WO2015178778A1

WO2015178778A1 - Method and system for providing personalized intelligent content data base and a personalized graphical user interface, gui

Info

Publication number: WO2015178778A1
Application number: PCT/NO2015/050089
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harald Jellum
Original assignee: Companybook As
Priority date: 2014-05-23
Filing date: 2015-05-22
Publication date: 2015-11-26
Also published as: EP3146449A1; EP3146449A4

Abstract

Method and system for finding new business opportunities based on previous search criteria, search results, and search result categorization.The invention will provide information related to potential new customers, prospects, partners, competitors, business opportunities, and other based on the users search profile and historical search pattern.

Description

TITLE:

Method and system for providing personalized intelligent content data base and a personalized Graphical User Interface, GUI.

PRIOR ART Catalogues Services

Today there are several catalogue services for both private persons and for companies. Many of these has started as paper versions and developed into internet portals. Examples of these can be yellow pages, 1881, Compass, Your District, Summa and more. Typical for these is that you find companies based on public available information from public registers (e.g. The Br0nn0ysund Register for Norway). These solutions are static which means a user can do a search, and get a result on exact matches. The problem with these services is that they offer no form of "intelligence" to assist the user. A user gets a result exactly matching what was searched for. Financial information systems

In recent years several search tools have been developed specializing in providing financial information related to companies, and in some cases persons and organizations, often searching public registers. Examples on these are Purehelp, Proff, Dun and Bradstreet, Experian and others. These search portals often contain financial key figures, accounting information, credit information and in some cases financial analysis and ownership in other companies, as well as information about the board. In some cases the board members roles in other companies are comprised. These services are often very static in the sense that you get exactly what you search for. There is a problem that such services often lack vital information or suggestions for other appropriate information the user might want to explore. The search results lack "intelligence". Some systems offer a user the opportunity to monitor a company. This is typically a dynamic service which alerts the user when information updates are detected related to financial key figures, contact information or news. These services provide only the information matching exactly what the user asked for.

Search Engines

Search for companies with a defined set of properties can be done by searches using Google, Bing or others, using keywords. These services comprise an advantage compared to catalogue services in that it is possible to search for more details because the services have indexed the company web sites. These services are relatively static since they only provide hits on web pages containing the keyword. Some of the services also provide hits although not all the keywords are found in the hit. There is a problem with these services that the resulting search provides information only for search results providing some or all of the predefined keywords.

None of the above mentioned solutions contain an intelligent solution which gives the user new and relevant information based on previous search activities, predefined relations or other user related interaction. All of them only provide results based on specific search criteria's.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION :

The invention provides a method and system for finding new business opportunities based on previous search criteria, search results, and search result categorization. The invention will provide information related to potential new customers, prospects, partners, competitors, business opportunities, and other based on the users search profile and historical search pattern. Thus, a method and system which provides a searching service with built-in intelligence. Further the method and system of the invention provides a GUI, Dashboard, for the user where the search results are presented, and wherein the user can categorize the content presented. The categorization of the search results then provides intelligence to the method and system of the invention for later searches.

A user of the present invention is typically, but not limited to, companies of any size or type, employees, owners, board members, consultants or others.

The Dashboard of the invention can be made available for users on a communication device through one of, but not limited to: a network (e.g. internet) portal, mobile user interface, mobile application, tablets, «phablets» or other network connected devices.

The communication device can be one of, but not limited to: a personal computer, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a tablet, a television system, or other.

The invention provides a solution to the problems discussed above, and is defined by the accompanying patent claims. The invention may also comprise also network service, which may be a cloud service, residing with a network/cloud service provider. The network service may comprise the storage resources required by the system of the invention, as well as the searching services required by the system of the invention.

FIGURES

Fig 1 is a block diagram overview of the system

Fig 2 is a flow chart of the method

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a method and system to find new business opportunities based on previous search activities which the user has categorized by allocating a categorization identifier to a company hit. The invention will help a user to find new customers, partners, competitors or other business opportunities in an intelligent semi-automatic way. The invention comprises a method and system for providing personalized intelligent content to a search tool and content data base based on previous usage, the method and system also providing a personal «Dashboard» comprising automatically updated content.

The invention store and use previous search criteria and results which have been categorized as relevant for the user by the user himself. A categorization identifier is associated with each relevant search result, and used as input to an advanced search and matching operation which provides an expanded search result comprising other related results such as companies, which is presented to the user via the Dashboard of the invention. The search an matching operation may use the categorization identifier as a primary selecting criteria, finding previously categorized companies with similar identifier, or the identifier itself may be matched with new company information available in the search base, or other search criteria other than the identifier may be chosen as search filter by the user. Based on the above the new and more "intelligent" method for companies and users to find new business opportunities is provided based on their search history, activity and interaction as well as the categorization of the users relation to the search results. The invention is further described in the following. Fig 1 provides a block diagram of the various components of the system of the invention, the system comprising a user 10, which can be one of, but not limited to, an employee, an owner, a consultant, a partner, or other relation, of a company, or a person. The system provides a searching interface 20 in the form of a Dashboard on a communication device, where the search interface 20 lets the user access and search a database comprising all collected company information from various sources such as financial registers, company webpages, news, blogs, forum, social network or other related sources which are available on the network (internet). This search is stored and presented to the user in the block result 30 , the search result comprising companies matching the search criteria provided by the user. The search result 30 may also apart from being a company, be one of, but not limited to a list of companies, list of companies filtered on for example financial parameters such as turnover, result, industry, location, no. of employees, growth, or other typical business related parameters. The user will then categorize the companies in the search result, and store them as different categories of companies, or user relation to the company, for example, but not limited to: customer 50 , prospect 60 , competitor 70 , owner 80 , employee 90 , partner 100 , favorite 110 or other. Based on the categorization made by the user the system provides an advanced search and matching operation 120 which based on criteria defined by the user in the Dashboard will search and present other companies based on the similar properties, category and other parameters of the company selected by the user. These similar companies will automatically be provided by the same company database and be sorted based on the user's categorization (130). These automatically searched companies will then be shown in the Dashboard (140) for example in, but not limited to, a list with customers which are similar to your existing customers and a list over potential alternative competitors. This will be shown in a user's personalized Dashboard. Other information will also be displayed in the Dashboard related to a, from the displayed list chosen, company, such as, but not limited to: updated company information such as news, finance, contacts or other company updates.

The advanced search and matching 120 operation may perform the searches using vector search criteria, statistics, semantic, keywords, or other relevant search technology.

The Dashboard 140 may comprise one or more of the users business relations comprising one or more of , but not limited to: relevant companies, persons, news, social updates, sentiments, trends, markets, products or other relevant business information.

The Dashboard 140 can be can be personalized both in amount of information, type of information, location, language, colors, layout, font, style, placement/position or other personalized content method. The Dashboard 140 can be send out warnings about new content in the form of email, SMS , MMS or other forms of messages to a user or a group of users. saas The personal Dashboard (140) may be shared with others users.

Once the search result is expanded with related search results, and the user has made a categorized selection, the newly found and chosen companies will form basis for which companies are followed 40 in a future search.

The invention can be applied on several platforms and solution as Software as a Service(Saas), as a standard portal on internet, as a user application for mobile phones, Tablets, Phablets, thin clients, virtual machines, as a local installed solution, as a cloud based service or any other software based related solution.

Fig. 2 provides flow chart visualizing an embodiment of a method of the invention. The method of the invention provides a search operation where the user specifies the search criteria in the

Dashboard of the invention, letting the user search and find one or more companies in a database 200 of companies stored and maintained by the system of the invention. The search result is presented in the Dashboard. The presentation may be customized for the individual user. When the search result is presented in the Dashboard, the user must make a decision 210 whether to "follow" a company or not. If the user wants to follow 210, the user must define or categorize which relation this company 220 has to the user. Based on the company parameters of the chosen company, the system of the invention fetches similar companies from the company database and presents 230 them to the user in the Dashboard. Once a company in the search result has been categorized, and if the user choose to follow 240 the company, similar companies will be organized and presented 250 in the Dashboard as possible new customers, prospects, competitors, owners, partners or other relations.

Other parameters linked to each search and search result may be, but not limited to: time (of search, or when company information was updated), size, industry, market, news or other. The parameters can also be used to define the manner of how the data are presented on the Dashboard. The invention may also provide a "follow as" 40 feature which can be defined as a relation 50-110 or as user behavior. If the user, one or more times, has searched and viewed a type of company, or read several news about a certain business or market, this search pattern, which may comprise interest, location, financial filtering parameters, industries or other relevant company information is stored in a user profile of the user or the user's personalized Dashboard. The search pattern may then be used to form the basis of a further search automatically generated by the system which may provide a search result comprising similar other companies. Theses findings can again be categorize by the user as discussed above, and become a part of the user's or systems data base.

The invention may also comprise a network service, which may be a cloud service, residing with a network/cloud service provider. The network service may comprise the storage resources required by the system of the invention, as well as the searching services required by the system of the invention. Such network service will then also provide communication with the user via the connected communication device and the Dashboard, as well as performing the searches towards the internet or other type of network defined by the user in the Dashboard.

In a first embodiment of the system of the invention the system may be comprising: a client device, comprising a network communication module, a Graphical User Interface, and a Dashboard module, a network service, comprising a database storage module, a communication module, a search module, and a search and matching module, and database access to one or more of, but not limited to: catalogue services, financial information systems, search engines, company web pages.

In a second embodiment of the system of the invention according to the first embodiment of the system of the invention, the communication module facilitates a two way communication between the client device and the network service.

In a third embodiment of the system of the invention according to the first or second embodiments of the system of the invention, the Dashboard module comprises an input module for receiving search criteria, and/or categorization identifier from a user of the system. In a fourth embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous

embodiments of the system of the invention, the network service is a cloud service.

In a fifth embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the system of the invention, the search module comprise a result module for presenting search results, the search results comprising information about one of the following, but not limited to: a company, a list of companies, a list of companies filtered on various financial parameters as for example: turnover, result, industry, location, no. of employees, growth, or other typical business related parameters.

In a sixth embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the system of the invention, the search module comprise a "follow as" (40 ) module where the categorization identifier may be defined as one of a, but not limited to, relation (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110) or as search pattern, search pattern being defined by the user behavior if the user, one or more times, has searched and viewed a type of company, or read several news about a certain business or market, and may be comprised by one or more, but not limited to: interest, location, financial filtering parameters, industries or other relevant company information.

In a sevent embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the system of the invention, the database storage module comprise company information being categorized by the user's categorization identifier, the company information originating from initial searches or by automatic searches performed by the system and categorized by the user.

In an eight embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the system of the invention, the network service and/or client device may be distributed over several platforms, and the network service comprise the services as Software as a Service, SaaS, as a portal on internet, as a local installed solution, as a cloud based service or any other software based related solution and the client device as an application for mobile phones, Tablets, Phablets, thin clients, or virtual machines. In a ninth embodiment of the system of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the system of the invention, the Dashboard can be accessed by more than one user.

In a first embodiment of the method of the invention the method for providing a personalized intelligent content data base to a user using the system defined in any of the previous system embodiments, the method comprising performing the following steps: a) the user defining a search criteria b) searching (20) a company database; c) compiling a searching result (30) comprising one of, but not limited to: a company, a list of companies, a list of companies filtered on for example financial parameters such as turnover, result, industry, location, no. of employees, growth, or other typical business related parameters d) the user choosing to follow selected companies as (40) a relation (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110);

e) optionally performing a search an matching (120) operation in a company database to find further companies matching a user search pattern; f) optionally categorizing (130) the further companies found in the search and matching

operation and g) displaying in the user Dashboard the result of the search and the optionally search and

matching operation.

In a second embodiment of the method of the invention according to the first embodiment of the method of the invention, the relations (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110) a company may be one of, but not limited to, is: customer(50), prospect(60), competitor(70), owner(80), employee(90), partner(lOO), or favorite(HO).

In a third embodiment of the method of the invention according to the first or second embodiments of the method of the invention, the user (10) can be one of, but not limited to: company, employee, owner, board member, consultant or other individual or organization.

In a fourth embodiment of the method of the invention according to any of the previous

embodiments of the method of the invention the user search pattern or user behavior, where for example the user has viewed a type of company several times, or read several news about a certain business or market, the search pattern then indicating interest, location, financial filtering parameters, industries or other relevant company information, form the basis of a search pattern which provides further search criteria for the search and matching operation enabling it find similar other companies.

In a fifth embodiment of the method of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the method of the invention the advanced search and matching (120) operation performs the searches using vector search criteria, statistics, semantic, keywords, or other relevant search technology.

In a sixth embodiment of the method of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the method of the invention the Dashboard (140) displays one or more of, but not limited to: the user's relation with displayed companies, persons, news, social updates, sentiments, trends, markets, products or other relevant business information.

In a seventh embodiment of the method of the invention according to any of the previous embodiments of the method of the invention the dashboard (140) can be can be personalized both in amount of information, type of information, location, language, colors, layout, font, style, placement/position or other personalized content method.

In an eight embodiment of the method of the invention according to any of the previous

embodiments of the method of the invention the Dashboard (140) can be sending out warnings about new content in the form of one or more of email, SMS , MMS or other forms of messages.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1.

System for providing a personalized intelligent content data base, the system being

c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y comprising: a client device, comprising a network communication module, a Graphical User Interface, and a Dashboard module, a network service, comprising a database storage module, a communication module, a search module, and a search and matching module, and database access to one or more of, but not limited to: catalogue services, financial information systems, search engines, company web pages.

2.

System according to claim 1, wherein the communication module facilitates a two way

communication between the client device and the network service.

3.

System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the Dashboard module comprises an input module for receiving search criteria, and/or categorization identifier from a user of the system.

4.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the network service is a cloud service.

5.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the search module comprise a result module for presenting search results, the search results comprising information about one of the following, but not limited to: a company, a list of companies, a list of companies filtered on various financial parameters as for example: turnover, result, industry, location, no. of employees, growth, or other typical business related parameters.

6.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the search module comprise a "follow as" (40 ) module where the categorization identifier may be defined as one of a, but not limited to, relation (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110) or as search pattern, search pattern being defined by the user behavior if the user, one or more times, has searched and viewed a type of company, or read several news about a certain business or market, and may be comprised by one or more, but not limited to: interest, location, financial filtering parameters, industries or other relevant company information.

7.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the database storage module comprise company information being categorized by the user's categorization identifier, the company information originating from initial searches or by automatic searches performed by the system and categorized by the user.

8.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the network service and/or client device may be distributed over several platforms, and the network service comprise the services as Software as a Service, SaaS, as a portal on internet, as a local installed solution, as a cloud based service or any other software based related solution and the client device as an application for mobile phones, Tablets, Phablets, thin clients, or virtual machines.

9.

System according to any of the previous claims, wherein the Dashboard can be accessed by more than one user.

10.

Method for providing a personalized intelligent content data base to a user using the system defined in any of the previous claims, the method being c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y comprising performing the following steps: a) the user defining a search criteria b) searching (20) a company database; c) compiling a searching result (30) comprising one of, but not limited to: a company, a list of companies, a list of companies filtered on for example financial parameters such as turnover, result, industry, location, no. of employees, growth, or other typical business related parameters d) the user choosing to follow selected companies as (40) a relation (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110);

matching operation.

11.

Method according to claim 10, wherein the relations (50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110) a company may be one of, but not limited to, is: customer(50), prospect(60), competitor(70), owner(80), employee(90), partner(lOO), or favorite(HO).

12.

Method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the user (10) can be one of, but not limited to:

company, employee, owner, board member, consultant or other individual or organization.

13.

Method according to any of claim 10 - 12, wherein a user search pattern or user behavior, where for example the user has viewed a type of company several times, or read several news about a certain business or market, the search pattern then indicating interest, location, financial filtering parameters, industries or other relevant company information, form the basis of a search pattern which provides further search criteria for the search and matching operation enabling it find similar other companies.

14.

Method according to any f o claim 10 - 13, wherein the advanced search and matching (120) operation performs the searches using vector search criteria, statistics, semantic, keywords, or other relevant search technology.

15.

Method according to any of claim 10 - 14, wherein the Dashboard (140) displays one or more of, but not limited to: the user's relation with displayed companies, persons, news, social updates, sentiments, trends, markets, products or other relevant business information.

16.

Method according to any of claim 10 - 15, wherein the dashboard (140) can be can be personalized both in amount of information, type of information, location, language, colors, layout, font, style, placement/position or other personalized content method.

17.

Method according to any of claim 10 - 16, wherein the Dashboard (140) can be sending out warnings about new content in the form of one or more of email, SMS , MMS or other forms of messages.