System and method for the controlled progressive disclosure of information

• US 7,010,570 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yu, Philip Shi-Lung, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Boies, Stephen J., Dinkin, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US09/688,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,968 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/205, 709/207, 705/1, 705/26, 379/196, 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system and method of operating a computer network implementing progressive information disclosure is provided. The system and method comprises receiving electronically from a first user a plurality of levels of information, the information levels to be presented in a sequence, then receiving electronically a request from a second user for information provided by the first user, and transmitting electronically the plurality of information levels in sequence to the second user until a termination response is received or until the information sequence has completed. Alternatively, a system and method of progressive information disclosure is provided comprising receiving from a first information providing user a plurality of levels of information, the information levels to be presented in a sequence, receiving from a second information providing user a plurality of levels of information, the information levels to be presented in a sequence, receiving a request from the second user for information provided by the first user, setting a time for the second user to receive the first user information, transmitting the first user information level to the second user simultaneous to transmitting the second user information level to the first user, receiving a response to terminate information disclosure from either the first user or the second user, and terminating information disclosure to the first user and to the second user simultaneously. Alternatively, the system and method can include a step of verifying the information provided by either user before transmitting such information to the other user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first computer which includes a first mouse, said first mouse including a first button; and

a second computer in communication with said first computer;

said second computer including a second mouse, said second mouse including a second button;

said first computer operative to generate a sequence of first information which includes a first plurality of levels of information;

said second computer operative to generate a sequence of second information which includes a second plurality of levels of information;

said system operative to present a first one of said second plurality of levels of information to a first user via said first computer at a time when said first button and said second button are both activated;

said system operative to present a first one of said first plurality of levels of information to a second user via said second computer at said time when said first button and said second button are both activated;

said system continuing to present additional ones of said second plurality of levels of information to said first user via said first computer and to present additional ones of said first plurality of levels of information to said second user via said second computer, only so long as said first button and said second button both remain activated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said first computer provides an indication to said second computer that said first button is activated; and

said second computer provides an indication to said first computer that said second button is activated.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a server in communication with said first and second computers to relay information between said first and second computers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said sequence of first information includes a first series of images of increasing resolution; and

said sequence of second information includes a second series of images of increasing resolution.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said first plurality of levels of information includes levels of personal information concerning said first user; and

said second plurality of levels of information includes levels of personal information concerning said second user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said first plurality of levels of information includes levels of employment qualifications of said first user; and

said second plurality of levels of information includes levels of job description information of an employer of said second user.