SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF AUDIT TRAILING OF DATA INCORPORATION

• US 20140115004A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Isaacs, Charlie, Peri, Harish, Kumar, Seema, Passemard, Antony Passemard
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to creating an audit trail of data incorporation in user profiles. In particular, it relates to linking trust objects to fields of the user profiles.

The technology disclosed also relates to maintaining an opt trail that captures user opt-ins by recording the circumstances surrounding opt-in actions. In particular, it relates to linking trust objects to user profiles that connect users to an advertising campaign.

The technology disclosed further relates to tracking and measuring reputation of product models in consumer markets. In particular, it relates to assembling consumer feedback on the product models from online social networks and service records of the product models and applying sentiment analysis on the consumer feedback.

Claims

1. A method, including:

maintaining at least one trust object linked to fields of a user profile, wherein the trust object holds

audit trail fields that identify how data became incorporated in at least some fields of the user profile; and

access control fields that specify field-by-field and party-by-party control over third party access to the fields of the user profile;

providing a privacy controller, wherein the privacy controller

provides user access to information in the audit trail fields for user'"'"'s own user profile; and

provides user control on a field-by-field and party-by-party basis over third party access to the fields of the user profile linked to the trust object;

receiving instructions that set user'"'"'s preferences for field-by-field and party-by-party control over the third party access to the user'"'"'s own user profile; and

updating the trust object responsive to the instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the privacy controller enables the user to opt out of any use of a selected data source to populate the fields of the user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audit trail fields include names of data sources, interface categories of the data sources, origins of the data sources, and a user'"'"'s engagement preferences applicable to a particular data field of the user profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface categories of the data sources include access controlled APIs, public Internet and social networking sites.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the origins of the data sources identify geographic locations of the data sources.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user'"'"'s engagement preferences applicable to a particular data field of the user profile specify whether the user has opted-in or opted-out of any use of a data source to populate the fields of the user profile.

7. A method, including:

maintaining opt trail fields in at least one trust object linked to a user profile that connects a target user to an advertising campaign, wherein the opt trail fields include information that assists the target user to recall circumstances in which the target user opted into the advertising campaign;

providing information included in the opt trail fields to the target user; and

receiving instructions setting target user'"'"'s preferences to continue or discontinue receipt of advertising of the advertising campaign and updating the trust object accordingly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the opt trail fields, for voice opt-in, include:

time and date of dispatch of call soliciting the voice opt-in;

time, date and location of an opt-in action; and

information related to device from which the opt-in action took place.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the opt trail fields, for the voice opt-in, further include transcript of conversation via which the voice opt-in was presented.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the opt trail fields, for SMS opt-in, include:

time and date of dispatch of SMS soliciting the SMS opt-in;

text of message body via which the SMS opt-in was presented;

time, date and location of an opt-in action; and

information related to device from which the opt-in action took place.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the opt trail fields, for email opt-in, include:

time and date of dispatch of email soliciting the email opt-in;

text of email body via which the email opt-in was presented;

time, date and location of an opt-in action; and

information related to device from which the opt-in action took place.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the opt trail fields, for website opt-in, include:

unified resource locator of website on which the website opt-in occurred;

history of target user'"'"'s activity on the website on which the website opt-in occurred;

copy of webpage via which the website opt-in was presented;

time, date and location of an opt-in action; and

information related to device from which the opt-in action took place.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the opt trail fields, for paper opt-in, include:

information that identifies an event at which the paper opt-in occurred;

particular medium via which the paper opt-in was presented; and

time, date and location of an opt-in action.

14. A method, including:

appending reputation objects to data objects, wherein the data objects track product models after sales of products in consumer markets;

assembling consumer feedback on the product models, including receiving user generated content from online social networks that mentions the product models; and

receiving service records of the product models;

automatically categorizing the consumer feedback based on sentiment analysis;

updating fields of the reputation objects based on the consumer feedback on the product models; and

calculating reputation metrics for the product models based on the reputation objects.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sentiment analysis includes identifying tones and sentiments of consumers.

16. The method of claim 14, further including:

categorizing the product models into reputation hierarchies based on the reputation metrics, wherein the hierarchies stratify the products models into product families and product lots.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

automatically updating reputation metrics of product models in a reputation hierarchy responsive to changes in reputation metrics of other product models in the reputation hierarchy.