System, method, and apparatus for connecting users online based on familiarity or invitation
First Claim
1. A method performed by an automated system, the method enabling a registrant to receive comments from at least one person anonymously in a group of people known to the registrant, including the at least one person known to the registrant, the system including an internet connected server comprising a processor and the system also having a database connected to the processor, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- (a) receiving via the internet, by the processor, a registrant'"'"'s answers to multiple questions about the registrant and storing, by the processor, the registrant'"'"'s answers in the database;
(al) receiving via the internet, by the processor, an identifier associated with the registrant from a person other than the registrant, wherein the registrant and the person are previously known to each other, and the person uses the system anonymously;
(a2) validating, by the processor, the identifier;
(b) after the identifier has been validated, prompting, by the processor, the person over the internet, the person being previously known to the registrant and wanting to provide anonymous comments to the registrant, to answer a plurality of questions from the multiple questions about the registrant;
(c) determining, by the processor, the person'"'"'s knowledge of personal information about the registrant by comparing the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers in the database and enabling the person previously known to the registrant to communicate anonymously with the registrant depending upon the comparison of the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers meeting at least a threshold amount;
(cl) determining, by the processor, a closeness rating of the person to the registrant, wherein the closeness rating comprises at least one of a number of questions answered correctly by the person and a type of questions answered correctly by the person; and
(d) communicating, by the processor and via the internet, comments of the person anonymously to the registrant in conjunction with the closeness rating;
(e) sending to the registrant, via the internet, anonymous feedback by persons known to the registrant; and
(f) enabling utilization of the closeness rating, by the registrant, to determine a significance of the anonymous feedback provided by persons known to the registrant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method enables registering persons to allow other people to leave anonymous feedback without requiring an actual connection to be made or requested by one another, i.e., anonymously. Such system and method, and database, enables registering persons to receive anonymous feedback about themselves by providing personal information that an acquaintance would need to know and provide prior to being allowed to leave feedback. The system and method may also allow people to register to receive feedback and provide a unique code or a system generated code which must be entered by another user to be able to leave feedback.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method performed by an automated system, the method enabling a registrant to receive comments from at least one person anonymously in a group of people known to the registrant, including the at least one person known to the registrant, the system including an internet connected server comprising a processor and the system also having a database connected to the processor, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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(a) receiving via the internet, by the processor, a registrant'"'"'s answers to multiple questions about the registrant and storing, by the processor, the registrant'"'"'s answers in the database; (al) receiving via the internet, by the processor, an identifier associated with the registrant from a person other than the registrant, wherein the registrant and the person are previously known to each other, and the person uses the system anonymously; (a2) validating, by the processor, the identifier; (b) after the identifier has been validated, prompting, by the processor, the person over the internet, the person being previously known to the registrant and wanting to provide anonymous comments to the registrant, to answer a plurality of questions from the multiple questions about the registrant; (c) determining, by the processor, the person'"'"'s knowledge of personal information about the registrant by comparing the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers in the database and enabling the person previously known to the registrant to communicate anonymously with the registrant depending upon the comparison of the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers meeting at least a threshold amount; (cl) determining, by the processor, a closeness rating of the person to the registrant, wherein the closeness rating comprises at least one of a number of questions answered correctly by the person and a type of questions answered correctly by the person; and (d) communicating, by the processor and via the internet, comments of the person anonymously to the registrant in conjunction with the closeness rating; (e) sending to the registrant, via the internet, anonymous feedback by persons known to the registrant; and (f) enabling utilization of the closeness rating, by the registrant, to determine a significance of the anonymous feedback provided by persons known to the registrant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system that enables a registrant to receive comments from at least one person anonymously in a group of people known to the registrant, including the at least one person known to the registrant, the system including an internet connected server comprising a processor and the system also having a database connected to the processor, and the system including a registration module, a rating module and a comment module connected to the server, the system being configured to perform the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving via the internet, by the processor, a registrant'"'"'s answers to multiple questions about the registrant and storing, by the processor, the registrant'"'"'s answers in a database; (al) receiving via the internet, by the processor, an identifier associated with the registrant from an anonymous person other than the registrant, wherein the registrant and the anonymous person are previously known to each other; (a2) validating, by the processor, the identifier; (b) after the identifier has been validated, prompting, by the processor, the anonymous person over the internet, who is known to the registrant and wants to provide anonymous comments to the registrant, to answer a plurality of questions from the multiple questions about the registrant; (c) determining, by the processor, the anonymous person'"'"'s knowledge of personal information about the registrant by comparing the anonymous person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers in the database and enabling the anonymous person to communicate with the registrant depending upon the comparison of the anonymous person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers meeting at least a threshold amount; (cl) determining, by the processor, a closeness rating of the anonymous person to the registrant, wherein the closeness rating is based on at least one of a number of questions answered correctly by the person and a type of questions answered correctly by the person; and (d) anonymously communicating, by the processor and via the internet, comments of the anonymous person to the registrant in conjunction with the closeness rating; (e) sending to the registrant, via the internet, anonymous feedback by persons known to the registrant; and (f) enabling utilization of the closeness rating, by the registrant, to determine a significance of the anonymous feedback provided by persons known to the registrant. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method performed by an automated system, the method enabling a registrant to receive comments from at least one person anonymously in a group of people known to the registrant, including the at least one person known to the registrant, the system including an internet connected server comprising a processor and the system also having a database connected to the processor, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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(a) receiving via the internet, by the processor, a registrant'"'"'s answers to multiple questions about the registrant and storing, by the processor, the registrant'"'"'s answers in the database; (al) receiving via the internet, by the processor, an identifier associated with the registrant from a person other than the registrant, wherein the registrant and the person are previously known to each other, and the person uses the system anonymously; (a2) validating, by the processor, the identifier; (b) after the identifier has been validated, prompting, by the processor, the person over the internet, the person being previously known to the registrant and wanting to provide anonymous comments to the registrant, to answer a plurality of questions from the multiple questions about the registrant; (c) determining, by the processor, the person'"'"'s knowledge of personal information about the registrant by comparing the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers in the database and enabling the person previously known to the registrant to communicate anonymously with the registrant depending upon the comparison of the person'"'"'s answers to the registrant'"'"'s stored answers being at least a threshold amount; (cl) determining, by the processor, whether the person has met a minimum threshold at least one of a number of questions answered correctly by the person and a type of questions answered correctly by the person; (d) setting, by the registrant, multiple levels of closeness of the person to the registrant, whereby successively higher levels of closeness correspond to, and depend upon, the person meeting increasing thresholds of correct answers to the registrant'"'"'s questions; (e) grouping, by the processor, the person into a particular one of the levels of closeness depending on at least one of the number of correct answers and the type of correct answers that meet the corresponding threshold for the particular one of the levels of closeness as set by the registrant; (f) communicating, by the processor and via the internet, comments of the person anonymously to the registrant in conjunction with the level of closeness; (g) sending to the registrant, via the internet, anonymous feedback by persons known to the registrant; and (h) enabling utilization of the closeness rating, by the registrant, to determine a significance of the anonymous feedback provided by persons known to the registrant.
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Specification