System, process, or method for creation, propagation and use of dynamic fractional proxy in collaborative societal decision making within social networks

• US 20140258396A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miller, Jeffrey F.
• Original Assignee: Miller, Jeffrey F.
• Inventors: Miller, Jeffrey F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

The present invention relates to voting systems, and more particularly to social network based voting systems. Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and processes, computing devices, computer-implemented methods, computer programs stored on a computer-readable medium, and network communications used for the creation and use of dynamic fractional proxy in social network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a device of a 1st User a selection or creation of one or more trust metrics, comprised of a label, a value, and one or more elements which may be indexed, and all by which relational data constructs may be created, wherein the trust metric label, value and other elements are stored in a database in association with that 1^st User;

receiving from a device of a 1st User an assigned valuation to one or more selected trust metrics representing a 1^st User'"'"'s subjective determination of merit or importance, wherein the weight value assignments to one or more trust metrics are stored in a database;

receiving from a device of a 1st User a selection of one or more 2^nd Users to whom the granting of fractional proxy may be considered by that 1^st User, wherein a unique identifier for that 1^st User and each selected 2^nd User are stored in a database;

issuance of a participation query to the one or more 2^nd Users;

responsive to receiving from one or more selected 2^nd Users a response indicating yes or no, or lack of response to a participation query, wherein each selected 2^nd User'"'"'s response or lack of response are stored in a database as a participation flag;

receiving from a device of a 1st User a ranking of each participating selected 2^nd User, by use of trust metrics, wherein the rankings of the selected 2^nd Users have been received are stored in a database in association with those selected 2^nd Users;

receiving from a device of a 1st User a selection or creation of a mathematical or logical function or combination thereof for the production of confidence products, wherein the mathematical or logical function selected or created, or combination thereof, is stored in a database;

production of a confidence product or products for each of a plurality of 2^nd Users, representing a 1^st User'"'"'s subjective confidence in each selected 2^nd User, by use of a mathematical or logical function or combination thereof, and that 1^st User'"'"'s ranking of each of a plurality of 2^nd users, wherein a confidence product or products are stored in a database in association with each of those selected 2^nd Users and that 1^st User;

receiving from a device of a 1st User a selection or creation of a mathematical or logical function or combination thereof for the production of fractional proxy, wherein the mathematical or logical function selected or created, or combination thereof, is stored in a database;

production of fractional proxy associated with each selected 2^nd User, by a division of a 1^st User'"'"'s summed proxy determined by a mathematical or logical function or combination thereof, wherein the fractional proxy created in association with each selected participating 2^nd User are stored in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein users are participants in a social network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more trust metrics are selected from preexisting trust metrics, or created by a user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the creation of one or more trust metrics are accomplished via a series of prompts to which a 1st User responds with descriptive data expressing attributes, associations, and characteristics of the created trust metric label.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein an automated comparison of newly created trust metric attributes are made with the attributes of existing metrics and similar matches offered to that user creating a new trust metric as alternative recommendations for use in place of the new trust metric.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of any trust metric represents a non-binary Real Number weighting assigned by a 1^st User.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a participation query is comprised of a message to a user of a social network requesting a response expressing intent or lack of intent to participate in an electoral event.

8. The method of claim 7, where in the communication of a message may be within or external to the construct of a social network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking of a 2^nd User by use of selected trust metrics is comprised of a value assigned by a 1^st User representing that 1^st User'"'"'s subjective opinion of another user'"'"'s character related to that 1^st User'"'"'s interpretation of the meaning of each trust metric employed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof, is created by a 1^st User, or selected from functions created by other users by a 1^st User, for production of confidence products.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mathematical or logical function or combination thereof employed for the production of confidence products may employ any or all of the following elements:

one or more selected trust metrics, weighted value assignment of one or more trust metrics, ranking by a 1st user of one or more 2^nd Users, and the unique identifiers of participating users.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the creation of a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof by a 1^st User for the production of confidence products is accomplished via a series of prompts to which a 1st User responds by inputting the specific desired mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof for production of a confidence product or products may be selected by a 1^st User from pre-existing functions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof is created by a 1^st User, or selected from functions created by other users by a 1^st User, for production of fractional proxy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the mathematical or logical function or combination thereof employed for the production of fractional proxy may employ any or all of the following elements:

confidence product'"'"'s, response or lack of response to a participation query by one or more selected 2^nd Users, a 1^st User'"'"'s summed proxy, and unique identifiers of participating users.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein summed proxy is the sum of all fractional proxy granted to a user in the role of participating 2^nd User, with that 2^nd User'"'"'s single natural whole vote.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the creation of a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof by a 1^st User for the production of fractional proxy is accomplished via a series of prompts to which a 1st User responds by inputting the specific desired mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a mathematical or logical function, or combination thereof, for production of fractional proxy may be selected by a 1^st User from pre-existing functions.

19. A method comprising:

distributing of fractional proxy initiated by a 1^st User to one or more 2^nd Users, wherein fractional proxy granted by a 1^st User to a 2^nd User is communicated to that 2^nd User; and

wherein the fractional proxy granted to a 2^nd User is stored in a database in association with the recipient 2^nd User.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein distributing of fractional proxy comprises transmission of a digital message capable of carrying a communications data set both within a social network and between social networks.

21. The method of claim 20, where a communications data set comprised at minimum of one or more of:

an event label or labels, a unique identifier of a 1^st User granting fractional proxy, a value of fractional proxy granted, and a unique identifier of the 2^nd User to which proxy is granted.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein a digital message includes digital data employed in the damping or blocking of circular granting of dynamic fractional proxy.

23. A method comprising:

accumulation of proxy, wherein a user may receive and accumulate fractional proxy, wherein fractional proxy accumulated by a user is stored in a database in association with the granting 1^st User, the recipient 2^nd User, and the unique identifiers of prior constituent 1^st Users granting proxy.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein system, method, or process for the accumulation of proxy incorporates the receipt and accumulation of granted fractional proxy by a 2^nd User from one or more 1^st Users.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the accumulation of proxy includes a system, process, or method to affect the damping or blocking of circular granting of proxy, wherein the method to affect the damping or blocking circular granting of proxy may be determined in whole or in part by the probability of occurrence of circular proxy grant, and the influence of circular proxy grant upon the quality of collaborative decisions, wherein the damping or blocking of circular granting of proxy may employ a matching of unique user identifiers, and wherein the damping or blocking of circular proxy grant is enforced by selective retraction of 2^nd User participation flag or other method to achieve an equivalent effect.

26. A method comprising:

dynamic redistribution of fractional proxy, wherein change to the elements of fractional proxy produce change in fractional proxy, wherein changed fractional proxy are dynamically redistributed, and wherein changed fractional proxy are stored in a database in association with a recipient 2^nd User.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the elements of fractional proxy are the elements employed in the creation of fractional proxy.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein changed fractional proxy is the unique and separate new value of fractional proxy resulting from a change in one or more elemental components employed in the creation of a fractional proxy value for each of one or more 2^nd Users.

29. A method comprising:

exercise, casting, or voting of summed proxy by a user choosing to participate directly in an electoral event, wherein the weight or value of those summed proxy associated with that participating user are applied to the choice or choices made available in the context of an electoral event, and wherein the exercised, cast, or voted proxy by that participating user are stored in a database in association with a unique identifier for that participating user, and the choices made available in that electoral event.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein an electoral event may be the general case of an electoral event, or may be the special case of ongoing electoral representation, wherein a general case electoral event is bounded in time and the choices related to issue or issues are specific, whereas ongoing electoral representation may not be bounded in time, and choices relating to issue or issues may not be specific at the time proxy in granted.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the summed proxy exercised, cast, or voted by participating representational users takes place at a specific moment, time or date;

wherein the weight or value of those summed proxy associated with participating representational users are applied to the choice or choices made available in the context of an electoral event, wherein the proxy exercised, cast, or voted by participating representational users are stored in a database in association with the unique identifier for each participating representational user, and the choices made available in that electoral event.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein ongoing electoral representation may be altered by the method of the present invention in response to the use of dynamic fractional proxy, and wherein the exercise, casting or voting of summed proxy by a participating representational user carries the weight of summed proxy at the moment, time or date of the exercise, casting or voting.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the exercising, casting, or voting of summed proxy are counted in association with the choice or choices of directly participating user in the context of the electoral event and influence the resultant outcome of the electoral event in proportion with the totality of the summed proxy and single whole natural votes exercised, cast or voted by all directly participating users.