Method and system for evaluating trustworthiness
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating the trustworthiness of a target person by a user, the method comprising:
- providing a network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of directed links, wherein each node in said plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in said plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node, said link being associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with said first node to a second person associated with said second node, and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes; and
conducting a search in said network to identify a continuous path from said user to said target person, wherein said continuous path begins at a node in said network that is associated with said user and ends at a node in said network that is associated with said target person, said continuous path traversing links from their first node to their second node, said continuous path defining a trust path, the presence or absence of such continuous path thereby providing an indication of the trustworthiness of said target person.
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Abstract
Disclosed are a method and system for evaluating the trustworthiness of a target person by a user. The method and system include providing a network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of directed links, wherein each node in the plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in the plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node. The link is associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with the first node to a second person associated with the second node, and wherein the user is associated with at least one node in the plurality of nodes. A continuous path from the user to the target person is identified, wherein the continuous path begins at a node in the network that is associated with the user and ends at a node in the network that is associated with the target person, the continuous path traversing links from their first node to their second node, the continuous path termed a trust path, thereby providing an indication of the trustworthiness of the target person.
20 Citations
69 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating the trustworthiness of a target person by a user, the method comprising:
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providing a network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of directed links, wherein each node in said plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in said plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node, said link being associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with said first node to a second person associated with said second node, and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes; and
conducting a search in said network to identify a continuous path from said user to said target person, wherein said continuous path begins at a node in said network that is associated with said user and ends at a node in said network that is associated with said target person, said continuous path traversing links from their first node to their second node, said continuous path defining a trust path, the presence or absence of such continuous path thereby providing an indication of the trustworthiness of said target person. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A complemented method of expanding a trust network, the method comprising
providing a network comprising a plurality of nodes connected by a plurality of directed links, wherein each node in said plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in said plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node, said link being associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with said first node to a second person associated with said second node; -
inputting from a person not associated with an existing node in said network at least one alias and other information necessary for security purposes or for analytical purposes or for other purposes;
creating a node in said network associated with said person;
inputting from a person associated with an existing first node on said network trustworthiness information for a person associated with an existing second node on said network and other information necessary for security purposes or for analytical purposes or for other purposes; and
forming a link connecting from said first node associated to said first person and said existing second node associated with said second person, thereby expanding said trust network
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27. A computer-implemented method for insuring an operator of a trust network from a defamation claim, the method comprising
providing a trust network with one or more links expressing distrust; -
selecting a representation for presenting said distrust; and
providing insurance to an operator of said trust network against a claim of defamation based on the selection of distrust representation, wherein the amount of insurance is determined based on the probable defamatory character of said distrust representation.
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28. A system for evaluating the trustworthiness of a target person by a user, the system comprising
a database, said database including a computer-readable representation of a network, said network representation comprising representations of a plurality of nodes and representations of a plurality of directed links, and representations of the connections of said nodes by said links, wherein each node in said plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in said plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node, said link being associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with said first node to a second person associated with said second node; - and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes and said persons and their associations with nodes are represented in said database; and
a computer program product, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to;
access said database and said representation of said network and, identify in said network a continuous path from a said user to said target person, wherein said continuous path begins at a node in said network that is associated with said user and ends at a node in said network that is associated with said target person, said continuous path traversing links from their first node to their second node, said continuous path termed a trust path, thereby providing an indication of the trustworthiness of said target person. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
- and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes and said persons and their associations with nodes are represented in said database; and
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59. A system of expanding a representation of a trustworthiness network, the system comprising
a database, said database including a computer-readable representation of a network, said network representation comprising representations of a plurality of nodes and representations of a plurality of directed links, and representations of the connections of said nodes by said links, wherein each node in said plurality of nodes is associated with a person and each link in said plurality of links connects from a first node to a second node, said link being associated with a trusting relationship from a first person associated with said first node to a second person associated with said second node; - and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes and said persons and their associations with nodes are represented in said database;
a computer program product, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to;
input from a person not associated with an existing node in said network at least one alias and other information necessary for security purposes or for analytical purposes or for other purposes; and
create a representation of a node associated with said person in said network representation;
input from a person associated with an existing first node on said network trustworthiness information for a person associated with an existing second node on said network and other information necessary for security purposes or for analytical purposes or for other purposes; and
create a representation a of link between said existing first node associated with said first person and said existing second node associated with said second person, in said network representation, thereby expanding said trust network. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
- and wherein said user is associated with at least one node in said plurality of nodes and said persons and their associations with nodes are represented in said database;
Specification