AUTOMATED RANKING OF ONLINE SERVICE OR PRODUCT PROVIDERS
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An online computer system is configured to receive requests from seekers for products or services and to provide the seekers and products a place to complete work once connected. The computer system searches through personal contacts of the seekers for trusted providers of the product or service request based on their proximity to the seekers. The computer system is configured to search through contacts within referral networks of the personal contacts for level-1 and level-2 providers of the product or service request. The level-2 providers might be more reliable because they are referred through the personal contacts of the seekers. The providers and referral contacts of the referrals can be rated and then provider candidates ranked according to the associated provider and referral ratings.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A computer readable medium containing instructions configured to be executed by a computer system, the instructions when executed by the computer system comprising:
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receiving a request from a user for providers of a product or service; searching for the providers through contacts of the user; searching for the providers through referral networks of the contacts; identifying referral ratings for the contacts; and ranking the providers based on the referral ratings for the contacts. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer readable medium containing instructions configured to be executed by a computer system, the instructions when executed by the computer system comprising:
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receiving, by the computer system, a request for providers of goods or services; searching, by the computer system, for the providers in referral networks of contacts; identifying, by the computer system, ratings for the providers; identifying, by the computer system, referral ratings for the contacts associated with the referral networks; and ranking, by the computer system, the providers based on the ratings for the providers and the referral ratings for the contacts. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A computer-readable memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:
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identifying contacts in a personal network; identifying the contacts as being providers of services or products or as having associated referral networks containing providers of services or products; receiving a search request for the providers of the services or products; searching the personal network for the providers of the services or products; searching the referral networks for the providers of the services or products; and displaying the providers of the services or products identified in the personal network and the referral networks. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification