METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING AN INFORMATION BROKERING SERVICE

• US 20140249888A1
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sermo, Inc. (Worldone Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sermo, Inc. (Worldone Incorporated)
• Inventors: Palestrant, Daniel, Gardner, Graham S.
• Application Number:
  US14/148,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method is provided that provides an early indication of consensus of opinion among a number of users regarding an event or observation indicated by a user. Such an opinion may be interesting to an information consumer, who may be interested in determining the outcome of the consensus relating to the event or observation, or may otherwise desire to perform surveillance or survey of a particular issue or subject. Such recognition of early events or observations may be useful where initial observations, if provided early, allow resulting decisions to be made much earlier. The opinion may, for instance, be used as an early indicator of problem with a product, company, etc. that would permit an information consumer to perform an action at a much earlier point than if he/she relied on traditional sources of information. Thus, such opinion information may be invaluable as a tool for monitoring events.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for conducting an online information brokering service, the system comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of tickets each including ticket information, the ticket information including at least one of a description, a specialty, and at least one keyword;

at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory;

a user interface component executed by the at least one processor and configured to permit access to an online community by a plurality of users and to display a plurality of views to at least one user of the plurality of users, the plurality of views comprising;

a home view personalized for the at least one user, the home view configured to present information regarding previous transactions in the online community associated with the at least one user and to present information indicating a status of the at least one user in the online community; and

a ticket creation view configured to receive content generated by the at least one user, the content including information defining at least one ticket.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein user interface component is further configured to limit access of the at least one user to the plurality of tickets responsive to a user type associated with the at least one user.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the ticket creation view is further configured to receive a description including information associated with the ticket.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the ticket creation view is further configured to display at least one keyword associated with the ticket responsive to receiving the description.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the ticket creation view is further configured to display a parameter indicative of a quantity of existing tickets associated with the at least one keyword.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein the home view is further configured to display at least one of a name associated with the at least one user, a date, and a status associated with the at least one user.

27. The system according to claim 21, wherein the home view includes a control configured to transition the display from the home view to the ticket creation view responsive to the control being activated.

31. A computer implemented method for interacting with an online environment, the method comprising:

permitting, by a computer system, access to an online community by a plurality of users;

displaying, by a computer system, a home view personalized for at least one user of the plurality of users, the home view including information regarding previous transactions in the online community associated with the at least one user and to present information indicating a status of the at least one user in the online community;

displaying, by the computer system, a ticket creation view to the at least one user;

receiving, by the computer system, ticket information defining at least one ticket in the ticket creation view, the ticket information including at least one of a description, a specialty, and at least one keyword;

storing, by the computer system, the received ticket information defining the at least one ticket.

32. The method according to claim 31, further comprising limiting access to the at least one ticket based on a user type associated with a user of the plurality of users requesting access to the at least one ticket.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein receiving ticket information includes receiving a description including information associated with the ticket.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein displaying the ticket creation view includes display at least one keyword associated with the ticket responsive to receiving the description.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein displaying the ticket creation view includes displaying a parameter indicative of a quantity of existing tickets associated with the at least one keyword.

36. The method according to claim 31, wherein displaying the home view includes displaying at least one of a name associated with the at least one user, a date, and a status associated with the at least one user.

37. The method according to claim 31, wherein displaying the home view includes displaying a control configured to transition the display from the home view to the ticket creation view responsive to the control being activated.

38. The method according to claim 31, further comprising:

displaying a ticket search view;

receiving search criteria, the search criteria including at least one of a keyword and a specialty; and

displaying tickets matching the search criteria responsive to receiving the search criteria in the ticket search view.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein displaying the home view includes displaying a control configured to transition the display from the home view to the ticket search view responsive to the control being activated.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein displaying the ticket search view includes displaying the tickets matching the search criteria in an order based on a rank of the generating user in the online community.