Methods and systems for processing distributed feedback

• US 8,229,782 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, Warren, Dinovo, Kenneth L., McDaniel, Michael, Snodgrass, Ryan J., Robertson, Brian, Jacobi, Jennifer A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meinecke Diaz, Susanna M
• Application Number:
  US12/640,454
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.32
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention distributes data via a network to remotely located individuals. Evaluation feedback by one or more of the individuals is transmitted to others so that the feedback may be used by others to quickly locate the more useful data. The evaluation feedback may be in the form of ratings of product reviews. The feedback helps customers by allowing the more useful reviews can be quickly located.

Claims

1. A method of collecting and distributing information regarding items and item reviewers over a network, comprising:

hosting, by a first system, the first system including one or more processors, an online catalog of items being offered for sale via the first system;

receiving over a network at the first system a first review from a first reviewer for an item being offered for sale via the first system, the item included in the online catalog of items being offered for sale via the first system;

via the first system, causing at least in part the first review to be displayed on the display of one or more user computer systems in association with a description of the item;

receiving at the first system one or more feedback evaluations for the first review from one or more users that viewed the first review;

based at least in part on the received one or more feedback evaluations, selecting by the first system an indication reflecting how well the first reviewer is perceived by users;

causing at least in part, by the first system, the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users to be provided for display on at least one user computer system display in association with the first review and the description of the item;

automatically adding the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived to a profile interface of the first reviewer, the profile interface providing access to a plurality of reviews of the first reviewer;

providing access to the first reviewer profile to a plurality of users;

providing a user interface via which a first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer; and

customizing, by the computer system, provision of reviews to the first user based at least in part on the first user'"'"'s specification that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer and the preferred reviewer'"'"'s indication that the first user has the preferred reviewer'"'"'s permission to view the preferred reviewer'"'"'s reviews, wherein the first user is provided with enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer including, for one or more catalog entries, an enhanced position of a corresponding review of the first reviewer relative to one or more other reviews, wherein when the first user accesses a catalog entry for the item being offered by sale via the first system for which the first reviewer has submitted the first review, the first review of the item is automatically provided with an enhanced position relative to one or more other reviews for the item.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by displaying, via a user interface customized for the first user, reviews of the first reviewer with relatively greater prominence than reviews from other reviewers.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by automatically emailing reviews of the first reviewer to the first user that specified that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users is displayed on a same user interface as a control which, when activated, places the item in a shopping cart.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the first user an identification as to which other reviewers the first reviewer prefers.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the feedback evaluations are in the form of votes.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the feedback evaluations are in the form of ratings.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users, wherein the second user interface displays one or more reviews authored by at least of the preferred users to thereby provide enhanced review access.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users, wherein the second user interface includes links to profile interfaces of the preferred users.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface via which the first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer is provided via the profile interface of the first reviewer.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile interface is generated, in part, using information provided by the first reviewer in a profile set-up process.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile interface is generated even though the first reviewer has not gone through a profile set-up process.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first reviewer'"'"'s profile interface includes:

the first reviewer'"'"'s nickname;

an image representing the first reviewer;

reviews that the first reviewer has written;

the number of useful or helpful votes for the reviews included in the profile interface;

hobbies;

demographic information, including one or more of the following;

geographical location, age, gender, profession, education, income, marital status, number of children, political affiliations, religious affiliations, ethnicity;

the first reviewer'"'"'s preferred reviewers.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving over the network a URL from the first reviewer to a photographic image of the first reviewer to be displayed in association with the first reviewer'"'"'s profile page.

16. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile interface includes information on an item being sold by the first reviewer.

17. A method of collecting and distributing information over a network, comprising:

providing, via a first system, the first system including one or more processors, an online catalog of items being offered for sale via the first system;

receiving over a network at the first system a first review from a first reviewer;

via the first system, causing at least in part the first review to be displayed on the display of one or more user computer systems in association with a description of an item of the items being offered for sale;

receiving at the first system one or more feedback evaluations for the first review from one or more users that viewed the first review;

based at least in part on the received one or more feedback evaluations, selecting by the first system an indication reflecting how well the first reviewer is perceived by users;

causing at least in part, by the first system, the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users to be provided for display on at least one user computer system display in association with the first review and the description of the item;

adding the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived to a profile interface of the first reviewer, the profile interface providing access to a plurality of reviews of the first reviewer;

providing access to the first reviewer profile to a plurality of users;

providing a user interface via which a first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer; and

customizing, by the computer system, provision of reviews to the first user based at least in part on the first user'"'"'s specification that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer and the preferred reviewer'"'"'s indication that the first user has the preferred reviewer'"'"'s permission to view the preferred reviewer'"'"'s reviews, wherein the first user is provided with enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer including, for one or more catalog entries, an enhanced position of a corresponding review of the first reviewer relative to one or more other reviews, wherein when the first user accesses a catalog entry for the item being offered by sale via the first system for which the first reviewer has submitted the first review, the first review of the item is automatically provided with an enhanced position relative to one or more other reviews for the item.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by displaying, via user interface customized for the first user, reviews of the first reviewer with relatively greater prominence than reviews from other reviewers.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by automatically emailing reviews of the first reviewer to the first user that specified that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users is displayed on a same user interface as a control which, when activated, places the item in a shopping cart.

21. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising transmitting to the first user an identification as to which other reviewers the first reviewer prefers.

22. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the feedback evaluations are in the form of votes or ratings.

23. The method as defined in claim 17, the method further comprising providing a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users.

24. The method as defined in claim 17, the method further comprising providing a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users, wherein the second user interface displays one or more reviews authored by at least of the preferred users to thereby provide enhanced review access.

25. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the user interface via which the first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer is provided via the profile interface of the first reviewer.

26. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the profile interface is generated even though the first reviewer has not gone through a profile set-up process.

27. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the first reviewer'"'"'s profile interface includes:

the first reviewer'"'"'s nickname;

an image representing the first reviewer;

reviews that the first reviewer has written;

the number of useful or helpful votes for the reviews included in the profile interface;

hobbies;

demographic information, including one or more of the following;

geographical location, age, gender, profession, education, income, marital status, number of children, political affiliations, religious affiliations, ethnicity;

the first reviewer'"'"'s preferred reviewers.

28. An information collection and distribution system, comprising:

at least one processor;

instructions stored in tangible media that when executed by the at least one processor are configured to cause the information collection and distribution system to;

provide a catalog of items available for acquisition via the information collection and distribution system;

receive over a network a first review from a first reviewer for an item included in the catalog of items available for acquisition via the information collection and distribution system;

cause at least in part the first review to be provided for display on the display of one or more user computer systems in association with a description of the item;

receive at the first system one or more feedback evaluations for the first review from one or more users that viewed the first review;

cause at least in part an indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users based at least in part on feedback provided by the one or more users to be provided for display on at least one user computer system display in association with the first review and the description of the item;

include the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived in a profile interface of the first reviewer, the profile interface configured to provide access to a plurality of reviews of the first reviewer;

provide access to the first reviewer profile to a plurality of users;

provide a user interface via which a first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer; and

customize provision of reviews to the first user based at least in part on the first user'"'"'s specification that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer and the preferred reviewer'"'"'s indication that the first user has the preferred reviewer'"'"'s permission to view the preferred reviewer'"'"'s reviews, wherein the first user is provided with enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer including, for one or more catalog entries, an enhanced position of a corresponding review of the first reviewer relative to one or more other reviews, wherein when the first user accesses a catalog entry for the item being offered by sale via the first system for which the first reviewer has submitted the first review, the first review of the item is automatically provided with an enhanced position relative to one or more other reviews for the item.

29. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by causing reviews of the first reviewer to be displayed, via user interface customized for the first user, with relatively greater prominence than reviews from other reviewers and/or by automatically emailing reviews of the first reviewer to the first user that specified that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer.

30. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users is displayed on a same website that provides a control which, when activated, places the item in a shopping cart.

31. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the system is further configured to transmit to the first user an identification as to which other reviewers the first reviewer prefers.

32. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the feedback evaluations are in the form of votes and/or ratings.

33. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the system is further configured to provide a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users.

34. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the user interface via which the first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer is provided via the profile interface of the first reviewer.

35. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the profile interface is generated even though the first reviewer has not gone through a profile set-up process.

36. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the first reviewer'"'"'s profile interface includes:

the first reviewer'"'"'s nickname;

reviews that the first reviewer has written;

the number of useful or helpful votes for the reviews included in the profile interface;

demographic information, including one or more of the following;

geographical location, age, gender, profession, education, income, marital status, number of children, political affiliations, religious affiliations, ethnicity;

the first reviewer'"'"'s preferred reviewers.

37. The system as defined in claim 28, wherein the profile interface includes information on an item being sold by the first reviewer.

38. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computing system, are configured to cause the computing system to:

provide a catalog of items available for acquisition via the information collection and distribution system;

receive over a network a first review from a first reviewer for an item included in the catalog of items available for acquisition via the information collection and distribution system;

cause at least in part the first review to be provided for display on the display of one or more user computer systems in association with a description of the item;

receive at the first system one or more feedback evaluations for the first review from one or more users that viewed the first review;

cause at least in part an indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users based at least in part on feedback provided by the one or more users to be provided for display on at least one user computer system display in association with the first review and the description of the item;

include the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived in a profile interface of the first reviewer, the profile interface configured to provide access to a plurality of reviews of the first reviewer;

provide access to the first reviewer profile to a plurality of users;

provide a user interface via which a first user can specify that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer; and

customize provision of reviews to the first user based at least in part on the first user'"'"'s specification that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer and the preferred reviewer'"'"'s indication that the first user has the preferred reviewer'"'"'s permission to view the preferred reviewer'"'"'s reviews, wherein the first user is provided with enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer including, for one or more catalog entries, an enhanced position of a corresponding review of the first reviewer relative to one or more other reviews, wherein when the first user accesses a catalog entry for the item being offered by sale via the first system for which the first reviewer has submitted the first review, the first review of the item is automatically provided with an enhanced position relative to one or more other reviews for the item.

39. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein enhanced access to reviews of the first reviewer is provided by causing reviews of the first reviewer to be displayed, via user interface customized for the first user, with relatively greater prominence than reviews from other reviewers and/or by automatically emailing reviews of the first reviewer to the first user that specified that the first reviewer is a preferred reviewer.

40. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the indication of how well the first reviewer is perceived by users is displayed on a same website that provides a control which, when activated, places the item in a shopping cart.

41. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the instructions are further configured to transmit to the first user an identification as to which other reviewers the first reviewer prefers.

42. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the feedback evaluations are in the form of votes and/or ratings.

43. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the instructions are further configured to provide a second user interface for display to the first user, the second user interface including information on a plurality of other users, including the first reviewer, that the first user had indicated are preferred users.

44. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the profile interface is generated even though the first reviewer has not gone through a profile set-up process.

45. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the first reviewer'"'"'s profile interface includes:

the first reviewer'"'"'s nickname;

reviews that the first reviewer has written;

an indication as to how useful or helpful the reviews of the first reviewer are;

demographic information, including one or more of the following;

geographical location, age, gender, profession, education, income, marital status, number of children, political affiliations, religious affiliations, ethnicity;

the first reviewer'"'"'s preferred reviewers.

46. The medium as defined in claim 38, wherein the profile interface includes information on an item being sold by the first reviewer.