DELEGATED AUTHORITY EVALUATION SYSTEM

• US 20100185626A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: HILLIS, W. Daniel, Ferren, Bran
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

The invention provides an evaluation system for reliably evaluating large amounts of content. The evaluation system is managed by a primary authority that designates one or more contributing authorities by delegating to each a specific quantity of authority. Each contributing authority may in turn designate and delegate authority to one or more additional contributing authorities, subject to the restriction that the total quantity of authority delegated does not exceed the quantity of authority the contributing authority was itself delegated. Each contributing authority, and optionally the primary authority itself, may evaluate one or more portions of content by associating a rating with each evaluated portion of content. A composite rating for a particular portion of content may then be determined based upon the ratings associated with the portion of content. Preferably, the ratings are combined in a manner that affords a higher priority to the ratings provided by contributing authorities to which a greater quantity of authority was delegated.

Claims

1. A distributed, network-based computer system for assigning network content with a composite rating comprising:

a server-based processing module operatively coupled to a network;

a plurality of rating authorities operatively coupled to said server-based processing module via said network, wherein said plurality of rating authorities include a primary authority and one or more contributing authorities;

wherein said server-based processing module is configured for performing the steps of;

designating said primary authority from among said plurality of rating authorities;

assigning said primary authority with complete authority to rate network content;

allowing said primary authority to delegate at least a portion of said complete authority to said one or more contributing authorities;

accepting content ratings from said primary authority and said one or more contributing authorities; and

determining a composite rating based on said content ratings, wherein said composite rating is determined by combining said ratings, wherein a level of influence is conferred upon each of said one or more contributing authorities in accordance with the portion of said complete authority delegated to each of said one or more contributing authorities by said primary authority; and

wherein said server-based processing module is configured for allowing said primary authority to adjust the relative authority of any of said one or more contributing authorities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said composite rating comprises a count of said ratings.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said complete authority is specified numerically.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein content ratings are specified numerically as a numeric rating selected from among a group of numeric rating consisting of:

a number between −

1 and +1, inclusively; and

a number between 0 and +1, inclusively.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said composite rating comprises a combination of numeric ratings selected from among a group of composite ratings selected from among:

an additive combination of said numeric ratings;

a mean of said numeric ratings;

a mode of said numeric ratings;

a median of said numeric ratings.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said composite rating comprises a weighted average of said numeric ratings, wherein each of said ratings are weighted in proportion to a respective delegated quantity of authority held by said contributing authority.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said content ratings indicate one or more qualities selected from among a list of qualities consisting of:

reliability;

trustworthiness;

accuracy;

impartiality; and

quality.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said primary authority further comprises a means for limiting evaluation of content to content of a particular form.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said primary authority further comprises a means for limiting evaluation of content to content of a particular form.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for said primary authority to add one or more new contributing authorities by delegating authority to one or more new contributing authorities.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for said primary authority to remove said one or more contributing authorities by removing authority previously delegated to one or more contributing authorities.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for said primary authority to adjust the relative authority of any of said one or more contributing authorities by any of;

delegating additional authority to at least one additional contributing authority; and

withdrawing authority from at least one of said one or more contributing authorities.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for any of said one or more contributing authorities to add one or more new contributing authorities by delegating authority to said one or more new contributing authorities.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for any of said one or more contributing authorities to remove a contributing authority by withdrawing authority previously delegated to said one or more new contributing authorities.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for any of said contributing authorities to adjust relative authority of said one or more new contributing authorities by any of;

delegating additional authority to at least one additional new contributing authority; and

withdrawing authority from at least one of said one or more new contributing authorities.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein a sum of authority delegated cannot exceed a respective quantity of authority.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a sum of authority delegated cannot exceed a respective quantity of authority, reduced by an attenuation factor.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for preventing each one or more contributing authorities from designating another of said one or more contributing authorities to avoid creating a loop of designated authorities.

19. A distributed, network-based method for assigning network content with a composite rating comprising:

operatively coupling a server-based processing module to a network;

operatively coupled a plurality of rating authorities to said server-based processing module via said network, wherein said plurality of rating authorities include a primary authority and one or more contributing authorities;

designating said primary authority from among said plurality of rating authorities;

assigning said primary authority with complete authority to rate network content;

allowing said primary authority to delegate at least a portion of said complete authority to said one or more contributing authorities;

accepting content ratings from said primary authority and said one or more contributing authorities; and

determining a composite rating based on said content ratings, wherein said composite rating is determined by combining said ratings, wherein a level of influence is conferred upon each of said one or more contributing authorities in accordance with the portion of said complete authority delegated to each of said one or more contributing authorities by said primary authority;

wherein said server-based processing module is configured for allowing said primary authority to adjust the relative authority of any of said one or more contributing authorities.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions contained thereon that, when executed, perform the method of claim 19.