SOCIAL NETWORKING AGGREGATOR TO TRACK ILLNESSES

• US 20140108374A1
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sickweather Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sickweather LLC
• Inventors: Dodge, Graham, Sajor, James, Belt, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,275,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A social networking aggregator computer program that filters user updates from several sources and merges them with geo-tagging data to provide real-time “weather maps” of symptoms and ailments, which can then be used to forecast where and when illnesses spread. Data sources include, but are not limited to popular social media “user broadcasting” platforms, social network sites and smartphone applications.

Claims

1. A computer program that filters updates on social networking sites to provide information about the location and spread of illnesses and health-related dangers, comprising:

a. at least one program instruction for loading into a server used for providing a service website;

b. at least one program instruction loaded into the server to execute following steps;

i. applying a search engine onto aggregated data to single out key words and/or phrases that are commonly used to represent a health-related danger;

ii. applying a search to these results to identify if the data includes location information such as city, state, province, country or zip code;

iii. if the computer program does not identify location information in the data, the computer program of invention will discard the data that does not contain location information;

iv. if location information is found, the computer program locates the latitude and longitude of the available location information;

v. if the computer program of invention locates the latitude and longitude of the aggregate data, the computer program of invention searches the results for negative key words and phrases that are indicators of false reports of health related dangers creating a qualified aggregate data set; and

c. plotting the remaining qualified aggregate data that contains latitude and longitude information, and that does not contain any negative key words or phrases, on a map; and

d. displaying the qualified aggregate data in a user friendly interface similar to a weather forecast or weather radar map; and

e. providing various tools for selecting and changing views and visualizations of the data and sharing and commenting on the data with social networking tools.

2. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the qualified aggregation data are displayed in a manner from the group selected from:

on a website, or an application, or other media such as television, radio and print.

3. The computer program of claim 2, wherein at least some of the information is provided only to paid members of the service.

4. An online service system, comprising:

a server, comprising;

a data transmission unit;

a verification unit, coupled to the data transmission unit, for sending a verification link corresponding to a user account that is not verified through the data transmission unit; and

a service providing unit, coupled to the verification unit and the data transmission unit, for providing a service web site;

said online service system that filters updates on social networking sites to provide information about the location and spread of illnesses and health-related dangers, comprising the steps of;

a. at least one program instruction for loading into a server used for providing a service website;

b. at least one program instruction loaded into the server to execute following steps;

i. applying a search engine onto aggregated data to single out key words and/or phrases that are commonly used to represent a health-related danger;

ii. applying a search to these results to identify if the data includes location information such as city, state, province, country or zip code;

iii. if the computer program does not identify location information in the data, the computer program of invention will discard the data that does not contain location information;

iv. if location information is found, the computer program locates the latitude and longitude of the available location information;

v. if the computer program of invention locates the latitude and longitude of the aggregate data, the computer program of invention searches the results for negative key words and phrases that are indicators of false reports of health related dangers creating a, qualified aggregate data set; and

c. plotting the remaining qualified aggregate data that contains latitude and longitude information, and that does not contain any negative key words or phrases, on a map; and

d. displaying the qualified aggregate data in a user friendly interface similar to a weather forecast or weather radar map; and

e. providing various tools for selecting and changing views and visualizations of the data and sharing and commenting on the data with social networking tools.

5. The online service system of claim 4, wherein the qualified aggregation data are displayed in a manner from the group selected from:

on a website, or an application, or other media such as television, radio and print.

6. The online service system of claim 5, wherein at least some of the information is provided only to paid members of the service.

7. A method for providing an online service, adapted to a server providing a service website, the method comprising:

sending a verification link corresponding to a user account that is not verified through the data transmission unit; and

a service providing unit, coupled to the verification unit and the data transmission unit, for providing a service web site;

said online service system that filters updates on social networking sites to provide information about the location and spread of illnesses and health-related dangers, comprising the steps of;

a. providing at least one program instruction for loading into a server used for providing a service website;

b. providing at least one program instruction loaded into the server to execute following steps;

i. applying a search engine onto aggregated data to single out key words and/or phrases that are commonly used to represent a health-related danger;

ii. applying a search to these results to identify if the data includes location information such as city, state, province, country or zip code;

iii. if the computer program does not identify location information in the data, the computer program of invention will discard the data that does not contain location information;

iv. if location information is found, the computer program locates the latitude and longitude of the available location information;

v. if the computer program of invention locates the latitude and longitude of the aggregate data, the computer program of invention searches the results for negative key words and phrases that are indicators of false reports of health related dangers creating a qualified aggregate data set; and

c. plotting the remaining qualified aggregate data that contains latitude and longitude information, and that does not contain any negative key words or phrases, on a map; and

d. displaying the qualified aggregate data in a user friendly interface similar to a weather forecast or weather radar map; and

e. providing various tools for selecting and changing views and visualizations of the data and sharing and commenting on the data with social networking tools.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the qualified aggregation data are displayed in a manner from the group selected from:

on a website, or an application, or other media such as television, radio and print.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least some of the information is provided only to paid members of the service.