HYPERLOCAL RATING SERVICE

• US 20160110744A1
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Published: 04/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ratingz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ratingz Incorporated
• Inventors: Nicholson, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/514,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20160110744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and system for acquiring ratings of local businesses accepts a rating submitted by an individual who is associated with a location near a physical presence of a rated business. Ratings are acquired by receiving from a rater a proposal to submit a rating of a business, identifying a location of the rater, verifying the location of the rater, defining a locality encompassing the location of the rater, determining that the business'"'"'s local presence is contained in the locality, accepting the rating from the rater, and storing the rating to a database. Several techniques are disclosed for verifying the location of the rater.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring ratings of local businesses, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor from a rater, a proposal to submit a rating of a business, the business having a local presence;

identifying, by a processor, a location of the rater;

verifying, by a processor, the location of the rater;

defining, by a processor, a locality, the locality encompassing the location of the rater;

determining, by a processor, that the business'"'"'s local presence is contained in the locality; and

based on the determination, accepting the rating from the rater and storing the rating to a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the rater is verified according to at least one of the following:

reference to one of a document and a recorded description of the document, the document associating the rater with an address of the location;

reference to one of an account and a recorded description of the account, the account associating the rater with an address of the location;

a mailpiece sent to the rater at an address associated with the location, at least a portion of the mailpiece being returned by the rater;

a telephone call to a telephone number associated with the location, the telephone call being answered by a person who demonstrates possession of a piece of information, the piece of information having been communicated privately between the processor and the rater;

an SMS message to a telephone number associated with the location, the SMS message being replied to by a person who demonstrates possession of a piece of information, the piece of information having been communicated privately between the processor and the rater;

a communication device, the rater being in possession of the communication device, the communication device communicating through a wireless network node at the time when the proposal to submit the rating is made, and the wireless network node having a known position;

a communication device comprising a geolocation means, the rater being in possession of the communication device, and the geolocation means reporting the location at the time when the proposal to submit the rating is made; and

confirmation that the rater is a member of an organization whose membership is limited to individuals associated with the locality.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the document is one of a deed to property at an address associated with the location, a driver'"'"'s license, and an identity card.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the account is one of a bank account, a telephone service account, and a utility account.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the account is a one of a credit card account and a debit card account.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the organization is a Homeowners Association.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the rater'"'"'s membership in the organization is determined by reference to a list of the organization'"'"'s members.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the method used to identify the location of the rater is further used to verify the location of the rater.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a boundary of the locality is defined by one of a specified straight-line distance from the location of the rater, a specified distance of travel from the location of the rater, and a specified time of travel from the location of the rater.

10. A system for acquiring ratings of local businesses, the system comprising:

an executive component operable to receive from a rater a proposal to submit a rating of a business, identify a location of the rater, define a locality, the locality encompassing the location of the rater, and accept a rating from the rater;

a verification component operable to verify the location of the rater;

a geocoding component operable to determine whether a local presence of the business is contained in the locality;

a storage component operable to store the rating;

a bus; and

at least one processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the verification component operates by means of at least one of:

reference to one of a document and a recorded description of a document, the document associating the rater with an address of the location;

reference to one of an account and a recorded description of the account, the account associating the rater with an address of the location;

a mailpiece sent to the rater at an address associated with the location, at least a portion of the mailpiece being returned by the rater;

a telephone call to a telephone number associated with the location, the telephone call being answered by a person who demonstrates possession of a piece of information, the piece of information having been communicated privately between the system and the rater;

an SMS message to a telephone number associated with the location, the SMS message being replied to by a person who demonstrates possession of a piece of information, the piece of information having been communicated privately between the system and the rater;

a communication device, the rater being in possession of the communication device, the communication device communicating through a wireless network node at the time when the proposal to submit the rating is made, and the wireless network node having a known position;

a communication device comprising a geolocation means, the rater being in possession of the communication device, and the geolocation means reporting the location at the time when the proposal to submit the rating is made; and

confirmation that the rater is a member of an organization whose membership is limited to individuals associated with the locality.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the document is one of a deed to property at an address within locality, a driver'"'"'s license, and an identity card.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the account is one of a bank account, a telephone service account, and a utility account.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the account is a one of a credit card account and a debit card account.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the organization is a Homeowners Association.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the rater'"'"'s membership in the organization is determined by reference to a list of the organization'"'"'s members.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the verification component is further used to identify a location of the rater.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein a boundary of the locality is defined by one of a specified straight-line distance from the location of the rater, a specified distance of travel from the location of the rater, and a specified time of travel from the location of the rater.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by at least one processor to perform a method for acquiring ratings of local businesses, the method comprising:

accepting from a rater a proposal to rate a business;

identifying a location of the rater;

verifying the location of the rater;

defining a locality, the locality encompassing the location of the rater;

receiving from the rater a proposal to submit a rating of a business, the business having a local presence;

determining that the business'"'"'s local presence is contained in the locality, and based on the determination, accepting the rating from the rater and storing the rating to a database.