Personalization engine for building a user profile

Abstract

User profiles are created based on taxonomic nouns related to documents accessed by the user. The profiles can be leveraged to create lists, such as mailing lists and lead lists, to target content, such as offers, to persons most likely to be interested in the content. A database of the profiles is queried based on nouns describing content to be promoted. The profiles that satisfy the query are used to generate a list. The invention can be used to create any type of list, such as mailing lists, lead lists, lists of related content, lists of related users, lists of categorized content, and the like.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for generating a targeted list of entities interested in content of interest, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, a set of nouns characterizing content of interest;   creating a query based on the set of nouns   querying a database with the query, the database being stored on computer readable media and having stored therein profiles including taxonomic nouns derived from user access to content;   determining, by a computing device, matching profiles that satisfy the query;   creating a list of users associated with the matching profiles.   
     
     
         2 . A computer system for generating a targeted list of entities interested in content of interest, the method comprising:
 a computing device configured to receive a set of nouns characterizing content of interest;   a database configured to receive a query based on the set of nouns, the database being stored on computer readable media and having stored therein profiles based on taxonomic nouns based on user access to content;   a computing device configured to determine matching profiles that satisfy the query;   a computing device configured to create a list of users associated with the matching profiles   
     
     
         3 . Computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions recorded thereon, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to implement a method for generating a targeted list of entities interested in content of interest, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, a set of nouns characterizing content of interest;   querying a database with a query based on the set of nouns, the database being stored on computer readable media and having stored therein profiles including taxonomic nouns based on user access to content;   determining, by a computing device, matching profiles that satisfy the query;   creating a list of users associated with the matching profiles.