Online entertainment network for user-contributed content

• US 20080091509A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ourstage Incorporated (Amazing Media Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ourstage Incorporated (Amazing Media Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ranalli, Mark Francis, Campbell, Benjamin Clark
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

The invention includes a system for providing an online entertainment network for user-contributed entertainment content. The system quickly and accurately identifies quality content from a vast pool of user-contributed content. User-contributed content is rated by those who contribute and those who view content. Fraud detection devices automatically detect and remove fraudulent ratings. Contests and prizes associated with specific categories of content provide incentives for contributors to provide quality content and rate many pairs of items. Contests may be localized by geography, organization, social network, and other relationships. Identified top-rated content is made available individually, or as a continuous stream of user-contributed entertainment content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of conducting a contest for competing entertainment works, the method comprising:

providing an electronic system for receiving a plurality of entertainment works from entertainment contributors for an identified contest;

providing a pair of entertainment works to rate;

providing an interface for rating the pair of entertainment works, wherein the interface provides a mechanism for receiving an input, from an entertainment reviewer, that indicates how a first presented entertainment work from the pair compares relative to a second presented entertainment work from the pair according to a predetermined rating criterion; and

sorting rated entertainment works from top-rated to bottom-rated based on relative ratings from a group of entertainment works to identify a winning entertainment work for the identified contest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified contest offers a tangible prize to a contest winner.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging a fee based on identifier tags for uploading entertainment works.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining and monitoring a plurality of control entertainment works, mixed among entertainment works to be rated, for identifying fraudulent ratings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining and monitoring a plurality of control entertainment works, mixed among entertainment works to be rated, wherein the control entertainment works have a known value based on the rating criterion;

marking ratings as fraudulent for ratings of control entertainment works identified as having a rating contrary to the known rating value of the control musical work; and

excluding ratings marked as fraudulent from consideration in sorting rated works.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for receiving a rating input is configured to receive variable relative rating comparisons.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning entertainment works to entertainment contributors to rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an entertainment work, submitted by an entertainment contributor, is presented to be rated more often when the contributor of the entertainment work rates pairs of entertainment works more often.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a voting mechanism for entertainment viewers to vote on top-rated entertainment works to determine a winning entertainment work.

10. (canceled)

11. A computer-implemented method of holding a user-configurable contest for competing entertainment works, the method comprising:

providing a mechanism for setting up a contest for a group of entertainment contributors that share a common relation;

providing an electronic system for receiving entertainment works from entertainment contributors who share the common relation

providing a pair of entertainment works to rate;

providing an interface for rating the pair of entertainment works, wherein the interface provides a mechanism for receiving an input, from an entertainment reviewer, that indicates how a first presented entertainment work from the pair compares relative to a second presented entertainment work from the pair according to a rating criterion; and

sorting rated entertainment works from top-rated to bottom-rated based on the rating criteria by processing relative ratings received from entertainment reviewers to determine a winning entertainment work.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mechanism for setting up the contest enables a user to define a type of entertainment work associated with the contest.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the rating criterion is user-defined.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said common relation is selected from the group consisting of geography, social network, and organization.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a voting mechanism for entertainment viewers and contributors to vote on top-rated entertainment works to determine a winning entertainment work.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining and monitoring a plurality of control entertainment works, mixed among entertainment works to be rated, wherein the control entertainment works have a known value based on the rating criterion;

marking ratings as fraudulent for ratings of control entertainment works identified as having a rating contrary to the known rating value of the control musical work; and

excluding ratings marked as fraudulent from consideration in sorting rated works.

16. (canceled)

18. A computer-implemented method of providing an online entertainment network for user-contributed content, the method comprising:

providing a website for receiving a plurality of entertainment works from entertainment contributors for multiple categories of entertainment;

providing a pair of entertainment works to be rated;

providing an interface for rating the pair of entertainment works, wherein the interface provides a mechanism for receiving an input, from an entertainment reviewer, that indicates how a first presented entertainment work from the pair compares relative to a second presented entertainment work from the pair according to a predetermined rating criterion;

identifying top-rated works for multiple entertainment categories based on relative ratings received from entertainment reviewers; and

in response to only a single action being performed, streaming a substantially continuous series of top-rated user-contributed entertainment works.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein top-rated user-contributed content is streamed back-to-back by category of entertainment work.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing top-rated entertainment works to be viewed individually by selection.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying advertisements in a continuous stream of top-rated user-contributed entertainment works.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining and monitoring a plurality of control entertainment works, mixed among entertainment works to be rated, for automatically identifying fraudulent ratings.

23. A method of providing an online entertainment network for user-contributed content, the method comprising:

providing a website for receiving a plurality of entertainment works from entertainment contributors for an identified contest having a tangible prize;

providing a pair of entertainment works to rate;

providing an interface for rating the pair of entertainment works, wherein the interface provides a mechanism for receiving an input, from an entertainment reviewer, that indicates how a first-presented entertainment work from the pair compares relative to a second-presented entertainment work from the pair according to a predetermined rating criterion;

maintaining and monitoring a plurality of control entertainment works, mixed among entertainment works to be rated, for identifying fraudulent ratings;

identifying top-rated works for multiple entertainment categories based on relative ratings received from entertainment reviewers;

in response to only a single click, streaming a substantially continuous series of top-rated user-contributed entertainment works;

providing a voting mechanism for entertainment viewers to vote on top-rated entertainment works to determine a winning entertainment work.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the identified contest is localized by geography, social network, organization, or company.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein top-rated user-contributed content is streamed by category of entertainment work.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing top-rated entertainment works to be viewed individually by selection.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising displaying advertisements among continuously-streamed top-rated user-contributed entertainment works.

26. (canceled)