System and method for aggregating reputational information

• US 20020133365A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford A., Moskowitz, Paul A., Grey, William, Boies, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US09/812,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133365A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, and computer program code for aggregating reputation information is provided. In one embodiment, a method of aggregating reputation information includes identifying an entity, identifying a plurality of sources having reputation information about the entity, and generating an aggregated reputation rating for the entity based on information from each of the sources.

Claims

1. A method of aggregating reputation information, comprising:

identifying an entity;

identifying a plurality of sources having reputation information regarding said entity; and

generating an aggregated reputation rating for said entity based on said reputation information from each of said plurality of sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said entity is at least one of:

an individual;

a corporation;

a partnership;

a retailer;

a financial institution;

a law firm;

a club;

a non-profit group;

a charity;

a geographic unit;

an animal;

a product;

sole proprietorship, a limited liability company, and a service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sources includes at least one of:

an individual consumer;

a web site;

an electronic marketplace;

a credit bureau;

a credit rating service;

a consumer watchdog group; and

another entity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said entity is identified by one or more entity names.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said reputation information includes at least one of:

web site reputation data;

payment history data;

fulfillment history data;

commitment history data;

third party recommendation data; and

credit data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

categorizing said reputation information by type, wherein said generating an aggregated reputation rating further comprises generating an aggregated reputation rating based on each type of said reputation information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said type of reputation information includes at least one of:

employee attributes;

professional services attributes;

customer attributes;

client attributes;

political attributes;

religious attributes;

company attributes;

product attributes;

integrity attributes;

reliability attributes; and

service attributes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the accuracy of said reputation information prior to generating said aggregate reputation rating.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating said aggregated reputation rating upon receipt of further reputation information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least two entities as a group; and

generating a group aggregated reputation rating for said group based on reputation information from each of said plurality of sources.

11. The method of claim 1, where in said aggregated reputation rating includes at least one of:

a summary report;

a graphical display;

an icon;

an alphanumeric rating; and

a recommendation.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment for said aggregated reputation rating, wherein said payment is made by at least one of:

said entity;

said sources; and

a recipient of said aggregated reputation rating.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising making payment for said aggregated reputation rating, wherein said payment is made to at least one of:

said entity and said sources.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing said aggregated reputation rating to a user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said providing further comprises:

receiving a fee from said user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing said aggregated reputation rating to an authorized recipient of said rating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said recipient is authorized based on criteria established by said entity.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said aggregated reputation rating is a weighted average of a said reputation information.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said aggregated reputation rating is generated by applying one or more scoring metrics to said reputation information.

20. A device for aggregating reputation information about an entity, comprising:

a processor;

a communication device, coupled to said processor, receiving reputation information about said entity from a plurality of sources; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

generate an aggregated reputation rating for said entity based on said reputation information received from each of said plurality of sources.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

categorize said reputation information by type; and

generate said aggregated reputation rating for each of said types of reputation information.

22. The device of claim 20, further comprising instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

forward said aggregated reputation rating to an end user.

23. The device of claim 20, further comprising instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

receive further reputation information for said entity; and

update said aggregated reputation rating for said entity.

24. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for aggregating reputation information, comprising:

first instructions for identifying an entity;

second instructions for identifying a plurality of sources having reputation information regarding said entity; and

third instructions for generating an aggregated reputation rating for said entity based on said reputation information from each of said plurality of sources.

25. A method of aggregating reputation information, comprising:

identifying an entity having at least a first and a second alias;

identifying at least a first source having reputation information regarding a reputation of said at least first alias of said entity;

identifying at least a second source having reputation information regarding a reputation of said at least second alias of said entity; and

generating an aggregated reputation rating for said entity based on said reputation information from said at least first and second sources.