System and Method for Intelligently Determining User Preferences and Responding Thereto

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method by which a thought can be (a) entered, (b) interpreted through combination of an adaptive thought-associative dictionary and user knowledge, (c) processed with an analytical toolset, (d) presented back to the user, (e) stored, and (f) updated. Through feedback the present invention attempts to track the user with increasing accuracy, in the context of a non-stationary environment. The present invention fully associates these elements through use of a database such that post processing can be readily applied to any element, or can be applied as the ability to do such post-processing is developed or improves. Furthermore, the present invention defines a mathematical construct and relationship to the thought environment such that many forms of processing can be realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention relates to the analysis of thought. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method of intelligently capturing thoughts that are at least in part subconscious, and responding thereto.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Thoughts and dreams, both originating in the mind, share characteristics which for many purposes may make them indistinguishable. In light of this, the significance of subconscious thought, including but not limited to dreams and daydreams, as applied in relation to a dreamer's life, has been clearly established in the psychology community. Therefore, for the purposes of the prevent invention, thought can include dreams and daydreams, and dreams can include thought and daydreams. There are structured attempts at dream analysis which have been discussed by those in the field of psychology. Researchers such as Freud and Jung have looked to dreams as important elements in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a thought analysis tool with a user interface for data entry and display, interpretation development, update, and sharing with other users. The tool allows users to add emotions and comments to their thought text, receive beneficial or entertaining information based on thought content, and identify similarities and unique aspects of thought content. The tool can also link advertising or other user-specific information to thought content, update a collective associative dictionary of thought interpretations, and refine the interpretations over time. Overall, the tool provides an effective method for analyzing and interpreting users' thought content.

Problems solved by technology

In general, however, the typical analysis methods are vague and complex, based on opinion as much as on science.

In addition, the awareness and application of these ideas is limited to rather small groups of “experts”.

However, there exists no formal means by which quantitative analysis, tracking and storage can be performed.

Consequently, any analysis is limited by the individual's memory, analysis ability and ability to manage an ad-hoc recollection of their past dreams.

Generally, people do not apply mathematical methodologies and tools to the processing of their dream content (e.g. statistical analysis).

Currently there is no known application of modeling and analyzing dream information based on the mathematics of normed linear spaces.

However, these methods are limited in at least three major ways.

First, keeping written or computer records of dreams does not provide the proper structure to allow formal mathematical methodologies to be applied to the analysis.

For example, it would be virtually impossible for a person to correlate the content of their dream with the complete real-life past history of themselves or others.

Second, currently available or generic computer applications do not provide a framework by which an organized approach to the entirety of (a) dream entry, (b) storage and retrieval, (c) analysis, (d) processing and / or (e) the linking of all such elements can be achieved.

Third, personal analysis is initially devoid of all connection to the collective meanings of the world or is based solely on the dreamer's knowledge of our world.

Any interpretation or benefit from dream analysis is necessarily limited to the dreamer's own abilities as they perform the analysis independent of the knowledge of others, or only to the extent that they are made aware of.

However, these books are likely to be tainted with an “expert's” flawed viewpoints or un-scientific principles such as the zodiac, astrology and mythology.

There are no means for real-time tracking of these things.

Further, books do not allow a progression of a dreamer's awareness to influence the book's content.

As people associate dream content to unique elements of their lives, there exists no means to update the book to provide a representation of individual users.

In general, such overconstrained problems have no solution, but at best just try to minimize the errors which are necessarily present.

A further disadvantage is the lack of a means by which the experience of people using the book can influence the contents of the book.

Finally, as described above, the use of dream interpretation books does not support structuring of dream histories of individuals or groups of people to perform advanced analysis and processing of data.

When considering the field of psychology and the attempts to practically represent it in the form of books, a final weakness of current methodologies is evident.

There exists no definitive means by which a person may establish the qualifications of an authority to correctly interpret dreams or apply them to any end.

In addition, it is widely accepted that it is not possible for a given person to completely understand the dreams of another (U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,214 to Pavis 1978).

If the dreams of an individual, over the population, are a function of any and all elements of a person's mind and experiences, a dream interpretation “expert” will fail to consider and address certain elements in their interpretation, and thus will be incorrect in their analysis.

As such, use of a book written by an “expert” is a flawed approach to dream interpretation.

The expert's decisions as uniquely related to the dreamer, are limited by: (1) the capabilities of the expert in determining relevant information from the dreamer's mind, (2) the capabilities in information exchange between the dreamer and the expert, (3) the willingness of the dreamer to reveal personal information, (4) the expert's analysis abilities, and (5) the other imperfections of the expert (i.e. the doctor is not necessarily more healthy or more capable than the patient).

Complete interpretation without complete knowledge of the world and the individual's unique experiences is impossible because an individual's dream is created by that specific individual, and is a function of that individual's unique experiences and history.

Furthermore, because of the difficulties or impossibilities in communicating both the concrete and abstract elements of one's mind and unique experiences (i.e. the dreamer's reality), dream interpretation by a psychology expert will fail to achieve its intended objective.

As a result, the application of dreams to the shaping of the future is necessarily distorted by the interface between dreamer and interpreter.

As a result, it is impossible for others to be aware of the complete details of such a model, especially to the point of providing guidance.

With respect to dream interpretation, there is no known method which combines world knowledge, self knowledge and an error correcting feedback loop.

In addition, there is no known implementation of such on a computer system.

However, such examples simply acknowledge the importance of dreams, without providing a clear description of the methods to be employed.

Generally, diagnostic references show a therapist as an essential part of the process and do not establish the patient as being empowered to autonomously perform analysis and make decisions.

Regardless of the methodologies employed, the current state-of-the-art in dream interpretation does not support the sharing, use or storage of the dream content of a large number of individuals.

However, these examples are directed toward obtaining data under the direction and control of a doctor, to assist in the diagnosis of mentally ill patients and not serve the specific interests and needs of the general population.

Individuals, psychologists, and book authors using current methods, cannot make use of realtime information from the global population.

The traditional methods which form a part of the aforementioned examples are also limited in their scope.

For example, when a person's physical and mental composition is altered by a prescribed drug, there is no means to address or even acknowledge that this “solution” may be in error.

Conversely, when stable feedback mechanisms are employed, it is accepted that errors exist which converge to zero as time increases.

Thus, the traditional dream interpretation techniques do not acknowledge that the means toward a solution are as meaningful and as important to the person's awareness as the ends achieved by those means.

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