Determining a community rating for a user using feedback ratings of related users in an electronic environment
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- maintaining a relationship tree representing relationships among a plurality of users of an online trading community, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including a particular user and one or more users that were referred by the particular user to said online trading community, wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user are children of said particular user and siblings to each other, and wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user have lineal descendants that include additional users that were referred by the one or more users referred by the particular user;
storing said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users;
associating, by a first processor, one or more characteristic values with said plurality of users including said particular user, said one or more users referred by the particular user, and said lineal descendants, the one or more characteristic values representing an individual feedback rating associated with each of said plurality of users and being established based on votes from other users of the plurality of users of the online trading community;
deriving, by a second processor, a community rating uniquely corresponding to said particular user by aggregating said individual feedback rating associated with the particular user, said individual feedback ratings associated with one or more users referred by the particular user to the online trading community, and said individual feedback ratings associated with said lineal descendants, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure; and
storing the community rating uniquely corresponding to the particular user in a storage device.
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Abstract
Community ratings are determined for users of an electronic marketplace. In a typical configuration, the community rating of an individual reflect the individual'"'"'s reputation in the electronic community (e.g. feedback rating) as well as the reputations of the users the individual sponsors and the reputations of each user they sponsor, and so on. Various methodologies are provided for determining a community rating, such as aggregating feedback ratings, or weighting or thresholding these feedback ratings.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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maintaining a relationship tree representing relationships among a plurality of users of an online trading community, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including a particular user and one or more users that were referred by the particular user to said online trading community, wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user are children of said particular user and siblings to each other, and wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user have lineal descendants that include additional users that were referred by the one or more users referred by the particular user; storing said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; associating, by a first processor, one or more characteristic values with said plurality of users including said particular user, said one or more users referred by the particular user, and said lineal descendants, the one or more characteristic values representing an individual feedback rating associated with each of said plurality of users and being established based on votes from other users of the plurality of users of the online trading community; deriving, by a second processor, a community rating uniquely corresponding to said particular user by aggregating said individual feedback rating associated with the particular user, said individual feedback ratings associated with one or more users referred by the particular user to the online trading community, and said individual feedback ratings associated with said lineal descendants, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure; and storing the community rating uniquely corresponding to the particular user in a storage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sets of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
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maintain a relationship tree representing relationships among a plurality of users of an online trading community, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including a particular user and one or more users that were referred by the particular user to said online trading community, wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user are children of said particular user and siblings to each other, and wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user have lineal descendants that include additional users that were referred by the one or more users referred by the particular user; store said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; associate one or more characteristic values with said plurality of users including said particular user, said one or more users referred by the particular user, and said lineal descendants, the one or more characteristic values representing an individual feedback rating associated with each of said plurality of users and being established based on votes from other users of the plurality of users of the online trading community; derive a community rating uniquely corresponding to said particular user by aggregating said individual feedback rating associated with the particular user, said individual feedback ratings associated with one or more users referred by the particular user to the online trading community, and said individual feedback ratings associated with said lineal descendants, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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associating, by a first processor, a first characteristic value with a first user of a plurality of users within an online trading community, the first characteristic value being obtained for the first user utilizing a first feedback value based on feedback received concerning the first user from other users of the plurality of users; associating, by a second processor, a second characteristic value with a second user of the plurality of users, wherein the second user is referred to the online trading community by the first user, the second characteristic value being obtained for the second user utilizing a second feedback value based on feedback received concerning the second user from said other users of the plurality of users; associating a third characteristic value with a third user of the plurality of users, wherein the third user is referred to the online trading community by the second user, the third characteristic value is obtained for the third user by utilizing a third feedback value based on feedback received concerning the third user from said other users of the plurality of users; maintaining a relationship tree representing relationships among said plurality of users, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including said first user, said second user, and said third user, wherein said second user and one or more users referred by the first user to the online trading community are children of said first user and siblings to each other and wherein said second user has lineal descendants that include one or more users that were referred by the second user to the online community, including the third user; storing said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; deriving, by a third processor, a first community rating for the first user by aggregating the first feedback value, the second feedback value, and the third feedback value, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure; and storing the first community rating for the first user in a storage device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sets of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
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associate a first characteristic value with a first user of a plurality of users within an online trading community, the first characteristic value being obtained for the first user utilizing a first feedback value based on feedback received concerning the first user from other users of the plurality of users; associate a second characteristic value with a second user of the plurality of users, wherein the second user is referred to the online trading community by the first user, the second characteristic value being obtained for the second user utilizing a second feedback value based on feedback received concerning the second user from said other users of the plurality of users; associate a third characteristic value with a third user of the plurality of users, wherein the third user is referred to the online trading community by the second user, the third characteristic value is obtained for the third user by utilizing a third feedback value based on feedback received concerning the third user from said other users of the plurality of users; maintain a relationship tree representing relationships among said plurality of users, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including said first user, said second user, and said third user, wherein said second user and one or more users referred by the first user to the online trading community are children of said first user and siblings to each other and wherein said second user has lineal descendants that include one or more users that were referred by the second user to the online community, including the third user; store said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; derive a first community rating for the first user by aggregating the first feedback value, the second feedback value, and the third feedback value, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 28)
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22. A system comprising:
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a first storage medium; and a first computer coupled with the first storage medium, the first computer to; maintain a relationship tree representing relationships among a plurality of users of an online trading community, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including a particular user and one or more users that were referred by the particular user to said online trading community, wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user are children of said particular user and siblings to each other, and wherein said one or more users referred by the particular user have lineal descendants that include additional users that were referred by the one or more users referred by the particular user; store said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; associate one or more characteristic values with said plurality of users including said particular user, said one or more users referred by the particular user, and said lineal descendants, the one or more characteristic values representing an individual feedback rating associated with each of said plurality of users and being established based on votes from other users of the plurality of users of the online trading community; derive a community rating uniquely corresponding to said particular user by aggregating said individual feedback rating associated with the particular user, said individual feedback ratings associated with one or more users referred by the particular user to the online trading community, and said individual feedback ratings associated with said lineal descendants, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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29. A system, comprising:
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a first storage medium; and a first computer coupled with the first storage medium, the first computer to; associate a first characteristic value with a first user of a plurality of users within an online trading community, the first characteristic value being obtained for the first user utilizing a first feedback value based on feedback received concerning the first user from other users of the plurality of users; associate a second characteristic value with a second user of the plurality of users, wherein the second user is referred to the online trading community by the first user, the second characteristic value being obtained for the second user utilizing a second feedback value based on feedback received concerning the second user from said other users of the plurality of users; associate a third characteristic value with a third user of the plurality of users, wherein the third user is referred to the online trading community by the second user, the third characteristic value is obtained for the third user by utilizing a third feedback value based on feedback received concerning the third user from said other users of the plurality of users; maintain a relationship tree representing relationships among said plurality of users, the relationship tree including sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users including said first user, said second user, and said third user, wherein said second user and one or more users referred by the first user to the online trading community are children of said first user and siblings to each other and wherein said second user has lineal descendants that include one or more users that were referred by the second user to the online community, including the third user; store said sponsorship relationships between said plurality of users in a data structure, wherein the data structure for the particular user contains a pointer to at least one of said plurality of users; derive a first community rating for the first user by aggregating the first feedback value, the second feedback value, and the third feedback value, wherein deriving is performed utilizing the pointer in said data structure. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification