Method and apparatus for conducting an information brokering service
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for conducting an online information brokering service, the method comprising acts of:
- permitting access to an online community, hosted by a distributed computer system accessed by a plurality of registered users through a web based interface, wherein the plurality of registered users of the online community includes content generating users and information consuming users;
establishing, on the distributed computer system, a plurality of user roles for the plurality of registered users, wherein the plurality of user roles includes at least a content generator role and an information consumer role corresponding with the content generating users and the information consuming users, respectively, wherein the content generating users dynamically create content within the online community through submission of respective observations and respective opinions on the respective observations;
permitting, in a user interface displayed on a host computer system, a creation of a content item by at least one registered user, the content item comprising at least one initial observation generated by the at least one registered user;
classifying, by the distributed computer system, the content item by associating one or more tags with the content item;
locating, by the distributed computer system, the content item based upon the one or more tags, in response to requests by the plurality of registered users;
collecting, by the distributed computer system, a plurality of respective opinions generated by a respective content generating user on the at least one initial observation from a plurality of the registered users having the content generator role, wherein the opinions indicate agreement or disagreement with the at least one initial observation;
receiving, from a user having the information consumer role, an opinion threshold that indicates the number of opinions that must be collected by the distributed computer system before a consensus can be reached;
determining, by the distributed computer system and in response to the number of collected opinions meeting or exceeding the opinion threshold, a consensus of opinion among the plurality of content generating users regarding the at least one initial observation, the consensus based at least in part on the number of opinions collected and the indicated agreement or disagreement of each opinion with respect to the at least one initial observation;
controlling, by the distributed computer system, access to the collected opinions and the determined consensus based on user role, wherein the act of controlling includes;
permitting access by the plurality of registered users having the content generator role;
restricting access by the plurality of registered users having the information consumer role; and
providing, by the distributed computer system, access by at least one user having the information consumer role to the collected opinions and the determined consensus in response to the at least one user with the information consumer role having paid for said access.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided that provides an early indication of consensus of opinion among a number of users regarding an event or observation indicated by a user. Such an opinion may be interesting to an information consumer, who may be interested in determining the outcome of the consensus relating to the event or observation, or may otherwise desire to perform surveillance or survey of a particular issue or subject. Such recognition of early events or observations may be useful in different areas, such as healthcare, finance, etc., where initial observations, if provided early, allow resulting decisions to be made much earlier. The opinion may, for instance, be used as an early indicator of problem with a product, company, etc. that would permit an information consumer to perform an action at a much earlier point than if he/she relied on traditional sources of information. Thus, such opinion information may be invaluable as a tool for monitoring events.
193 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for conducting an online information brokering service, the method comprising acts of:
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permitting access to an online community, hosted by a distributed computer system accessed by a plurality of registered users through a web based interface, wherein the plurality of registered users of the online community includes content generating users and information consuming users; establishing, on the distributed computer system, a plurality of user roles for the plurality of registered users, wherein the plurality of user roles includes at least a content generator role and an information consumer role corresponding with the content generating users and the information consuming users, respectively, wherein the content generating users dynamically create content within the online community through submission of respective observations and respective opinions on the respective observations; permitting, in a user interface displayed on a host computer system, a creation of a content item by at least one registered user, the content item comprising at least one initial observation generated by the at least one registered user; classifying, by the distributed computer system, the content item by associating one or more tags with the content item; locating, by the distributed computer system, the content item based upon the one or more tags, in response to requests by the plurality of registered users; collecting, by the distributed computer system, a plurality of respective opinions generated by a respective content generating user on the at least one initial observation from a plurality of the registered users having the content generator role, wherein the opinions indicate agreement or disagreement with the at least one initial observation; receiving, from a user having the information consumer role, an opinion threshold that indicates the number of opinions that must be collected by the distributed computer system before a consensus can be reached; determining, by the distributed computer system and in response to the number of collected opinions meeting or exceeding the opinion threshold, a consensus of opinion among the plurality of content generating users regarding the at least one initial observation, the consensus based at least in part on the number of opinions collected and the indicated agreement or disagreement of each opinion with respect to the at least one initial observation; controlling, by the distributed computer system, access to the collected opinions and the determined consensus based on user role, wherein the act of controlling includes; permitting access by the plurality of registered users having the content generator role; restricting access by the plurality of registered users having the information consumer role; and providing, by the distributed computer system, access by at least one user having the information consumer role to the collected opinions and the determined consensus in response to the at least one user with the information consumer role having paid for said access. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for conducting an online information brokering service, the system comprising:
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at least one processor operatively connected to a memory, wherein the system is configured to execute system components, and the system further comprises; a computer interface displayed to at least one registered user, configured to permit access to an online community by a plurality of registered users, wherein the plurality of registered users are comprised of content generator users and information consumer users; a role component configured to establish, for the at least one registered user, a user role from a plurality of user roles, wherein the plurality of user roles includes at least a content generator role and an information consumer role corresponding to the content generator users and the information consumer users, respectively, wherein users having the content generator role create dynamic content within the online community through submission of respective observations and respective opinions on the respective observations; a generation component configured to permit, in a user interface displayed on a host computer system, creation of a content item by the at least one registered user, the content item comprising at least one initial observation generated by the at least one registered user; a classification component configured to associate one or more tags with the content item; a search component configured to locate the content item based upon the one or more tags, in response to requests by the plurality of registered users; a collection component configured to collect a plurality of respective opinions generated by a respective content generating user on the at least one initial observation from a plurality of the registered users having the content generator role, wherein the opinions indicate agreement or disagreement with the at least one initial observation; a component configured to receive, from a user having the information consumer role, an opinion threshold that indicates the number of opinions that must be collected by the distributed computer system before a consensus can be reached; a component configured to determine, in response to the number of collected opinions meeting or exceeding the opinion threshold, a consensus of opinion among the plurality of content generating users regarding the at least one initial observation, the consensus based at least in part on the number of opinions collected and the indicated agreement or disagreement of each opinion with respect to the at least one initial observation; a content component configured to restrict access to the collected opinions and the determined consensus based on user role, wherein the content component is configured to prevent access to the collected opinions and the determined consensus by the plurality of registered users having the information consumer role, and wherein the content component is further configured to permit access to the collected opinions and the determined consensus by the plurality of registered users having the content generator role; wherein the user interface is further configured to permit at least one user having the information consumer role to access the collected opinions and the determined consensus in response to the at least one user with the information consumer role having paid for said access. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification