SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING NON-TERRORISTS USING SOCIAL NETWORKING

• US 20100262649A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUSZ Digital Limited
• Original Assignee: FUSZ Digital Limited
• Inventors: Fusz, Eugene A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for identifying non-terrorists among a plurality of participants and/or potential participants using a communication system includes electronically communicating a verification request from a first participant to a second participant, wherein the second participant is a member of a personal network of the first participant, and electronically communicating a verification request from the second participant to a third participant, wherein the third participant is a member of a personal network of the second participant. The method also includes receiving replies to the verification requests sent by the first and second participants, and determining a likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist threat based on the replies received from the second and third participants.

Claims

1. A method for identifying non-terrorists among a plurality of participants using a communication system governed by a non-governmental board of governors from consumer advocate organizations and privacy organizations, the communication system including a plurality of client systems and a server system connected to the plurality of client systems through a network, said method comprising:

electronically communicating, via the server system, a verification request from a first participant of the plurality of participants using a first client system to a second participant of the plurality of participants using a second client system, wherein the second participant is a member of a personal network of the first participant;

electronically communicating, via the server system, a verification request from the second participant using the second client system to a third participant of the plurality of participants using a third client system, wherein the third participant is a member of a personal network of the second participant;

receiving, by the server system, a reply to the verification request from the second participant using the second client system;

receiving, by the server system, a reply to the verification request from the third participant using the third client system; and

determining, by the server system, a likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist based on the replies received from the second and third participants.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising registering, by each of the plurality of participants, with the communication system in a privacy-sensitive manner.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein registering with the communication system precedes receiving a verification from the first participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising creating a personal network of each participant in the plurality of participants, wherein each personal network includes other participants of the plurality of participants to whom a particular participant wishes to send a verification request and from whom the particular participant wishes to receive a verification request, the personal network also including potential participants of the system to whom the particular participant wishes to send the verification request.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving a reply to the verification request from the second participant comprises receiving, by the server system, one of an agreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein receiving a reply to the verification request from the third participant comprises receiving, by the server system, one of an agreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising storing, in a database, the replies received by the server system from each of the second and third participants.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein determining a likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist comprises:

processing, using the server system, the stored reply from the second participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the first participant is a non-terrorist;

processing, using the server system, the stored reply from the third participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the second participant is a non-terrorist; and

determining the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist, wherein a disagreement received from at least one of the second participant and the third participant decreases the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising receiving an order, using the server system, for an identification card from a particular participant of the plurality of participants determined as likely to be a non-terrorist.

10. A communication system configured to identify non-terrorists among a plurality of participants and governed by a non-governmental board of governors from consumer advocate organizations and privacy organizations, said communication system comprising:

a plurality of client systems; and

at least one server communicatively coupled to said plurality of client systems via a network, said at least one server configured to;

electronically communicate a verification request from a first participant of the plurality of participants to a second participant of the plurality of participants, wherein the second participant is a member of a personal network of the first participant;

electronically communicate a verification request from the second participant to a third participant of the plurality of participants, wherein the third participant is a member of a personal network of the second participant;

receive a reply to the verification request from the second participant;

receive a reply to the verification request from the third participant; and

determine a likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist based on the replies received from the second and third participants.

11. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one server is configured to prompt each of the plurality of participants to register in a privacy-sensitive manner.

12. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said at least one server is configured to prompt each of the plurality of participants to register prior to receiving a verification from the first participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

13. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one server is configured to prompt each of the plurality of participants to create a personal network, wherein each personal network includes other participants of the plurality of participants to whom a particular participant wishes to send a verification request and from whom the particular participant wishes to receive a verification request, the personal network also including potential participants of said communication system to whom the particular participant wishes to send the verification request.

14. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one server is configured to receive one of an agreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

15. A communication system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said at least one server is configured to receive one of an agreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist.

16. A communication system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said at least one server is further coupled to a database, said at least one server configured to store in said database the replies received by said server from each of the second and third participants.

17. A communication system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said at least one server is configured to:

process the stored reply from the second participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the first participant is a non-terrorist;

process the stored reply from the third participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the second participant is a non-terrorist; and

determine the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist, wherein a disagreement received from at least one of the second participant and the third participant decreases the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

18. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one server is configured to receive an order for an identification card from a particular participant of the plurality of participants determined as likely to be a non-terrorist.

19. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for identifying non-terrorists among a plurality of participants using a system governed by a non-governmental board of governors from consumer advocate organizations and privacy organizations, said computer program comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to:

electronically communicate, via a server system, a verification request from a first participant of the plurality of participants using a first client system to a second participant of the plurality of participants using a second client system, wherein the second participant is a member of a personal network of the first participant;

electronically communicate, via the server system, a verification request from the second participant using the second client system to a third participant of the plurality of participants using a third client system, wherein the third participant is a member of a personal network of the second participant;

receive a reply to the verification request from the second participant using the second client system;

receive a reply to the verification request from the third participant using the third client system; and

determine a likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist based on the replies received from the second and third participants.

20. A computer program in accordance with claim 19, further comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to prompt each of the plurality of participants to register in a privacy-sensitive manner.

21. A computer program in accordance with claim 20, further comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to prompt each of the plurality of participants to register with the system prior to the processor receiving a verification from the first participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist.

22. A computer program in accordance with claim 19, further comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to prompt each of the plurality of participants to create a personal network using a respective client system, wherein each personal network includes other participants of the plurality of participants to whom a particular participant wishes to send a verification request and from whom the particular participant wishes to receive a verification request, the personal network also including potential participants of the system to whom the particular participant wishes to send the verification request.

23. A computer program in accordance with claim 19, further comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to:

receive one of an agreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the second participant that the first participant is a non-terrorist, and store the reply in a database coupled to the processor; and

receive one of an agreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist and a disagreement from the third participant that the second participant is a non-terrorist, and store the reply in the database.

24. A computer program in accordance with claim 23, further comprising at least one code segment that configures a processor to:

process the stored reply from the second participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the first participant is a non-terrorist;

process the stored reply from the third participant including the one of the agreement and the disagreement that the second participant is a non-terrorist; and

determine the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist, wherein a disagreement received from at least one of the second participant and the third participant decreases the likelihood that the first participant is a non-terrorist.