Trust based architecture for listing service

• US 20070136178A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weber, Kurt, Wiseman, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A unique system and method that facilitates trust-based interaction within an online social marketplace is provided. The system and method involve allowing users of the marketplace to selectively interact with one another according to a trustworthiness factor. Users can be deemed trustworthy depending on which email groups they belong to with respect to one another. For example, sellers can limit who can view their listings and when based on trust levels associated with their social groups, communities, or networks. Notifications of new or modified listings can also be sent to potentially interested users based on the users'"'"' trust levels. A ratings system can be employed as well to facilitate boosting or diminishing a user'"'"'s or group'"'"'s trust level. The social marketplace can include such activities as a listing service to buy, sell, or give items to others, dating and other personal listings, and job searching.

Claims

1. A trust-based system for a listing service comprising:

a trust component that determines at least one trust level for one or more users based on the one or more users'"'"' associations with one or more communities; and

a matching component that selectively exposes the one or more users to listings based on their trust levels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the trust component assigns at least one trust level to at least one of the following:

one or more users or to one or more groups of users.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprises a rating system that rates at least one of users and groups of users based at least in part on feedback received from other users.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of a user'"'"'s trust level and a group'"'"'s trust level is boosted or diminished according to the respective rating.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprises a notification component that notifies at least one user of any new or modified listings based at least in part on the trust level of the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the notification component sends notifications to trusted users before any other user.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprises a search component that performs a search request for the one or more users and retrieves one or more listings in response to the search request based at least in part on the user'"'"'s trust level.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the listing comprises content related to at least one of the following:

selling an item, requesting an item or service, announcing an available item or service, personal advertisement, and job searching.

9. A trust-based system for a listing service comprising:

a user identification component that identifies a user and the user'"'"'s associated trust levels;

a trust analysis component that analyzes any associated trust levels indicated for the user; and

a trust-based interaction component that determines which listings and/or related information the user is privy to according to the user'"'"'s trust levels and allows communication and/or interaction with the other users based on the users'"'"' trust.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprises an alert component that sends a notification to one or more users regarding new or modified listings.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification comprises a message to the one or more users sent via a communication mode that the users share to facilitate minimizing an amount of phishing and spam messages the users receive.

12. The system of claim 11, the communication mode comprises email messaging and instant messaging systems that the users currently utilize or share.

13. The system of claim 10, where the notification comprises at least one of a message and a link to the full listing.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the notification appears as an icon or symbol near the user'"'"'s name to indicate that this user has a new or updated listing.

15. A trust-based method that facilitates interacting with a listing service to post or browse listings comprising:

determining at least one trust level for one or more users based on the one or more users'"'"' associations with one or more communities; and

selectively exposing the one or more users to listings based on their trust levels.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprises rating at least one of users and groups of users based at least in part on feedback received from other users to facilitate determining the at least one trust level.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprises performing a search request for the one or more users and retrieving one or more listings in response to the search request based at least in part on the user'"'"'s trust level.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprises notifying at least one user of any new or modified listings based at least in part on the trust level of the user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein notifying the at least one user comprises appending an icon or symbol near the user'"'"'s name to indicate that this user has a new or updated listing.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein notifying the at least one user comprises sending the user a message, the message comprising at least a link to the listing.