Method and apparatus for social network qualification systems

• US 10,402,833 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Sundaresan, Neelakantan, Mitrokostas, Vasilios, Olver, Lauren, Chiu, Chi-Hsien, Ruvini, Jean-David, Sarwar, Badrul M., Nguyen, Hill Trung
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Buchanan, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US12/398,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,834 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for qualification testing in a social network service. Qualification testing provides access control into a social network, wherein qualification is based on answers to questions related to a topic. In one example, members admitted to the network provide guidance, notes and research assistance to another member. The social network members access the social network from an external networked computing service, such as another social network, to facilitate easy connection to potential members. The social network may be implemented as an application overlay to the external service, or may access connections in the external network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for automated group generation and network access, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first server computer comprising a memory and one or more processors, a plurality of collaborative group communications associated with a collaborative group from a social networking service, the plurality of collaborative group communications comprising;

information describing a first item type available for purchase via an ecommerce system;

a set of group criteria for qualifying members of the group; and

a qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group, wherein the social networking service being provided on a computing system external to the ecommerce system;

automatically analyzing, by the first server computer using the set of group criteria, database information from one or more database servers, to identify a user associated with a client machine;

automatically communicating, from the first server computer to the client machine of the user in response to identification of the user, the qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group;

receiving, at the first server computer from the client machine, a response communication comprising a qualification assessment response;

evaluating, by the first server computer, the qualification assessment response for the user to determine a user score, the qualification assessment comprising questions testing specific knowledge of the user about the first item type available for purchase via the ecommerce system, the user score being based on user answers to the questions provided via the client machine of the user;

automatically storing, by the first server computer, a set of qualified group member information in a member database device in response to the evaluation of the qualification assessment response; and

automatically providing, by the first server computer, network access to the user as a member to the collaborative group based on the user score satisfying a set of access criteria, the network access comprising access for a social network application of the ecommerce system for connection and communications among members of to the collaborative group via the social networking service over a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, the qualification assessment further comprising questions testing knowledge of the user about at least one current member of the collaborative group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing tools to participate in the collaborative group to the member.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing access to the collaborative group from a networked computing service in addition to the social networking service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions for a user interface having a first view to present a collaborative space to members of the collaborative group, and having a second view to present an editing space for a member of the collaborative group to edit the qualification assessment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user interface has a third view to present the qualification assessment, and a fourth view to present the user score on the qualification assessment.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second view presents options to modify the qualification assessment and options to modify the admittance criterion.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving notes from a member of the collaborative group to present in the collaborative space;

providing the notes for presentation in the first view; and

sending the notes to an update service associated with the networked computing service, wherein users of the networked computing service receive update information as registered users with the social networking service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a single sign-on is used to access the collaborative group and the social networking service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the collaborative group;

receiving at least one user credential from the social networking service; and

processing the request using the at least one user credential.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the qualification assessment is performed after completing a first portion of the qualification assessment to determine an interim user score, and

wherein the method further comprises admitting the user as a member based on the interim score satisfying an interim admittance criterion.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of collaborative group communications comprise a plurality of queries received via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Service request at a predetermined Server_Address value, each collaborative group communication comprising a command value and one or more parameters in accordance with a qualification system application programming interface (API).

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first server computer, cause the first server computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of collaborative group communications associated with a collaborative group from a social networking service, the plurality of collaborative group communications comprising;

information describing a first item type available for purchase via an ecommerce system;

a set of group criteria for qualifying members of the group; and

a qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group, wherein the social networking service being provided on a computing system external to the ecommerce system;

automatically analyzing, by the first server computer using the set of group criteria, database information from one or more database servers, to identify a user associated with a client machine;

automatically communicating, from the first server computer to the client machine of the user in response to identification of the user, the qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group;

receiving, at the first server computer from the client machine, a response communication comprising a qualification assessment response;

evaluating, by the first server computer, the qualification assessment response for the user to determine a user score, the qualification assessment comprising questions testing specific knowledge of the user about the first item type available for purchase via the ecommerce system, the user score being based on user answers to the questions provided via the client machine of the user;

automatically storing a set of qualified group member information in a member database device in response to the evaluation of the qualification assessment response; and

automatically providing network access to the user as a member to the collaborative group based on the user score satisfying a set of access criteria, the network access comprising access for a social network application of the ecommerce system for connection and communications among members of to the collaborative group via the social networking service over a communication network.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the first server computer to perform operations comprising:

generating and presenting a user interface having a first view to present a collaborative space to members of the collaborative group, and having a second view to present an editing space for a member of the collaborative group to edit the qualification assessment;

receiving notes from a member of the collaborative group to present in the collaborative space;

processing the notes for presentation in the first view; and

sending the notes to an update service associated with the networked computing service, wherein users of the networked computing service receive update information as registered users with the social networking service.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein evaluating the qualification assessment is performed after completing a first portion of the qualification assessment to determine an interim user score, and

wherein the method further comprises admitting the user as a member based on the interim score satisfying an interim admittance criterion.

16. A device for automated group generation and network access comprising:

a network interface device configured to receive a plurality of collaborative group communications associated with a collaborative group from a social networking service, the plurality of collaborative group communications comprising;

information describing a first item type available for purchase via an ecommerce system;

a set of group criteria for qualifying members of the group; and

a qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group, wherein the social networking service being provided on a computing system external to the ecommerce system;

a memory configured to store the set of group criteria and the qualification assessment; and

one or more processors coupled to the network interface device and configured to;

automatically analyze using the set of group criteria, database information from one or more database servers, to identify a user associated with a client machine;

automatically initiate communication, from the first server computer to the client machine of the user in response to identification of the user, the qualification assessment used to determine admittance to the collaborative group;

process a response communication comprising a qualification assessment response;

evaluate, by the first server computer the qualification assessment response for the user to determine a user score, the qualification assessment comprising questions testing specific knowledge of the user about the first item type available for purchase via the ecommerce system, the user score being based on user answers to the questions provided via the client machine of the user;

automatically initiate storage of a set of qualified group member information in a member database device in response to the evaluation of the qualification assessment response; and

automatically provide network access to the user as a member to the collaborative group based on the user score satisfying a set of access criteria, the network access comprising access for a social network application of the ecommerce system for connection and communications among members of to the collaborative group via the social networking service over a communication network.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

generating a user interface having a first view to present a collaborative space to members of the collaborative group, and having a second view to present an editing space for a member of the collaborative group to edit the qualification assessment;

initiate transmission of the user interface to the client machine;

process notes from a member of the collaborative group to present in the collaborative space for presentation in the first view; and

initiate transmission of the notes to an update service associated with the networked computing service, wherein users of the networked computing service receive update information as registered users with the social networking service.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein evaluating the qualification assessment is performed after completing a first portion of the qualification assessment to determine an interim user score, and

wherein the method further comprises admitting the user as a member based on the interim score satisfying an interim admittance criterion.