COMMUNITY BASED MODERATION IN ON-LINE SESSIONS

• US 20090113040A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zalewski, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for moderating activity in an online community are described. Aspects include a triggering mechanism being activated by a community member in response to inappropriate activity by another community member. Receiving a time based history of community members activity around a time of the triggering mechanism being activated. Recreating the community activity from the time based history. Evaluating activities of the community members to determine if there was inappropriate activity and if there is inappropriate activity by an offending community member taking appropriate action against the offending community member.

Claims

1. A method for community moderation of an online session, the method comprising:

observing inappropriate behavior by an online user;

activating a triggering mechanism in response to the inappropriate behavior;

capturing a time based history of the online session; and

transmitting the time based history to a moderation entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time based history of the online session comprises online session activity that occurred a predetermined amount of time before the triggering mechanism is pressed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time based history comprises associating online user identities with their online activity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a reward to a user that observes inappropriate behavior and presses the triggering mechanism.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a triggering mechanism comprises pressing a panic button.

6. A method of moderating activity in an online community, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a triggering mechanism being activated by a community member in response to inappropriate activity by another community member;

receiving a time based history of community members activity around a time of the triggering mechanism being activated;

recreating the community activity from the time based history; and

evaluating activities of the community members to determine if there was inappropriate activity and if there is inappropriate activity by an offending community member taking appropriate action against the offending community member.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein taking appropriate action against the offending community member comprises one or more of issuing a warning to the offending community member, limiting available online options to the offending community member, and restricting access to the online community by the offending community member.

8. An online community comprising:

at least two users that communicate in the online community, wherein a first user in the online community observes inappropriate behavior by a second user in the online community and presses a panic button in response to the inappropriate behavior, the pressing of the panic button initiating storing a time based history of online community activity, the time based history covering a period that extends a desired duration before the pressing of the panic button and a desired duration after pressing the panic button; and

a moderation entity that receives the time based history and recreates the online activity to determine if there was inappropriate activity by one of the users, and if there was inappropriate activity by one of the users taking appropriate action against that user.

9. The online community of claim 8, wherein taking appropriate action comprises one or more of issuing a warning to the offending community member, limiting available online options to the offending community member, and restricting access to the online community by the offending community member.

10. An network enabled device comprising:

a triggering mechanism;

a processor that captures a time based history of online activity of users in an online community when the triggering mechanism is activated;

a network interface that transmits the time based history to a moderation entity, the moderation entity determines if there has been inappropriate online activity by one of the online users.