Method and apparatus for providing information associated with service providers using a social network

• US 8,190,732 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Cooley, Shaun, Newstadt, Keith, Satish, Sourabh, Hernacki, Brian, Brown, Timothy G., Garcia-Manrique, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US12/004,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/224, 705/26.3
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing information associated with service providers using a social network is described. In one embodiment, a method of providing indicia of familiarity with the service providers comprises identifying one or more relationships between one or more service providers and a user using a social network associated with the user and generating information regarding the one or more relationships, wherein the information comprises a social distance between the user and each service provider of the one or more service providers where the social distance represents an indicia of familiarity between the user and each service provider of the one or more service providers.

Claims

1. A method of providing indicia of familiarity with service providers, comprising:

processing a query for a service using a computer, wherein the query represents a solicitation for bids to perform the service;

processing a plurality of bids received in response to the query using the computer, wherein the plurality of bids are from a plurality of service providers to perform the service;

identifying at least one relationship between at least one service provider of a plurality of service providers and a user using a social network associated with the user using the computer; and

generating information regarding the at least one relationship using the computer, wherein the information comprises a social distance between the user and each service provider of the at least one service provider where the social distance represents an indicia of real world familiarity between the user and each service provider of the at least one service provider, wherein the indicia of real world familiarity comprises an indicia computed based on a length of time in a relationship and an amount of time spent together; and

providing the plurality of bids to the user along with the information regarding the social distance between the user and each service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises information pertaining to a service performed for a member of the social network by any of the at least one service provider.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information further comprises at least one of a review, a recommendation or a rating provided by the member of the social network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information further comprises at least one of a feedback or a rating provided by the member of the social network, wherein the member has an equivalent social distance as the service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a service provider among the at least one service provider based on the information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising compensating the selected service provider for a service performed by the service provider using currency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the currency is at least one of virtual currency or at least one point.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising rating the selected service provider on a service performed by the service provider.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating the service provider to compute a trustworthiness value for the service provider.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising certifying a service provider based on the trustworthiness value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a bid from the plurality of bids based on the information.

12. An apparatus for providing indicia of familiarity with service providers, comprising:

electronic memory storing a plurality of modules including;

a social network module for accessing a social network associated with a user;

a search module, wherein the search module is configured to;

process a query for a service using a computer, wherein the query represents a solicitation for bids to perform the service;

process a plurality of bids received in response to the query using the computer, wherein the plurality of bids are from a plurality of service providers to perform the service;

identify at least one relationship between at least one service provider and the social network associated with the user and generating information regarding the at least one relationship, wherein the information comprises a social distance between the user and each service provider of the at least one service provider where the social distance represents an indicia of real world familiarity between the user and the each service provider of the at least one service provider, wherein the indicia of real world familiarity comprises an indicia computed based on a length of time in a relationship and an amount of time spent together.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a social distance calculator for computing the social distance between the user and the each service provider of the at least one service provider.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a compensation module for processing compensation provided by the user in exchange for performance of a service.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the search module presents a plurality of bids to perform a service from the plurality of service providers for the user to select.

16. A system for providing indicia of familiarity with service providers, comprising:

a client computer, wherein a user of the client computer is coupled to a social network;

a server, comprising;

a social network module for accessing the social network, processing a query for a service, and processing a plurality of bids received in response to the query, wherein the plurality of bids are from a plurality of service providers to perform the service and wherein the query represents a solicitation for bids to perform the service; and

a search module for identifying at least one relationship between at least one service provider and the user using the social network and generating information regarding the at least one relationship, wherein the information comprises a social distance between the user and each service provider of the at least one service provider where the social distance represents an indicia of real world familiarity between the user and the each service provider of the at least one service provider, wherein the indicia of real world familiarity comprises an indicia computed based on a length of time in a relationship and an amount of time spent together.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search module presents at least one bid to perform a service from the at least one service provider for the user to select.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the server further comprises a social distance calculator for computing the social distance between the user and at least one of the each service provider of the at least one service provider or a member of the social network having a relationship with the each service provider of the at least one service provider.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the server further comprises a compensation module for processing compensation provided by the user in exchange for performance of a service performed by any of the plurality of service providers.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the compensation comprises a virtual currency accepted for bartering on the social network.