SYSTEM OF CREDITS FOR USE WITH A NETWORK-BASED APPLICATION
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- establishing an initial price, payable in credits, for initiating interaction with a particular user of a web-based application;
with a processor-implemented price-setting module, regulating the price for initiating interaction with the particular user by adjusting the initial price to a new price based on one or more observed factors from which the particular user'"'"'s willingness to interact via the web-based application can be inferred, and/or one or more observed factors from which the collective demand for the particular user'"'"'s attention from other user of the web-based application can be inferred; and
causing the new price to be displayed when presenting a user interface via which a user of the web-based application can initiate interaction with the particular user.
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Abstract
A credit mechanism or system for use with a network-based application is described. The credit mechanism operates in conjunction with the network-based application to require that users pay a number of credits to interact with other users. The number of credits required to interact with a particular user may be determined using an algorithm that takes as input a number of signals that are inferred from observed data and which generally represent a measure of the particular user'"'"'s willingness to provide time and attention (e.g., supply of attention), and a measure of the desire of other users to obtain the particular user'"'"'s attention (e.g., demand for attention).
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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establishing an initial price, payable in credits, for initiating interaction with a particular user of a web-based application; with a processor-implemented price-setting module, regulating the price for initiating interaction with the particular user by adjusting the initial price to a new price based on one or more observed factors from which the particular user'"'"'s willingness to interact via the web-based application can be inferred, and/or one or more observed factors from which the collective demand for the particular user'"'"'s attention from other user of the web-based application can be inferred; and causing the new price to be displayed when presenting a user interface via which a user of the web-based application can initiate interaction with the particular user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a server computer, cause the server computer to perform a method comprising:
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establishing an initial price, payable in credits, for initiating interaction with a particular user of a web-based application; with a processor-implemented price-setting module, regulating the price for initiating interaction with the particular user by adjusting the initial price to a new price based on one or more observed factors from which the particular user'"'"'s willingness to interact via the web-based application can be inferred, and/or one or more observed factors from which the collective demand for the particular user'"'"'s attention from other user of the web-based application can be inferred; and causing the new price to be displayed when presenting a user interface via which a user of the web-based application can initiate interaction with the particular user.
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12. A method comprising:
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establishing for a particular user an ask to answer price, payable in credits, that other users of a question-and-answer service are required to pay to solicit the particular user for an answer to a question that has been for posted to the service; with a processor-implemented price-setting module, periodically adjusting the particular user'"'"'s ask to answer price based on data observed over a period of time and from which a measure of demand for the particular user'"'"'s attention can be inferred; and causing the ask to answer price to be displayed when presenting a user interface via which a user of the web-based application can solicit the particular user for an answer to a question. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification