SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROPAGATING INQUIRIES AND ANSWERS THERETO THROUGH ON-LINE HUMAN NETWORK

• US 20080046516A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Inventors: HYOUNG, YONG JOON, CHOI, KWANG YONG
• Granted Patent: US 9,159,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for sharing reliable information or knowledge with regard to a question using an on-line human network. The on-line human network-based knowledge sharing method is to share knowledge based on an acquaintance information database. The database stores the IDs of a plurality of users, and the correspondence relationships of the user IDs, which represent acquaintanceships between the users on the on-line human network. The method includes allowing a first user to write a question message in a form that can be forwarded through the network, generating a question ID for identifying the question message and storing the generated question ID, causing the ID of the first user to correspond to the question ID, allowing a second user who is acquainted with the first user to receive the message, and causing the ID of the second user to correspond to the question ID.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating propagation of inquiries and answers thereto in connection with a website, which allows users registered with the website to network with each other, wherein each user is allowed to maintain a network list of other users to share information, the method comprising;

receiving, by a server of the website, an inquiry from a first user with a first command to send the inquiry to at least one user from a first network list of the first user;

allowing, by the server, the at least one user from the first network list to access the inquiry, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user;

receiving, by the server, a second command from the second user to send the inquiry to at least one user from a second network list of the second user;

allowing, by the server, the at least one user from the second network list to access the inquiry, wherein the at least one user from the second network list comprises a third user;

receiving, by the server, a third command from the third user to send the inquiry to at least one user from a third network list of the third user;

allowing, by the server, the at least one user from the third network list to access the inquiry;

tracking, by the server, the propagation of the inquiry so as to generate tracking information indicating that the inquiry is propagated from the first user to the at least one user from the first network list, that the inquiry is further propagated from the second user to the at least one user from the second network list and that the inquiry is further propagated from the third user to the at least one user from the third network list;

receiving, by the server, an answer to the inquiry from a user accessible to the inquiry;

determining, by the server, that the inquiry is originated from the first user using the tracking information; and

notifying the first user that the answer is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a single computer or a plurality of interconnected computers whether clustered at a single geographical location or scattered at more than one geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking comprises:

after receiving the first command, associating the inquiry with the first user and the at least one user from the first network list;

after receiving the second command, associating the inquiry with the second user and the at least one user from the second network list; and

after receiving the third command, associating the inquiry with the third user and the at least one user from the third network list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein tracking further comprises processing information relating to association of the inquiry with users so as to generate the tracking information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the at least one user to access the inquiry comprises sending an email to the at least one user, wherein the email comprises the inquiry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the at least one user to access the inquiry comprises transmitting data to display the inquiry to a terminal associated with the at least one user when the at least one user logs on the website.

7. A method for facilitating to obtain an answer to an inquiry in connection with a website, which allows users registered with the website to network with each other, wherein each user is allowed to maintain a network list of other users to share information, the method comprising;

sending, from a terminal associated with a first user, a command to the website to send an inquiry to at least one user from a first network list of the first user;

receiving, by the terminal, a first notification when a second user from the at least one user forwards the inquiry to at lest one user from a second network list of the second user;

receiving, by the terminal, a second notification when a third user from the at least one user forwards the inquiry to at lest one user from a third network list of the third user; and

receiving, by the terminal, an answer to the inquiry from a user to whom the inquiry has been forwarded.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the terminal, tracking information indicating that the inquiry is propagated from the first user to the at least one user from the first network list, that the inquiry is further propagated from the second user to the at least one user from the second network list and that the inquiry is further propagated from the third user to the at least one user from the third network list.

9. A method of facilitating propagation of a question message among users of a website, the method comprising:

providing an acquaintance information database storing identifications (IDs) of a plurality of users registered with the website, wherein each registered user is allowed to maintain an acquaintance list comprising other registered users in the acquaintance information database;

receiving from a first registered user a question message;

assigning a question identification (ID) to the question message;

associating a first user ID of the first registered user with the question ID;

allowing, by a request of the first user, a second registered user selected from the acquaintance list of the first registered user to access the question message; and

associating a second user ID of the second registered user with the question ID so as to generate tracking information indicating that the question message is propagated from the first registered user to the second registered user.

10. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

allowing, by a request of the second registered user, a third registered user selected from the acquaintance list of the second registered user to access the question message; and

associating a third user ID of the third registered user with the question ID, wherein the tracking information further indicates that the question message is further propagated from the second registered user to the third registered user.

11. The method claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the third registered user, an answer message in reply to the question message;

determining that the question message is originated from the first registered user using the tracking information; and

allowing the first registered user to access the answer message.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing the first registered user to access the tracking information.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing the first registered user to provide a predetermined incentive to at least one of the registered users, who are on a path to the third registered user who has answered the question message.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the acquaintance list of the first registered user to include information of the third registered user, who has replied to the question message.

15. A computer executable command for use in connection with propagation of a question message, wherein the command is to initiate the method of claim 10.

16. A method for facilitating propagation of a question message via a website, the method comprising:

providing a acquaintance information database, wherein the acquaintance information database comprises IDs of a plurality of users registered with the website, wherein each registered user is allowed to maintain an acquaintance list comprising other registered users in the acquaintance information database;

providing a tacking database for storing information on propagation of question messages;

receiving from a first registered user a question message;

recording, in the tracking database, a first record indicating that the question message is received from the first registered user;

allowing, by a request of the first registered user, a second registered user selected from the acquaintance list of the first registered user;

recording, in the tracking database, a second record indicating that the question message from the first registered user is available to the second registered user;

allowing, by a request of the second registered user, a third registered user selected from the acquaintance list of the second registered user;

recording, in the tracking database, a third record indicating that the question message is forwarded from the second registered user to the third registered user; and

recording, in the tracking database, a fourth record indicating that the question message from the second registered user is available to the third registered user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first record comprises a question message ID and the first registered user ID.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second record comprises a question message ID and a second registered user ID.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, form the third user, an answer message in reply to the question message;

determining that the question message is originated from the first user using tracking information recorded in the tracking database; and

allowing the first user to access the answer message using the tracking information.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising allowing the first registered user to access the tracking information.