Category Overlap Filtering for Item Recommendations

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Solution Overview

Problem

The redundancy in presenting information across different categories hinders users' ability to efficiently locate and access relevant information, as they encounter the same items multiple times, leading to frustration and reduced effectiveness in navigating user interfaces with limited display space.

Innovation Solution

Implementing computer-implemented processes to selectively filter out overlapping item categories, reducing redundancy by generating and presenting a subset of categories that collectively contain less redundancy, using techniques such as overlap scoring and category filtering to eliminate egregious overlap while preserving access to high-interest items.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If information is organized into multiple categories to facilitate user navigation, then user access to relevant information is improved, but redundancy between categories increases causing user frustration and reduced efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser access to informationVSAvoidredundant information presentation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the set of categories into multiple groups based on overlap characteristics. Categories with high overlap are separated into different groups, so that when the system selects one category to display, it avoids showing highly redundant categories together. This segmentation allows the system to manage and control redundancy by strategically selecting from different segments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of category selection by introducing an overlap metric. The system calculates overlap between categories and uses this parameter to guide selection decisions. By dynamically adjusting which categories are selected based on their overlap parameters, the system reduces redundant information presentation while maintaining comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If all categories are presented to users to ensure complete coverage, then information completeness is improved, but navigation complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidnavigation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by selecting only a subset of categories for presentation rather than showing all available categories. The system determines that presenting a carefully selected portion of categories (those with low overlap) is sufficient to maintain information completeness while significantly reducing navigation time and user effort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of user navigation through multiple categories with an automated computational system. The system automatically calculates category overlaps, selects optimal categories, and presents them to users, substituting the manual navigation mechanism with an intelligent selection algorithm that reduces time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Area of stationary object

If limited display space is used to show categories, then interface simplicity is improved, but the ability to show diverse categories is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay spaceVSAvoidcategory diversity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of multiple overlapping categories into a single selected category for display. By identifying categories with high overlap and selecting one representative category, the system consolidates redundant information sources, allowing diverse category coverage within limited display space without sacrificing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8117216B1Automated selection of item categories for presenting item recommendations

Publication Date: 2012.02.14 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented process for reducing category overlap obtains a set of source items and an initial set of item categories associated with the source items. An assessment of the overlap between different item categories in the initial set of item categories is used to selectively eliminate one or more item categories prior to presentation of the source items and associated categories to the user, thereby resulting in reduced overlap between the item categories presented. The resulting set of categories improves the ability of the user to efficiently and effectively access source items of interest, such as recommended items generated by a recommendation engine.