Keeping up with the joneses

• US 10,019,508 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Kapczynski, Mark Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/399,134
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 707748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Consumers often desire to compare themselves to other individuals. Disclosed herein are systems and methods of generating and displaying comparison information to users so that they can determine if they are “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Claims

1. A server computing system for providing user comparison information to a user, the server computing system comprising:

a demographic database storing demographic attributes associated with a plurality of users;

a non-transitory computer readable storage device configured to store software instructions;

a computer processor configured to execute the software instructions to;

serve a website or mobile application content including user interface content renderable on a user computing device, wherein the user interface content comprises dynamic user interface controls for

receiving identification information of the user,

presenting identification information of a comparison individual, and

presenting a first category of demographic attributes and a second category of demographic attributes, wherein the first category of demographic attributes comprises first demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes comprises second demographic attributes;

communicate the website or mobile application content to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device renders the website or mobile application content to display the user interface content;

receive the identification information of the user, wherein the identification information is inputted via the dynamic user interface controls on the user computing device;

access first demographic data of the user from the demographic database based on the identification information, the first demographic data comprising data associated with the user in the first category of demographic attributes and associated with the user in the second category of demographic attributes;

access second demographic data of the comparison individual from the demographic database, the second demographic data comprising data associated with the comparison individual in the first category of demographic attributes and associated with the comparison individual in the second category of demographic attributes;

access a data structure storing information regarding most favorable levels of the first category of demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes, wherein for the first category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that higher numerical values of the first demographic attributes are more favorable and for the second category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that lower numerical values of the second demographic attributes are more favorable;

compare first values of the first demographic attributes in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the user with second values of the first demographic attributes in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison individual to determine which of either the user or the comparison individual has a most favorable level associated with the first category;

compare third values of the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the user with fourth values of the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison individual to determine which of either the user or the comparison individual has a most favorable level associated with the second category;

serve an updated website or mobile application content including updated user interface content including;

a first comparison result of the first category of demographic attributes wherein the first comparison result is generated based on comparisons between first demographic attributes of the user and the first demographic attributes of the comparison individual,

a second comparison result of the second category of demographic attributes wherein the second comparison result is generated based on comparisons between second demographic attributes of the user and the second demographic attributes of the comparison individual, and

a visual indication of which of the user or the comparison individual is associated with the most favorable level for the first category or the most favorable level for the second category; and

communicate the updated website or mobile application content to the user computing device, wherein the updated website or mobile application content is renderable by the user computing device to display the updated user interface content.

2. The server computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

receive a selection of the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes to include in a calculation of an overall rating of the user and a comparison overall rating of the comparison individual;

adjust a model used to calculate the overall rating and the comparison overall rating to consider only the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes indicated in the selection; and

calculate the overall rating and the comparison overall rating based on the adjusted model.

3. The server computing system of claim 2, wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

receive an input from the user computing device regarding values of particular demographic attributes that are most favorable to the user; and

update the model to reflect the input from the user computing device.

4. The server computing system of claim 2, wherein the updated user interface content further comprises a value of an attribute in the first category of demographic attributes or in the second category of demographic attributes.

5. The server computing system of claim 1, wherein a most favorable level for a particular demographic attribute indicates a level that is socially sought after.

6. The server computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute the software instructions to:

identify an attribute in the first category that is either missing or incorrect; and

communicate an update instruction to the user computing device causing the user computing device to update the user interface content to include a data input field in place of the attribute.

7. A method for providing user comparison information to a user, the method comprising:

serving a website or mobile application content including user interface content renderable on a user computing device, wherein the user interface content comprising dynamic user interface controls for

receiving identification information of the user,

presenting identification information of a comparison entity, and

presenting a first category of demographic attributes and a second category of demographic attributes, wherein the first category of demographic attributes comprises first demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes comprises second demographic attributes;

communicating the website or mobile application content to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device renders the website or mobile application content to display the user interface content;

receiving the identification information of the user, wherein the identification information is inputted via the dynamic user interface controls;

receiving a request to compare the user with the comparison entity;

accessing first demographic data of the user from a demographic database based on the identification information, the first demographic data comprising data associated the user'"'"'s first category of demographic attributes and the user'"'"'s second category of demographic attributes;

accessing second demographic data of the comparison entity from the demographic database, the second demographic data comprising data associated the comparison entity'"'"'s first category of demographic attributes and the comparison entity'"'"'s second category of demographic attributes;

access a data structure storing information regarding most favorable levels of the first category of demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes, wherein for the first category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that higher numerical values of the first demographic attributes are more favorable and for the second category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that lower numerical values of the second demographic attributes are more favorable;

comparing a first value of the first demographic attributes in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the user with a first average value of the first demographic attribute in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison entity to determine which of either the user or the comparison entity has a most favorable level associated with the first category;

comparing a second value of the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the user with a second average value in the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison entity to determine which of either the user or the comparison entity has a most favorable level associated with the second category;

updating the website or mobile application content to include updated user interface content;

a first comparison result of the first category of demographic attributes,

a second comparison result of the second category of demographic attributes, and

a visual indication of which of the user or the comparison entity is associated with the most favorable level for the first category or the most favorable level for the second category; and

communicating the updated user interface content to the user computing device, wherein the updated website or mobile application content is renderable by the user computing device to display the updated user interface content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison entity comprises a plurality of comparison individuals.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes to include in a calculation of an overall rating of the user and a comparison overall rating of the comparison entity, wherein the comparison overall rating comprises an average rating across the comparison entity;

adjusting a model used to calculate the overall rating and the comparison overall rating to consider only the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes indicated in the selection; and

calculating the overall rating and the comparison overall rating based on the adjusted model.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an input from the user computing device regarding values of particular demographic attributes that are most favorable to the user; and

updating the model reflect the input from the user computing device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interface content further comprises a recommended action to increase the overall rating of the user.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a most favorable level for a particular demographic attribute indicates a level that is socially sought after.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying an attribute in the first category that is either missing or incorrect; and

communicating an update instruction to the user computing device causing the user computing device to update the user interface content to include a data input field in place of the attribute.

14. A computer-readable medium storing software instructions thereon, the software instructions causing a server computing system to:

serve a website or mobile application content including user interface content renderable on a user computing device, wherein the user interface content comprising dynamic user interface controls for

receiving identification information of the user,

presenting identification information of a comparison entity, and

presenting a first category of demographic attributes and a second category of demographic attributes, wherein the first category of demographic attributes comprises first demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes comprises second demographic attributes;

communicate the website or mobile application content to the user computing device, wherein the user computing device renders the website or mobile application content to display the user interface content;

receive the identification information of the user, wherein the identification information is inputted via the dynamic user interface controls on the user computing device;

receive a request to compare the user with the comparison entity;

access first demographic data of the user from a demographic database based on the identification information, the first demographic data comprising data associated the user'"'"'s first category of demographic attributes and the user'"'"'s second category of demographic attributes;

accessing second demographic data of the comparison entity from the demographic database, the second demographic data comprising data associated the comparison entity'"'"'s first category of demographic attributes and the comparison entity'"'"'s second category of demographic attributes;

access a data structure storing information regarding most favorable levels of the first category of demographic attributes and the second category of demographic attributes, wherein for the first category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that higher numerical values of the first demographic attributes are more favorable and for the second category of demographic attributes, the data structure indicates that lower numerical values of the second demographic attributes are more favorable;

comparing a first value of the first demographic attributes in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the user with a first average value of the first demographic attribute in the first category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison entity to determine which of either the user or the comparison entity has a most favorable level associated with the first category;

comparing a second value of the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the user with a second average value in the second demographic attributes in the second category of demographic attributes associated with the comparison entity to determine which of either the user or the comparison entity has a most favorable level associated with the second category;

updating the website or mobile application content to include updated user interface content including;

a first comparison result of the first category of demographic attributes,

a second comparison result of the second category of demographic attributes, and

a visual indication of which of the user or the comparison entity is associated with the most favorable level for the first category or the most favorable level for the second category; and

communicating the updated user interface content to the user computing device, wherein the updated website or mobile application content is renderable by the user computing device to display the updated user interface content.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the comparison entity comprises a plurality of comparison individuals.

16. The computer-readable medium storing software instructions of claim 14, wherein the software instructions further cause the server computing system to:

receive a selection of the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes to include in a calculation of an overall rating of the user and a comparison overall rating of the comparison entity, wherein the comparison overall rating comprises an average rating across the comparison entity;

adjust a model used to calculate the overall rating and the comparison overall rating to consider only the first category of demographic attributes or the second category of demographic attributes indicated in the selection; and

calculate the overall rating and the comparison overall rating based on the adjusted model.

17. The computer-readable medium storing software instructions of claim 16, wherein the software instructions further cause the server computing system to:

receive an input from the user computing device regarding values of particular demographic attributes that are most favorable to the user; and

update the model reflect the input from the user computing device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user interface content further comprises a recommended action to increase the overall rating of the user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein a most favorable level for a particular demographic attribute indicates a level that is socially sought after.

20. The computer-readable medium storing software instructions of claim 14, wherein the software instructions further cause the server computing system to:

identify an attribute in the first category that is either missing or incorrect; and

communicate an update instruction to the user computing device causing the user computing device to update the user interface content to include a data input field in place of the attribute.