Visualization Tools for Reviewing Credibility and Stateful Hierarchical Access to Credibility

• US 20120260209A1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dun & Bradstreet Corp., DUN & Bradstreet Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.), Hoover's Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Credibility Corp. (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Inventors: Hackett, Judith Gentile, Kazerani, Moujan, Stibel, Aaron B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,381,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a credibility system including an interface portal for presenting a holistic view of entity credibility. To provide the holistic view, the credibility system aggregates credibility data from multiple data sources. The aggregated credibility data is processed and ordered to present different dimensions of entity credibility, with each dimension graphically presented in the interface portal through an interactive credibility module. In some embodiments, the credibility data associated with each credibility module is processed to produce at least one value that quantifiably represents the credibility data. In some embodiments, the credibility data associated with each credibility module is hierarchically ordered to present the credibility data in a drill-down fashion with each hierarchical layer presenting more detailed credibility data for better understanding the credibility data presented in the preceding layer.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) comprising:

an input field for specifying a specific entity;

a display area; and

a set of selectable graphical elements comprising at least;

a first selectable graphical element populating said display area with credibility data presenting a first dimension of credibility for the specific entity when said first selectable graphical element is selected; and

a second selectable graphical element populating said display area with credibility data presenting a second dimension of credibility for said specific entity when said second selectable graphical element is selected, wherein at least said first dimension and said second dimension of credibility compile overall credibility of the specific entity, wherein the credibility data presenting the first dimension of credibility is different than the credibility data presenting the second dimension of credibility.

2. The GUI of claim 1, wherein said first selectable graphical element orders said credibility data presenting the first dimension of credibility in a set of hierarchical accessible layers comprising at least a first hierarchical layer and a second hierarchical layer.

3. The GUI of claim 2, wherein said first hierarchical layer comprises credibility data presenting the first dimension of credibility and said second hierarchical layer comprises credibility data that details derivation of credibility data of said first hierarchical layer.

4. The GUI of claim 3, wherein said credibility data of said first hierarchical layer is presented in said display area when the first selectable graphical element is selected and said credibility data of said second hierarchical layer is presented in said display area based on a user interaction with the credibility data of said first hierarchical layer.

5. The GUI of claim 4, wherein said credibility data of said first hierarchical layer is presented with at least one interactive tool that can be interacted with to drill-down to present said credibility data of said second hierarchical layer in said display area.

6. The GUI of claim 3, wherein the set of hierarchical accessible layers is a first set of hierarchical layers, and wherein said second selectable graphical element orders said credibility data presenting the second dimension of credibility in a second set of hierarchical accessible layers comprising at least a first hierarchical layer and a second hierarchical layer.

7. The GUI of claim 6, wherein said credibility data of said first hierarchical layer of the second set of hierarchical layers is presented in said display area when the second selectable graphical element is selected and said credibility data of said second hierarchical layer of the second set of hierarchical layers is presented in said display area when drilling down from said credibility data of said first hierarchical layer of the second set of hierarchical layers.

8. The GUI of claim 1, wherein said credibility data presenting said first dimension of credibility comprises a first score quantifying qualitative messages that reference said specific entity and that are aggregated from a plurality of social media sites and wherein said credibility data presenting said second dimension of credibility comprises a second score quantifying quantitative reviews for said specific entity that are aggregated from a plurality of review sites.

9. The GUI of claim 1, wherein said credibility data presenting the first dimension of credibility comprises a credibility score that quantifies credibility of said specific entity and said credibility data presenting said second dimension of credibility data comprises at least one of (i) imagery for identifying said specific entity, (ii) a map for identifying a location of said specific entity, (iii) social network content, and (iv) financial information related to said specific entity.

10. The GUI of claim 9 further comprising an interactive tool for expanding said credibility score into a set of component scores.

11. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising a search interface for altering credibility data that is associated with each of the first and second selectable graphical elements based on identification information that is received in the search interface that identifies a different entity, wherein altering credibility data that is associated with the first selectable graphical element comprises presenting a first dimension of credibility for said different entity in said display area when said first selectable graphical element is selected and altering credibility data that is associated with the second selectable graphical element comprises presenting a second dimension of credibility for said different entity in said display area when said second selectable graphical element is selected.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, said program for interactively accessing credibility of an entity, wherein said program instructs a microprocessor of the verification system to perform sets of instructions for:

parsing a data structure comprising credibility data that is associated with a plurality of credibility dimensions for said entity, wherein each credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions is a particular derivative of overall credibility for said entity, and wherein said credibility data is aggregated from a plurality of data sources;

generating a plurality of selectable graphical elements for graphically accessing credibility data that is associated with each credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions; and

providing an interface (i) displaying the plurality of selectable graphical elements, (ii) displaying credibility data for a credibility dimension that is associated with a graphical element that a user selects from the plurality of selectable graphical elements.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the set of instructions for providing the interface to display the credibility data comprises a set of instructions for displaying a first hierarchical subset of credibility data for the credibility dimension that is associated with the selected graphical element, and the program further comprising a set of instructions for providing at least one interactive tool to alter display of said interface from the first hierarchical subset of credibility data to a second hierarchical subset of credibility data for said credibility dimension when said interactive tool is interacted with.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said second hierarchical subset of credibility data enhances the first hierarchical subset of credibility data by providing credibility data that details derivation of some of the credibility data in the first hierarchical subset of credibility data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the program further comprising a set of instructions for searching a plurality of data structures to retrieve said data structure based on identification information that identifies said entity, wherein the plurality of data structures store credibility data that is used in defining credibility for a plurality of entities, and wherein the plurality of data structures comprises said data structure for defining credibility of said entity.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the program further comprising a set of instructions for modifying a display of said interface to present credibility data for a credibility dimension that is associated with a graphical element that is selected from the plurality of selected graphical elements.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the program further comprising a set of instructions for displaying in said interface, a first credibility dimension comprising credibility data for detailing credibility of said entity across at least one social media site when a first selectable graphical element from the plurality of selectable graphical elements is selected, wherein said first credibility dimension is a credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, the program further comprising a set of instructions for displaying in said interface, a second credibility dimension comprising credibility data for detailing credibility of said entity across at least one reviews site when a second selectable graphical element from the plurality of selectable graphical elements is selected, wherein said second credibility dimension is a different credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions than said first credibility dimension.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, the program further comprising a set of instructions for displaying in said interface, (i) a first credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions that is derived from quantitative credibility data when a first selectable graphical element from the plurality of selectable graphical elements is selected and (ii) a second credibility dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions that is derived from qualitative credibility data when a second selectable graphical element from the plurality of selectable graphical elements is selected.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein parsing the data structure comprises a set of instructions for processing (i) a first set of the credibility data to derive at least a first value for quantifiably representing a first dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions that affects overall credibility of said entity and (ii) a second set of the credibility data to derive at least a second value for quantifiably representing a second dimension of the plurality of credibility dimensions that affects overall credibility of said particular entity, wherein the first set of the credibility data comprises different credibility data than the second set of the credibility data, and wherein the first dimension of credibility is different than the second dimension of credibility.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, the program further comprising a set of instructions for ordering (i) said first value and said first set of the credibility data to at least a parent hierarchical level and a child hierarchical level associated with a first selectable graphical element of the plurality of graphical elements and (ii) said second value and said second set of the credibility data to at least a parent hierarchical level and a child hierarchical level associated with a second selectable graphical element of the plurality of graphical elements.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said credibility data that is ordered to the child hierarchical level of the first selectable graphical element details derivation of at least one of the first value and credibility data that is ordered to the parent hierarchical level of the first selectable graphical element module.

23-24. -24. (canceled)