Delegating authority to evaluate content
First Claim
1. A data processing system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices, the one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising:
- receiving information identifying a primary authority from among a plurality of rating authorities;
assigning the primary authority complete authority to rate content;
receiving information originating from the primary authority delegating at least a portion of the complete authority to one or more contributing authorities;
receiving information specifying content ratings for a first content item by two or more authorities;
determining a composite rating for the first content item based on the content ratings, wherein the composite rating is determined by combining the content ratings according to the portion of the complete authority that is held by each of the two or more authorities that rated the first content item;
receiving information from a particular user that indicates that an evaluation system using the primary authority should be used to rate the first content item; and
transmitting the composite rating for the first content item for presentation to the particular user in association with the first content item.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides an evaluation system for reliably evaluating large amounts of content. The evaluation system is managed by a primary authority that designates one or more contributing authorities by delegating to each a specific quantity of authority. Each contributing authority may in turn designate and delegate authority to one or more additional contributing authorities, subject to the restriction that the total quantity of authority delegated does not exceed the quantity of authority the contributing authority was itself delegated. Each contributing authority, and optionally the primary authority itself, may evaluate one or more portions of content by associating a rating with each evaluated portion of content. A composite rating for a particular portion of content may then be determined based upon the ratings associated with the portion of content. Preferably, the ratings are combined in a manner that affords a higher priority to the ratings provided by contributing authorities to which a greater quantity of authority was delegated.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A data processing system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices, the one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising:
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receiving information identifying a primary authority from among a plurality of rating authorities; assigning the primary authority complete authority to rate content; receiving information originating from the primary authority delegating at least a portion of the complete authority to one or more contributing authorities; receiving information specifying content ratings for a first content item by two or more authorities; determining a composite rating for the first content item based on the content ratings, wherein the composite rating is determined by combining the content ratings according to the portion of the complete authority that is held by each of the two or more authorities that rated the first content item; receiving information from a particular user that indicates that an evaluation system using the primary authority should be used to rate the first content item; and transmitting the composite rating for the first content item for presentation to the particular user in association with the first content item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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receiving information identifying a primary authority from among a plurality of rating authorities; assigning the primary authority complete authority to rate content; receiving information originating from the primary authority delegating at least a portion of the complete authority to one or more contributing authorities; receiving information specifying content ratings for a first content item by two or more authorities; determining, using one or more computers, a composite rating for the first content item based on the content ratings, wherein the composite rating is determined by combining the content ratings according to the portion of the complete authority that is held by each of the two or more authorities that rated the first content item; receiving information from a particular user that indicates that an evaluation system using the primary authority should be used to rate the first content item; and transmitting the composite rating for the first content item for presentation to the particular user in association with the first content item. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification