System, method, and computer program product for scoring items based on user sentiment and for determining the proficiency of predictors

• US 20070011073A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Motley Fool LLC (The Motley Fool Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Motley Fool LLC (The Motley Fool Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keeling, John, Gardner, David, Etter, Todd, Sigler, Tracy, Etter, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

The present invention provides systems, methods, computer program products, and combinations and subcombinations thereof for scoring items based on user sentiment and for aiding an investment decision on an item by an individual. The invention includes one or more user devices and a prediction system server having a sentiment rating module, a user proficiency ranking module, a content creation module, and a database. Devices access the prediction system server directly via a communications medium or indirectly through links provided on a third party server.

Claims

1. A method for aiding an investment decision on an item by an individual, comprising:

(a) receiving, at a community sentiment generation system, a prediction on the item from a third party server, wherein the prediction is entered by a user of the third party server in a prediction interface integrated with a content page requested by the user;

(b) calculating an individual component for the user, wherein the value of the individual component is based on whether the user predicted a specified outcome;

(c) calculating a community sentiment score for the item wherein the community sentiment score is the summation of individual components calculated for the item divided by the total number of individuals making a prediction on the item; and

(d) transmitting information to a user of the community sentiment generation system, wherein the information includes the community sentiment score for the item, a listing of each prediction made for the item on an item display, and at least one brief informational tag for the item for display to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is associated with subject matter of content presented on the content page requested by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a financial instrument and the content page provides information related to the financial instrument.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content page includes a quote for the financial instrument.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the content page includes editorial content related to the financial instrument.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the content page includes a message board with commentary related to the financial instrument.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) providing the community sentiment score to the third party server for display in the prediction interface including the item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the prediction further includes subjective commentary on the item.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information further includes subjective commentary on the item.

10. A method for aiding an investment decision on an item by an individual, comprising:

(a) receiving a request for a content page from a user;

(b) identifying one or more items to be presented to the user for prediction;

(c) providing the content page integrated with a prediction interface, wherein the prediction interface includes the one or more items to be predicted;

(d) receiving a prediction on at least one of the one or more items to be predicted from the user;

(e) transmitting the prediction to a community sentiment generation system, wherein the community sentiment generation system;

(i) calculates an individual component for the user, wherein the value of the individual component is based on whether the user predicted a specified outcome;

(ii) calculates a community sentiment score for the item wherein the community sentiment score is the summation of individual components calculated for the item divided by the total number of individuals making a prediction on the item; and

(iii) displays the community sentiment score for the item, a listing of each prediction made for the item on an item display, and at least one brief informational tag for the item to a user of the community sentiment generation system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more items are associated with subject matter of content presented on the content page requested by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more items is a financial instrument and the content page provides information related to the financial instrument.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the content page includes a quote for the financial instrument.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the content page includes editorial content related to the financial instrument.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the content page includes a message board with commentary related to the financial instrument.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the prediction interface includes a community sentiment score for the one or more items to be predicted.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein enabling the aid of an investment decision on an item by an individual, comprising:

means for enabling a processor to receive a prediction on the item from a third party server, wherein the prediction is entered by a user of the third party server in a prediction interface integrated with a content page requested by the user;

first calculating means for enabling the processor to calculate an individual component for the user, wherein the value of the individual component is based on whether the user predicted a specified outcome;

second calculating means for enabling the processor to calculate a community sentiment score for the item wherein the community sentiment score is the summation of individual components calculated for the item divided by the total number of individuals making a prediction on the item; and

means for enabling the processor to transmit the community sentiment score for the item, a listing of each prediction made for the item on an item display, and at least one brief informational tag for the item to an end user system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the item is associated with subject matter of content presented on the content page requested by the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the item is a financial instrument and the content page provides information related to the financial instrument.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to provide the community sentiment score to the third party server for display in the prediction interface including the item.