, wherein the at least one direct feedback behavior is a user comment.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 interacting with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with the inference of the preference, wherein the automatic inference of the preference is based, at least in part, on usage behaviors associated with a plurality of users.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 interacting with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of objects are selected for delivery in accordance with the automatic inference of the preference, wherein the inference of the preference is based, at least in part, on the contents of at least one object of the plurality of objects.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tuning the plurality of recommended objects through use of a recommendation tuning function.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an explanation as to why at least one object of the plurality of recommended objects was selected for delivery.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented system, comprising:
 a computer-implemented function executed on a processor-based device that enables a user to contribute a plurality of usage behaviors to a computer-implemented usage function, wherein one behavior of the plurality of behaviors is a subscription to an object representing a user; and   a computer-implemented function executed on a processor-based device that enables the user to interact with a plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are arranged in a temporal sequence, and wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with an automatic inference of a preference based, at least in part, on a plurality of usage behaviors.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the computer-implemented function that enables the user to contribute the plurality of behaviors, wherein one behavior of the plurality of behaviors is a physiological response.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the computer-implemented function that enables the user to interact with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with at least one direct feedback behavior that is associated with at least one object of the plurality of objects.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 the at least one direct feedback behavior, wherein the at least one direct feedback behavior is a user comment.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the computer-implemented function that enables the user to interact with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with the automatic inference of the preference, wherein the inference of the preference is based, at least in part, on usage behaviors associated with a plurality of users.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the computer-implemented function that enables the user to interact with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of objects are selected for delivery in accordance with the automatic inference of the preference, wherein the inference of the preference is based, at least in part, on the contents of at least one object of the plurality of objects.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 the computer-implemented function that enables the user to interact with the plurality of recommended objects, wherein at least one object of the plurality of recommended objects comprises a user activity.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a recommendation tuning function.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a computer implemented function that delivers an explanation to the user as to why at least one object of the plurality of recommended objects was selected for delivery.   
     
     
         18 . An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:
 enable a user to contribute a plurality of usage behaviors to a computer-implemented usage function, wherein one behavior of the plurality of behaviors is a subscription to an object representing a user; and   enable the user to interact with a plurality of recommended objects, wherein the plurality of recommended objects are arranged in a temporal sequence, and wherein the plurality of recommended objects are selected for delivery in accordance with an automatic inference of a preference based, at least in part, on a plurality of usage behaviors.   
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 18 , further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:
 generate the plurality of recommended objects responsive to a recommendation tuning setting.   
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 18 , further storing instructions for enabling a processor-based system to:
 deliver an explanation to the user as to why at least one object of the plurality of recommended objects was selected for delivery.