System and method of ranking and searching for professional profiles

• US 20110066954A1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Zuber
• Original Assignee: Thomas Zuber
• Inventors: Zuber, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A method for searching and ranking professional profiles includes a profile ranking tool that assigns a numeric value to a professional'"'"'s prestige and competence, called an overall quality score. Different weights are assigned to several different factors that rank a professional based on attributes such as one'"'"'s peer rating, quality of education, breadth and depth of experience and the quality of work product.

Claims

1. A method for providing, in the context of an online social network, a profile ranking tool:

wherein at least a plurality of members of the online social network each have at least one profile, and at least a plurality of members having at least one profile are professionals;

wherein the profile ranking tool allows a member to rank profiles of professionals on a graphical user interface in an order based on an overall quality score assigned to each profile in accordance with an assessment of the competence of the owner of the profile; and

wherein the overall quality score is a function of a peer rating factor and at least one or more of the following group;

an education factor, an experience factor, a work products factor, and a familiarity factor, so that the overall quality score is a function of data present in the profile itself.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of members may assign a vote value to a plurality of profiles, and wherein the peer rating factor of each profile is a function of the summation total of each vote value assigned to the profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of members may assign a vote value to each of a plurality of profiles, and wherein the peer rating factor of each profile is a function of the summation total of each vote value multiplied by a factor associated with the profile of the member that assigned the vote value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of members may assign a vote value to each of a plurality of profiles, and wherein the peer rating factor of each profile is a function of the summation total of each vote value multiplied by a factor associated with the profile of the member that assigned the vote value, and the overall quality score is also a function of a factor determined in accordance with an exponential distribution curve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the education factor of each profile is a function of a factor assigned to at least one school attended by the member owning the profile, and wherein the factor of each school is a function of a factor assigned to each school as a function of peer rating factor assigned to the school.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the experience factor of each profile is a function of the length of time of experience of the owner of the profile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the experience factor of each profile is a function of the length of time of experience of the owner of the profile and a factor determined in accordance with an exponential distribution curve.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of members may assign a vote value to a plurality of work products, and the work products factor of each profile is a function of the average of each vote value assigned to the profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of members may assign a vote value to a plurality of profiles, and wherein the peer rating factor of each profile is a function of the summation total of each vote value multiplied by a factor associated with the profile of the member that assigned the vote value.

10. A method for ranking profiles based on an overall quality score assigned to the profile, comprising formulating the overall quality score as a function of data present in the profile itself, a peer rating factor, and at least one or more of a group consisting of an education factor, an experience factor, and a work products factor.

11. A profile ranking tool for ranking professionals who are members of an online social networking community, comprising:

a professional profile ranking system configured to rank profiles of professionals based on an overall quality score assigned to each profile in accordance with an assessment of the competence of the owner of the profile, wherein at least a plurality of members of the online social network each have at least one profile and at least a plurality of members having at least one profile are professionals, the overall quality score being a function of a peer rating factor and at least one or more factors of a group of factors consisting of an education factor, an experience factor, and a work products factor, wherein the overall quality score is a function of data present in the profile itself.