Method and apparatus for conducting an online information service
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for conducting an online information service, the method comprising acts of:
- providing access for a plurality of registered users to an online information service hosted on a computer server, the plurality of registered users comprising at least information consumer users and information provider users;
permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users and the information consumer users to create respective user defined events;
permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users to submit opinions on user defined events;
limiting, by the computer server, the information consumer users to creation of a respective user defined event and monitoring submitted opinions of the information provider users;
providing a computer interface to at least one user of the plurality of registered users, wherein the computer interface is configured to accept information associated with a user defined event, wherein the information associated with the user defined event further comprises a possible outcome of a future event, and wherein the user interface is further configured to accept an observation associated with the possible outcome of the future event;
accepting from the at least one user, over a communication network, information associated with the user defined event, including the possible outcome of the future event;
collecting opinion information from a plurality of the registered information provider users, by the computer server, the opinion information relating to the user-defined event, wherein the opinion information collected from the plurality of information provider users includes at least a respective user'"'"'s opinion on the possible outcome of the future event;
calculating, by a processor, a consensus for the collected opinion information, wherein the consensus includes a determination for the possible outcome of the future event;
compensating, by the computer server, the information provider users in response to submission of respective opinion information relating to the user defined event;
limiting, by the computer server, a length of time for receiving compensation for submission of the opinion information, wherein the act of limiting includes at least one of an act of varying the compensation provided based on a timing of the submission of opinion information, and limiting the length of time based on the calculation of consensus; and
transmitting, over a communication network, at least one of the opinion information and the consensus to at least one information consumer.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 in different areas, such as healthcare, finance, etc., 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.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A computer implemented method for conducting an online information service, the method comprising acts of:
-
providing access for a plurality of registered users to an online information service hosted on a computer server, the plurality of registered users comprising at least information consumer users and information provider users; permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users and the information consumer users to create respective user defined events; permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users to submit opinions on user defined events; limiting, by the computer server, the information consumer users to creation of a respective user defined event and monitoring submitted opinions of the information provider users; providing a computer interface to at least one user of the plurality of registered users, wherein the computer interface is configured to accept information associated with a user defined event, wherein the information associated with the user defined event further comprises a possible outcome of a future event, and wherein the user interface is further configured to accept an observation associated with the possible outcome of the future event; accepting from the at least one user, over a communication network, information associated with the user defined event, including the possible outcome of the future event; collecting opinion information from a plurality of the registered information provider users, by the computer server, the opinion information relating to the user-defined event, wherein the opinion information collected from the plurality of information provider users includes at least a respective user'"'"'s opinion on the possible outcome of the future event; calculating, by a processor, a consensus for the collected opinion information, wherein the consensus includes a determination for the possible outcome of the future event; compensating, by the computer server, the information provider users in response to submission of respective opinion information relating to the user defined event; limiting, by the computer server, a length of time for receiving compensation for submission of the opinion information, wherein the act of limiting includes at least one of an act of varying the compensation provided based on a timing of the submission of opinion information, and limiting the length of time based on the calculation of consensus; and transmitting, over a communication network, at least one of the opinion information and the consensus to at least one information consumer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
17. A system, including at least one processor for executing instructions operatively connected to a memory, configured to conduct an online information service, the system comprising:
-
an access component configured to provide access to an online information service, wherein the online information service includes a plurality of registered users, wherein the plurality of registered users comprise at least information consumer users and information provider users; a display component configured to display to the at least one user of the plurality of registered users an interface for entering information associated with a user defined event, wherein the interface is further configured to; permit the at least one user to establish an observation defining a possible outcome of a future event; permit the information provider users to submit opinions on the user defined events; wherein the access component is further configured to limit the information consumer users to creation of a respective user defined event and monitoring submitted opinions of the information provider users; a communication component configured to accept the information associated with the user defined event, wherein the information associated with the user defined event includes the observation defining the possible outcome of the future event; a collection component configured to collect opinion information from a plurality of users, the opinion information relating to the event defined by at least one user, and wherein the opinion information includes at least a respective user'"'"'s opinion on the possible outcome of the future event; a consensus component configured to calculate a consensus for the collected opinion information, wherein the calculation of the consensus includes a determination for the possible outcome of the future event; a compensation component configured to compensate information provider users in response to submission of respective opinion information relating to the user defined event, wherein the compensation component is further configured to limit a length of time for receiving compensation, wherein limiting the length of time for receiving compensation includes at least one of varying the compensation provided based on a timing of the submission of opinion information and limiting the length of time based on the calculation of consensus; and wherein the communication component is configured to transmit over a network, at least one of the opinion information and the consensus to at least one information consumer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28)
-
Specification