METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GROUP FILTERED REPORTS THAT INCLUDES AN ORIGINATOR OF THE REPORTS

• US 20080161945A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Howard Lutnick
• Original Assignee: Howard Lutnick
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US11/616,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20080161945A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and corresponding methods are provided that, in at least one embodiment, include the act or acts of receiving a plurality of first representations, and responding to a request from a user by providing the user at least one second representation of at least one subset of the plurality of first representations. Each first representation represents a respective report and an originator of the report. At least one subset may not include at least one first representation that represents an originator that is not a member of at least one group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of first representations, in which each first representation represents a respective report and an originator of the report; and

responding to a request from a user by providing the user at least one second representation of at least one subset of the plurality of first representations, in which the at least one subset does not include at least one first representation that represents an originator that is not a member of at least one group.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one subset does not include at least one first representation that represents an originator that is a member of the at least one group and that represents a negative report.

3. The method of claim 1, in which each first representation of the plurality of first representations includes a representation of at least one of a respective target of the respective report and a respective target type of the respective report.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the at least one subset does not include at least one first representation that represents at least one of an undesired target and an undesired target type.

5. The method of claim 1, in which at least one report represented by at least one first representation of the plurality of first representations includes at least one report on a service of a service provider.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the service includes a delivery service.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the at least one report includes at least one of a time taken by the delivery service, a rating of the delivery service, a review of the delivery service, a recommendation for the delivery service, and a recommendation against the delivery service.

8. The method of claim 1, in which at least one report represented by at least one first representation of the plurality of first representations includes at least one report on a product of a merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one group includes a social network of an entity.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the entity includes the user.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the user includes at least one of a merchant and a service provider.

12. The method of claim 10, in which the user includes a customer of at least one of a merchant and a service provider.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one group includes a reporter chosen by the user.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one group includes at least one first member having at least one desired characteristic.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the at least one desired characteristic includes at least one of a profession, a membership in an organization, and a geographic area.

16. The method of claim 1, in which providing the users the at least one second representation includes transmitting the at least one second representation to the user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one third representation of the at least one group from the user.

18. The method of claim 1, in which responding to the request includes making at least one recommendation based, at least in part, on the at least one subset of the plurality of first representations.

19. The method of claim 1, in which responding to the request includes choosing at least one of a product of a chosen merchant and a chosen service of a service provider based, at least in part, on the subset of the plurality of first representations.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a machine readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of machine instructions for controlling at least one computer system to perform a method according to claim 1.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

A processor configured to execute at least one instruction of the plurality of machine instructions.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a first element configured to receive at least one request and further configured to receive a plurality of first representations, in which each first representation represents a report and an originator of the report; and

configured to respond to the at least one request by transmitting at least one second representation of at least one subset of the plurality of first representations, in which in the at least one subset does not include at least one first representations that represents an originator that is not a member of at least one group.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the at least one subset does not include at least one first representation that represents an originator that is a member of the at least one group and that represents a negative report.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, in which each first representation of the plurality of first representations includes a representation of at least one of a respective target of the respective report and a respective target type of the respective report.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the at least one subset does not include at least one first representation that represents at least one of an undesired target and an undesired target type.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, in which at least one report represented by at least one first representation of the plurality of first representations includes at least one report on a service of a service provider.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the service includes a delivery service.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, in which the at least one report includes at least one of a time taken by the delivery service, a rating of the delivery service, a review of the delivery service, a recommendation for the delivery service, and a recommendation against the delivery service.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, in which at least one report represented by at least one first representation of the plurality of first representations includes at least one report on a product of a merchant.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the at least one group includes a social network of an entity.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, in which the entity includes a user.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, in which the user includes at least one of a merchant and a service provider.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, in which the user includes a customer of at least one of a merchant and a service provider.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the at least one group includes a reporter chosen by a user.

35. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the at least one group includes at least one first member having at least one desired characteristic.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, in which the at least one desired characteristic includes at least one of a profession, membership in an organization, and a geographic area.

37. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the first element is configured to transmit the at least one second representation to a user.

38. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the first element is configured to display the at least one second representation through at least one interface.

39. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the first element is configured to receive at least one third representation of the at least one group from a user.

40. The apparatus of claim 22, in the first element is configured to make at least one recommendation based, at least in part, on the at least one subset of the plurality of first representations.

41. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the first element is configured to choose at least one of a product of a chosen merchant and a chosen service of a service provider based, at least in part, on the subset of the plurality of first representations.

42. The apparatus of claim 22, in which the first element includes at least one computer system.