System for community generated feedback and/or rating

• US 6,631,184 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Ltd. (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Limited (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Weiner, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/624,165
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 379/92.01, 379/92.03, 379/92.04, 379/93.17, 379/93.19, 379/93.23, 379/93.24, 379/93.25, 379/93.26, 455/414, 455/456, 455/556, 455/557, 705/10, 705/12, 705/26
• US Class Current: 379/92.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks

Abstract

A telecommunications network system and method enabling feedback and rating data corresponding to products, services, or product or service providers to be shared among users in real-time. Feedback and rating data can be entered into a database using a telecommunications device, such as a wireless telephone, a wireless hand-held data entry/storage device, PC, and the like. The user entering the data can also input community information relative to his or her community attributes and/or affiliations and the user'"'"'s physical location is also entered via a user location device and system, such as GPS or a terrestrial system such as AOA, TOA, or the like. The data is stored and processed in accordance with the community and location data and is available in real-time to other users requesting the feedback/rating information. The users requesting the data can enter specific community data requirements so that the data is organized to best fit their own community attributes or affiliations. Thus, highly relevant and timely feedback and rating data is available to users due to the community-organized and real-time data entry/retrieval aspects of the invention.

Claims

1. A network system for providing and retrieving feedback and rating information in real-time in regard to products, services, or the providers of products or services, based on one or more user-defined communities of interest, said network system comprising:

a data input device operable to facilitate entry of data by a user;

a user location determiner operable to determine the location of said user;

a first interface operable to provide feedback categories and rating information, said categories and rating information being associated with said data entered by said user;

a second interface operable to retrieve feedback and rating information and present them to said user;

a feedback and rating information server in communication with said data input device operable to process said data;

a communities server in communication with said data input device and operable to provide details about communities with which said user defines a relationship; and

a location server in communication with said user location determiner and operable to provide details of providers of products and services in relation to said user location.

2. The network system of claim 1, wherein said data input device comprises an electronic telecommunications device and a freehand data entry device operable to facilitate freehand written communication.

3. The network system of claim 2, wherein said electronic telecommunications device comprises a telecommunications device connected in a wireline telephone system.

4. The network system of claim 2, wherein said electronic telecommunications device comprises a wireless mobile cellular telephone.

5. The network system of claim 2, wherein said freehand data entry device comprises an electronic pen device and an electronic terminal device.

6. The network system of claim 5, wherein said terminal device is a wireless electronic notepad, enabling freehand writing or drawing.

7. The network system of claim 1, wherein said user location determiner is operable to provide details of at least one of products, services and providers thereof in relation to said user location.

8. The network system of claim 7, wherein said user location determiner comprises a system for locating the position of said user with reference to global position and in relation to the location of at least one of selected providers of products or services.

9. The network system in claim 7, wherein said user location determiner compromises a terrestrial based system for locating the position of said user and in relation to the location of at least one of selected providers of products or services, said terrestrial based system based on one or more of the group AOA, POA, Phased Array, TOA, or DTOA.

10. The network system of claim 1, wherein said first interface comprises a display containing a digitized form for producing said feedback and rating information.

11. The network system of claim 10, wherein said feedback and rating information are sorted and matched with rating information for a whole category of products, services, and providers of products and services.

12. The network system of claim 10, wherein said feedback and rating information are provided to said users for individual items.

13. The network system of claim 10, wherein said feedback and rating information are additionally provided with a qualitative feedback for each item retrieved by said user.

15. The network system of claim 13, wherein said selected community of users retrieve said feedback and ratings information from the system.

16. The network system of claim 13, wherein said selected community of users comprise mobile cellular telephone users.

17. The network system of claim 1, wherein said second interface comprises a digitized form for retrieving and displaying said feedback and rating information.

18. The network system of claim 1, wherein said feedback and rating information are associated with a selected community of users.

19. The network system of claim 1, wherein said communities server is operable to store and process data regarding various, user-defined communities and user-members.

20. The network system of claim 1, wherein said feedback and rating information server comprises quantitative and qualitative elements.

21. The network system of claim 20, wherein said qualitative feedback is enabled using a media such as voice, freehand writing, drawing, and/or keyboard text (via phone buttons).

22. The network system of claim 21, wherein said quantitative rating information is provided to a user in a display containing a digitized, rating information interface form.

23. The network system of claim 21, wherein said quantitative rating information is provided to users using a scale comprised of at least one of a predetermined number, letter, or combination thereof.

24. The network system of claim 1, wherein said feedback is qualitative.

25. The network system of claim 1, wherein said rating information is quantitative.

26. The network system of claim 1, wherein said network system comprises media containing a software program for providing or retrieving feedback and rating information operable in said network system.

14. The network system of 13, wherein said selected community of users provide said feedback and ratings information to the system.