Method and Apparatus for Utilizing Social Network Information for Showing Reviews

• US 20090287774A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Punera, Kunal, Rajan, Suju
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for utilizing social network information to show reviews written by others. In one example, the method includes uploading at least one review written by an entity other than a particular user; filtering the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and integrating into one central location reviews written by others, wherein the reviews include the at least one review.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing social network information to show reviews written by others, the method comprising:

uploading at least one review written by an entity other than a particular user;

filtering the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and

integrating into one central location reviews written by others, wherein the reviews include the at least one review.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising endorsing at least one review written by an entity other than the particular user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying an expiration data for at least one time dependent review.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading comprises marking the at least one review as one of:

private;

shared with friends;

friends of friends;

public; and

any arbitrary group of friends as specified by a composer of the at least one review.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering the at least one review comprises using criteria based on at least one of:

demographics;

manually inputted reviewer location information; and

recorded Internet Protocol addresses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading the at least one review comprises using criteria based on at least one of:

demographics;

manually inputted reviewer location information; and

recorded Internet Protocol addresses.

7. A method of utilizing social network information to show reviews written by a particular user, the method comprising:

uploading at least one review written by the particular user;

filtering the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and

integrating into one central location reviews written by the particular user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising specifying an expiration data for at least one time dependent review.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the uploading comprises marking the at least one review as one of:

private;

shared with friends;

friends of friends;

public; and

any arbitrary group of friends as specified by the particular user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the uploading comprises uploading the at least one review from a database of a website other than a website used by the particular user to upload the at least one review.

11. An apparatus for utilizing social network information to show reviews written by others, the apparatus comprising:

an uploader device configured to upload at least one review written by an entity other than a particular user;

a filter device configured filter the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and

an integrator device configured to integrate into one central location reviews written by others, wherein the reviews include the at least one review.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an endorser device configured to endorse at least one review written by an entity other than the particular user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an expirer device configured to specify an expiration data for at least one time dependent review.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the uploader device is further configured to mark the at least one review as one of:

private;

shared with friends;

friends of friends;

public; and

any arbitrary group of friends as specified by a composer of the at least one review.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the filter device is further configured to filter the at least one review using criteria based on at least one of:

demographics;

manually inputted reviewer location information; and

recorded Internet Protocol addresses.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the uploader device is further configured to upload the at least one review using criteria based on at least one of:

demographics;

manually inputted reviewer location information; and

recorded Internet Protocol addresses.

17. An apparatus for utilizing social network information to show reviews written by a particular user, the apparatus comprising:

a uploader device configured to upload at least one review written by the particular user;

a filter device configured to filter the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and

an integrator device configured to integrate into one central location reviews written by the particular user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a filter device configured to specify an expiration data for at least one time dependent review.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the uploader device is further configured to mark the at least one review as one of:

private;

shared with friends;

friends of friends;

public; and

any arbitrary group of friends as specified by the particular user.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the uploader device is further configured to upload the at least one review from a database of a website other than a website used by the particular user to upload the at least one review.

21. A computer readable medium carrying one or more instructions for utilizing social network information to show reviews written by others, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

uploading at least one review written by an entity other than a particular user;

filtering the at least one review according to criteria specified by the particular user; and

integrating into one central location reviews written by others, wherein the reviews include the at least one review.