METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING END USER FEEDBACK

• US 20080040194A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: TRAUTH, KURT
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing end user feedback is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a system can have a collection element that receives a vendor identifier and a measure of satisfaction associated therewith, and a storage element that stores the measure of satisfaction in a telephone directory of commercial vendors according to the vendor identifier. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium in a system that manages a telephone directory of commercial vendors, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a vendor identifier and a measure of satisfaction associated therewith; and

storing the measure of satisfaction in the telephone directory according to the vendor identifier for presentation to one or more parties submitting a query for a commercial vendor listed in the telephone directory.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for receiving the vendor identifier and the measure of satisfaction from a messaging device of an end user.

3. The storage medium of claim 2, comprising computer instructions for receiving a product identity code corresponding to a product evaluated by the end user.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the product identity code comprises a universal product code (UPC).

5. The storage medium of claim 2, wherein the measure of satisfaction comprises a rating selected by the end user.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the vendor identifier corresponds to one among a retail enterprise and a service enterprise.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the telephone directory of commercial vendors comprises an on-line telephone directory managed by a service provider of communication services.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving from an end user a list identifying the one or more parties for restricted sharing of the measure of satisfaction;

receiving from a select one of the one or more parties the query for the commercial vendor associated with the vendor identifier; and

presenting to the requesting party the measure of satisfaction.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a product identity code corresponding to a product evaluated by the end user;

presenting to the requesting party the measure of satisfaction with at least one among an identity of the end user, a time in which the measure of satisfaction was supplied by the end user, and an opinion supplied by the end user.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the opinion comprises at least one among a text message, and a speech message.

11. The storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer instructions for editing the list of one or more parties according to input supplied by the end user.

12. A computer-readable storage medium in a messaging device, comprising computer instructions for:

selecting one among a plurality of vendor identifiers;

receiving a measure of satisfaction associated with the selected vendor identifier; and

transmitting to a system the vendor identifier and the measure of satisfaction for storing in a telephone directory of commercial vendors according to the vendor identifier.

13. The storage medium of claim 12, comprising computer instructions for transmitting a product identity code corresponding to a product evaluated by an end user of the messaging device.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the product identity code comprises a universal product code (UPC), wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for identifying the UPC of a select product.

15. The storage medium of claim 12, comprising computer instructions for receiving from an end user of the messaging device a selected rating having an upper and lower range, wherein the selected rating corresponds to the measure of satisfaction.

16. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein the vendor identifier corresponds to one among a retail enterprise and a service enterprise.

17. The storage medium of claim 12, comprising computer instructions for transmitting to the system a list identifying one or more parties for sharing the measure of satisfaction.

18. A system, comprising:

a collection element that receives a vendor identifier and a measure of satisfaction associated therewith; and

a storage element that stores the measure of satisfaction in a telephone directory of commercial vendors according to the vendor identifier.

19. The system of claim 18, comprising a presentation element that presents the measure of satisfaction to one or more parties submitting a query for a commercial vendor associated with the vendor identifier.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the collection element receives a product identity code corresponding to a product evaluated by an end user, and wherein the product identity code comprises a universal product code (UPC).

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the measure of satisfaction comprises a rating selected by an end user, and wherein the vendor identifier corresponds to one among a retail enterprise and a service enterprise.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the presentation element receives from an end user a list identifying the one or more parties for restricted sharing of the measure of satisfaction.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the presentation element receives from a select one of the one or more parties a query for the commercial vendor associated with the vendor identifier, and presents to the requesting party the measure of satisfaction.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the collection element receives a product identity code corresponding to a product evaluated by the end user, and wherein the presentation element presents to the requesting party the measure of satisfaction with at least one among an identity of the end user, a time in which the measure of satisfaction was supplied by the end user, and an opinion supplied by the end user.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the presentation element receives one or more editing commands from the end user for modifying the list of one or more parties for restricted sharing of the measure of satisfaction.

26. The system of claim 19, comprising a billing element that submits a charge to one or more commercial vendors for presentations made to the one or more parties.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the collection element receives the vendor identifier and the measure of satisfaction associated therewith from at least one among a messaging device of an end user, and a vendor rating institution.

28. The system of claim 18, comprising a presentation element that determines a business affiliation between a service provider of the system and a party submitting a query for a commercial vendor associated with the vendor identifier, and presents a response to said query according to said business affiliation.

29. A method, comprising presenting contact information and a measure of satisfaction associated with a commercial vendor stored in a telephone directory of commercial vendors.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising presenting at least one among a visual and audible representation of the contact information and the measure of satisfaction associated with the commercial vendor.