System and method for automated service recommendations

Abstract

A system and method for automated service recommendations. A request is received over a network, from a user for service recommendations, wherein the request comprises an identification of the user and at least one service selection criteria. A query is formulated so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the requesting user, the service selection criteria and to a plurality of services available via the network so as to a identify a subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request. A list of the identified subset of services is transmitted, via the network, to the requesting user. A selection of at least one of the selected subset of services available received from the user and the user is enrolled in the selected service.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a request, over a network, from a user for service recommendations, wherein the request comprises an identification of the user and service selection criteria;   formulating a query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the requesting user, the service selection criteria and to a plurality of services available via the network so as to a identify a subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request, such that the query is formulated so as to search using a global index of data relating to a plurality of entities known to the network; and   transmitting a list of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request to the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one service selection criteria comprises spatial, temporal, social and topical criteria. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the global index comprises a global graph that relates the plurality of entities known to the network with one another. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a selection of at least one of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network; 
 enrolling the user in the service corresponding to the selected at least one of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data relating to a plurality of services available via the network comprise at least one service profile of at least one of the plurality of services. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data relating to a plurality of services available via the network comprise at least one target user profile of at least one of the plurality of services. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the data relating to a plurality of services available via the network comprise at least one predictive model relating to at least one of the plurality of services. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the enrolling the user in the service comprises prompting the user via a user interface for data required for enrollment in the selected at least one of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the enrolling the user in the service comprises formulating a search, via the network, for user profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the user and to the selected at least one of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network so as to retrieve data required for enrollment in the selected at least one of the subset of the plurality of services. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  where the search returns all data required for enrollment in the selected one of the subset of the plurality of services, the user is not prompted for any additional information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  where the search is formulated so as to use the global index of data relating to the plurality of entities known to the network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  the global index comprises a global graph that relates the plurality of entities known to the network with one another. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  where the search returns data required for enrollment in the selected one of the subset of the plurality of services that is sensitive user data, the user is prompted to give permission to the enrolling step to retrieve the sensitive user data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2  comprising the additional step of:
 receiving an authorization, via the network, from the user to automatically enroll the user in all of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request, wherein the transmitting and receiving a selection steps are bypassed and the enrolling step enrolls the user in all of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the user is enrolled in the each of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network for a trial period. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein if no service selection criteria are provided, the formulating step uses default service selection criteria. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one service selection criteria are related to one another using standard relational or set operators. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one service selection criteria are stated as a natural language query 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
 logic executed by the processor for receiving a request, over a network, from a user for service recommendations, wherein the request comprises an identification of the user and service selection criteria; 
 logic executed by the processor for formulating a query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the requesting user, the service selection criteria and to a plurality of services available via the network so as to a identify a subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request, such that the query is formulated so as to search using a global index of data relating to a plurality of entities known to the network; and 
 logic executed by the processor for transmitting a list of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request to the user. 
   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage media for tangibly storing thereon computer readable instructions for a method comprising:
 receiving a request, over a network, from a user for service recommendations, wherein the request comprises an identification of the user and service selection criteria;   formulating a query so as to search, via the network, for user profile data, spatial data, temporal data, social data and topical data that is available via the network and relates to the requesting user, the service selection criteria and to a plurality of services available via the network so as to a identify a subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request, such that the query is formulated so as to search using a global index of data relating to a plurality of entities known to the network; and   transmitting a list of the subset of the plurality of services available via the network that relate to the request to the user.