ENABLING A SECOND SYSTEM TO MANAGE SELECTED ANONYMOUS USERS OF A FIRST SYSTEM IN A PERFORMANCE OF A TASK

• US 20120166266A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Rampalli, Narasimhan, Lau, Hiu Pok
• Application Number:
  US12/976,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards

Abstract

In a method of enabling a second system to manage selected anonymous users of a first system in a performance of a task, a rule is received from a second system, the rule specifying a criterion for a selection of a user from a plurality of users of the first system. A user is selected from the plurality of users, the selecting based on the criterion, the selecting including searching a record of a database, the record containing data pertaining to an activity of the user with respect to the first system, the database being inaccessible to the second system. A request is forwarded from the second system to the user, the request requesting that the user perform a task. A result is sent to the second system, the result including information pertaining to a performance of the task by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a first system;

receiving a rule from a second system, the rule specifying a criterion for a selection of a user from a plurality of users of the first system;

selecting, using a processor, the user from the plurality of users, the selecting based on the criterion, the selecting including searching a record of a database, the record containing data pertaining to an activity of the user with respect to the first system, the database being inaccessible to the second system;

forwarding a request from the second system to the user, the request requesting that the user perform a task; and

sending a result to the second system, the result including information pertaining to a performance of the task by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first system;

sending a summary of the data to the second system, the summary preserving an anonymity of the user; and

wherein the criterion for the selection of the user is based on the summary.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a performance of the task by the user; and

wherein the result includes information pertaining to the monitoring of the performance of the task by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the first system;

determining a reward to offer to the user in exchange for the performance of the task by the user;

notifying the user of the reward; and

providing the reward to the user in response to the performance of the task by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first system is a network-based publication system;

the activity is at least one of a buying of a product using the first system and a selling of the product using the first system; and

the task relates to the product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the criterion relates to a relevancy of a product to the user; and

the task relates to soliciting an opinion of the user with respect to an aspect of the product.

7. A system comprising:

a rule-reception module to, using a processor, receive a rule from a second system, the rule specifying a criterion for a selection of a user from a plurality of users of a first system;

a user-subset-identification module to select, using a processor, the user from the plurality of users, the selecting based on the criterion, the selecting including searching a record of a database, the record containing data pertaining to an activity of the user with respect to the first system, the database being inaccessible to the second system;

a user-notification module to forward a request from the second system to the user, the request requesting that the user perform a task; and

a result-reporting module to send a result to the second system, the result including information pertaining to a performance of the task by the user.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an information-characterization module to send a summary of the data to the second system, the summary preserving an anonymity of the user; and

wherein the criterion for the selection of the user is based on the summary.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a user-monitoring module to monitor a performance of the task by the user; and

wherein the result includes information pertaining to the monitoring of the performance of the task by the user.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a reward-determination module to determine a reward to offer to the user in exchange for the performance of the task by the user;

a user-notification module to notify the user of the reward; and

a reward-distribution module to provide the reward to the user in response to the performance of the task by the user.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first system is a network-based publication system;

the activity is at least one of a buying of a product using the first system and a selling of the product using the first system; and

the task relates to the product.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the criterion relates to a relevancy of a product to the user; and

the task relates to soliciting an opinion of the user with respect to an aspect of the product.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

at a first system;

receiving a rule from a second system, the rule specifying a criterion for a selection of a user from a plurality of users of the first system;

selecting, using a processor, the user from the plurality of users, the selecting based on the criterion, the selecting including searching a record of a database, the record containing data pertaining to an activity of the user with respect to the first system, the database being inaccessible to the second system;

forwarding a request from the second system to the user, the request requesting that the user perform a task; and

sending a result to the second system, the result including information pertaining to a performance of the task by the user.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

at the first system;

sending a summary of the data to the second system, the summary preserving an anonymity of the user; and

wherein the criterion for the selection of the user is based on the summary.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring a performance of the task by the user; and

wherein the result includes information pertaining to the monitoring of the performance of the task by the user.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

at the first system;

determining a reward to offer to the user in exchange for the performance of the task by the user;

notifying the user of the reward; and

providing the reward to the user in response to the performance of the task by the user.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the first system is a network-based publication system;

the activity is at least one of a buying of a product using the first system and a selling of the product using the first system; and

the task relates to the product.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the criterion relates to a relevancy of a product to the user; and

the task relates to soliciting an opinion of the user with respect to an aspect of the product.