Abstract: An Intelligent Profiling Engine system contains a knowledge base and form base in which domain knowledge, forms, filters, rules, and clocks are represented. The system profiles users by presenting forms containing questions to users via multiple communication channels. Forms are selected based upon the results of utilizing filters, rules, and clocks to identify target populations of users. Filters, rules, and clocks also specify what information is important with respect to each user and how frequently information about each user must be refreshed. Liaisons present forms to users, store answers in a user data tank, and deliver benefits to users as a reward for answering questions. The system maximizes the utility of information gathered from users over time according to form weights. Thus, the invention is an automated profiling scheme.

Abstract: An Intelligent Query Engine (IQE) system automatically develops multiple information spaces in which different types of real-world objects (e.g., documents, users, products) can be represented. Machine learning techniques are used to facilitate automated emergence of information spaces in which objects are represented as vectors of real numbers. The system then delivers information to users based upon similarity measures applied to the representation of the objects in these information spaces. The system simultaneously classifies documents, users, products, and other objects. Documents are managed by collators that act as classifiers of overlapping portions of the database of documents. Collators evolve to meet the demands for information delivery expressed by user feedback. Liaisons act on the behalf of users to elicit information from the population of collators. This information is then presented to users upon logging into the system via Internet or another communication channel.