Rewarding influencers

• US 20080270551A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tegreene, Clarence T., Flake, Gary W., Hillis, W. Daniel, Whitmer, Charles, Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rashid, Richard F., Mundie, Craig J., Gounares, Alexander G., Wood, Lowell L., Payne, Christopher D., Gates, William H.
• Application Number:
  US11/799,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270551A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments include a system, a device, an apparatus, a method, and a computer program product. An embodiment provides an influence evaluation method. The method includes receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion. The method also includes receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third party. The method further includes facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

Claims

1. An influence evaluation method, the method comprising:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion;

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and the third-party is not a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion; and

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and a third-party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of the person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion relevant to the third-party or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion relevant to the third-party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a visitor accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first electronic content including digital content that can be transmitted over a computer network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person encountering at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person viewing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first network-available electronic content including at least one of a publicly available electronic content, a limited availability electronic content, and/or a privately available electronic content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first network-available electronic content including at least one of a static electronic content, and/or a dynamic electronic content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first network-available electronic content including at least one of a static digital content, and/or a dynamic digital content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first network-available electronic content including at least one of a human perceivable content, a textual content, a visual content, an audio content, a music content, and/or a graphic content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion further includes:

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion, the first network-available electronic content including at least one of an electronic document, an electronic work, an electronically-stored information, a Web document, an email, and/or an instant message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of at least one of an activity, interaction, purchase, vote, contribution, and/or relationship between the person and the third-party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of a behavior by the person with respect to the third-party.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative useable in inferring an involvement between the person and the third-party.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of at least one of a compensation, privilege, and/or reward to at least one of an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, a measure of the benefit determined by at least one of another person, and/or the third-party.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, the benefit responsive to a benefit determination algorithm.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, wherein the owner includes at least one of an author, a content author, a putative content author, an assignee, a designee, a delegee, a poster, a creator, an editor, an associate, a sponsor, a host, an aggregator, a website owner, a server owner, a group, and/or at least one of cohort.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence with respect to a subject of interest to the third-party by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence trend by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence on a behavior of the person by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, a difference between the first benefit and the second benefit responsive to an evaluation of an influence of the first-electronic-content portion and/or an evaluation of an influence of the second-electronic-content portion.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, a difference between the first benefit and the second benefit responsive to at least one of a scaling, a weighting, a synthesis, and/or an analysis of an influence of the first-electronic-content portion and/or an evaluation of an influence of the second-electronic-content portion.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, a difference between the first benefit and the second benefit responsive to an evaluation of an influence of the first-electronic-content portion and/or an evaluation of an influence of the second-electronic-content portion, a difference between the first benefit and the second benefit responsive to a novelty added by the first-electronic content portion and/or a novelty added by the second-electronic content portion.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a first benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content and a second benefit to an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, the first benefit and the second benefit respectively responsive to an evaluation of an influence of the first-electronic-content portion and/or an evaluation of an influence of the second-electronic-content portion.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, the assessed influence responsive to the received data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion and/or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, the assessed influence responsive to

the received data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion and/or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion; and

the received data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicative of an affinity of the person.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving data indicative of an affinity of the person further includes:

receiving data indicative of at least one of an express, and/or an inferred affinity of the person.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiving data indicative of an affinity of the person further includes:

receiving data indicative of at least one of an affinity characteristic, and/or an affiliation of the person.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party further includes:

facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party, the assessed influence responsive to

the received data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion and/or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion; and

the received data indicative of an affinity of the person.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing access to informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

97. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and the third-party is not a consequence of a communication between the person and the third-party resulting from the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

98. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and the third-party is not a consequence of the person activating a clickthrough to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

99. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and the third-party is not a consequence of the person activating a hyperlink to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

100. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and a third-party does not include an involvement corresponding to the person activating a link to the third-party that was included in the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

101. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and a third-party does not include an involvement resulting from the person activating a link to the third-party that was included in the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

102. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and a third-party does not include an involvement that is a direct consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party, that was included in the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

103. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement between the person and the third-party, is independent of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

104. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party that is independent of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

105. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the involvement includes

(i) an involvement between the person and the third-party that is a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion, and

(ii) an involvement between the person and the third-party that is not a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

106. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and a third-party further includes:

receiving data indicative of involvement between the person and a third-party, wherein the data indicative of involvement between the person and a third-party includes data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party that is not a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion.

35. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform an influence evaluation process in a computing device, the process comprising;

receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion;

receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party that is not a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion; and

assessing an influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the process further comprises:

receiving data indicative of an affinity of the person.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the process further comprises:

outputting the assessed influence in a form usable by a process facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content.

38. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the process further comprises:

maintaining informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

39. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the process further comprises:

providing access 10 maintained informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

40. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

41. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a communication medium.

42. A system comprising:

a computing device operable to communicate with a network;

an activity monitoring module operable to receive data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content or a second network-available electronic content;

an interaction monitoring module operable to receive data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party that is not caused by the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion; and

an evaluation module operable to assess an influence by the first-electronic-content and/or the second-electronic-content on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the system further includes:

a retention module operable to maintain informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the system further includes:

providing access to informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the computing device operable to communicate with a network further includes:

a computing device responsive to human input, and operable to display human perceivable content and communicate with a network.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the computing device operable to communicate with a network further includes:

a computing device operable to provide electronic content to a network.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the computing device operable to communicate with a network further includes:

an intermediate computing device operable to communicate with a network.

48. The system of claim 42, wherein the activity monitoring module further includes:

an activity monitoring module operable to receive

a first data indicative of a first person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content or a second network-available electronic content and

a second data indicative of a second person accessing at least one of the first network-available electronic content or the second network-available electronic content.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein the interaction monitoring module further includes:

an interaction monitoring module operable to operable to receive data indicative of an involvement between the first person and the third-party and/or the second person and the third party.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein the interaction monitoring module further includes:

an evaluation module operable to assess an influence by the first-electronic-content and/or the second-electronic-content on the involvement between the first person and the third-party, and/or on the involvement between the second person and the third-party.

51. The system of claim 42, wherein the computing device operable to communicate with a network further includes:

a network intermediary device operable to communicate with a network.

52. The system of claim 42, wherein the computing device operable to communicate with a network further includes:

a computing device under a control of the third-party and operable to communicate with a network.

53. A device comprising:

means for receiving data indicative of a person accessing at least one of a first network-available electronic content having a first-electronic-content portion or a second network-available electronic content having a second-electronic-content portion;

means for receiving data indicative of an involvement between the person and the third-party, wherein the involvement is not a consequence of the person activating a link to the third-party included in either the first-electronic-content portion or in the second-electronic-content portion; and

means for facilitating delivery of a benefit to an owner of the first-electronic content or an owner of the second electronic content in response to an assessed influence by the first-electronic-content portion and/or the second-electronic-content portion on the involvement between the person and the third-party.

54. The device of claim 53, further comprising:

means for receiving data indicative of an affinity of the person.

55. The device of claim 53, further comprising:

means for saving informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

56. The device of claim 53, further comprising:

means for providing access to informational data corresponding to the assessed influence.

57-96. -96. (canceled)