Fact checking method and system

• US 8,321,295 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucas Myslinski
• Inventors: Myslinski, Lucas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Airapetian, Mila
• Application Number:
  US13/528,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7837 using objects detected or recognised in the video content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30

Abstract

A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.

Claims

1. A method programmed in a memory of a device comprising:

a. automatically monitoring television broadcast information;

b. automatically fact checking, with the device, the television broadcast information by comparing the television broadcast information with source information, including computing a source result value based on source quantities and source ratings, wherein the source result value is used to determine a result of the fact checking; and

c. automatically indicating a status of the television broadcast information in real-time based on the result of the comparison of the television broadcast information with the source information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information includes a plurality of sources, wherein each source of the plurality of sources is rated based on popularity.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information includes a plurality of sources, wherein the plurality of sources is ordered by reliability with a most reliable source first and a least reliable source last, further wherein fact checking begins with the most reliable source and continues through less reliable sources.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking a specific segment of the television broadcast information stops after a specified number of sources verify the specific segment as true or false.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking comprises multilevel fact checking wherein a source of the source information is fact checked to determine if the source is reliable and if the source information is not reliable additional sources are fact checked until a reliable source is found, and then the television broadcast information is fact checked using the reliable source.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the television broadcast information includes a first broadcaster broadcast information and a second broadcaster broadcast information, and further comprising comparing the first broadcaster broadcast information with the second broadcaster broadcast information to determine a more accurate broadcaster.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking includes using a plurality of fact checkers, wherein each fact checker utilizes a different search criteria.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein caching is implemented to prevent repeated fact checking of commonly used phrases.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the source information is checked for staleness by analyzing a generation date of the source information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the television broadcast information comprises a first advertisement, further wherein a second advertisement is displayed on a second device, wherein the second advertisement is selected based on a keyword in the first advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a data structure stores advertisement information including relationships between advertisements, and wherein the television broadcast information comprises a first advertisement, and wherein one of a plurality of additional advertisements related to the advertisement information contained in the data structure is displayed after detection of the first advertisement.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an advertisement, wherein the advertisement is based on a political classification of a user and the television broadcast information.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an advertisement, wherein the advertisement is based on a personal information of a user and the television broadcast information.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a national advertisement including automatically providing directions to a nearest location from a user'"'"'s current location.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the television broadcast information comprises an advertisement, and further comprising providing supplemental information related to the advertisement.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein fact checking includes checking causation, and the status is selected from weak causation and strong causation.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein social networking information is utilized for fact checking.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the status indicates questionable information.

19. A method programmed in a memory of a device comprising:

a. automatically monitoring television broadcast information;

b. automatically fact checking, with the device, the television broadcast information by comparing the television broadcast information with source information, including computing a plurality of source result values, wherein the plurality of source result values is used to determine a result of the fact checking by comparing each source result value and determining a highest source result value; and

c. automatically indicating a status of the television broadcast information in real-time based on the result of the comparison of the television broadcast information with the source information, wherein the status includes a citation of a source used for fact checking.

20. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application for automatically performing the following steps;

i. automatically monitoring television broadcast information;

ii. automatically fact checking the television broadcast information by comparing the television broadcast information with source information, wherein each source of the source information is given a weight based on reliability of the source, further wherein a more reliable source is given more weight than a less reliable source for fact checking; and

iii. automatically indicating a status of the television broadcast information in real-time based on a result of the comparison of the television broadcast information with the source information; and

b. a processor for processing the application.