Method and system of providing verified content

• US 8,768,934 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ChaCha Search, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Scott A., Cooper, Thomas E., Navta, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US13/160,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 709/217, 709/215, 340/5.52, 707/748, 707/766, 707/769, 707/771
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying

Abstract

A system and method for creating and utilizing content is described. Content is generated which includes a query and a response to the query. A primary query may be used to generate a plurality of variant queries which may be matched to a request. A content owner or curator may review a query, a response, and/or alternate queries, and may provide access to media which may be used to generate queries and responses.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creation of media content comprising:

receiving a registration indicator from a curator;

accepting, by a processor, an indication of a media file by the curator;

obtaining an item by processing the media file;

associating the item with a query;

receiving a request from a user;

selecting a human assistant other than the user based on the registration indicator when the request indicates the curator;

providing the request and information of the media file to the human assistant when determining that the request is not an exact match to the query;

providing information of the request and the item to the curator when determining that the human assistant indicates that the item is a response to the request;

providing the request and information of the media file to the curator when determining that the human assistant indicates that a suitable response is not available; and

presenting the item responsive to the request when the request matches the query.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying the registration indicator; and

providing the item and the query for review by the curator associated with the registration indicator.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the human assistant acceptance of the association of the item with the query and the registration indicator; and

associating a data structure with the media file when creating the item.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the media file based on a web page; and

creating the query from a database of queries associated with a type and a structure of the media file.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the request to a destination designated by the registration indicator and the query when determining that the request is not the exact match to the query.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving the request using at least one of a web page, a short code, and an Instant Message address associated with the registration indicator; and

delivering a message received at the destination to a human searcher selected based on the registration indicator.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing answers and registration indicators associated with the answers to the human searcher; and

selecting, by the human searcher, the response to the request based on the answers.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing an identifier of the registration indicator and a search result obtained from the media file to a human searcher; and

selecting, by the human searcher, the search result as the response to the request.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the item with the query when the human assistant accepts the association of the item with the query;

providing the item as the response to the request based on a source of the request when the human assistant indicates that the request matches the query;

determining an access right associated with the item based on the registration indicator; and

restricting access to the item by human assistants as determined by the curator associated with the registration indicator.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a questionnaire to a registrant to obtain the indication of the media file; and

publishing the item on a web page of the registrant.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering a web page to a plurality of users designated by a registrant associated with the registration indicator;

receiving, from the plurality of users, a plurality of responses to the web page;

composing an aggregation of the plurality of responses; and

publishing, with attribution to the registrant, the aggregation responsive to the query.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the item to the user based on a selection of the item by the human assistant from a plurality of items associated with queries matching the request;

presenting the request to the curator associated with the registration indicator when the selection is the item;

creating the registration indicator based on an unique identifier provided by the curator; and

identifying the request as a match for the query and the item when the curator accepts the request.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting the plurality of items based on an association of the items with the registration indicator and a ranking of the queries based on the request.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring a characteristic of users subscribing to messages associated with a distribution group;

associating the user with the distribution group; and

presenting the item based on the characteristic.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, based on a statistical model of a corpus of queries, whether the request is frivolous; and

directing the request to an address when determining that the request is frivolous.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

directing the request to a user registered to accept frivolous queries associated with a category when determining that the request is frivolous.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

directing the request to a database for responding to frivolous queries associated with a category when determining that the request is frivolous.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining independent verification of the registration indicator;

receiving, from a human assistant registered for a category associated with the registration indicator, acceptance of the association of the item with the query;

generating, based on query templates associated with the query, an alternate query associated with the item;

designating the alternate query as an exact match to the query;

associating the request with the registration indicator based on a destination address of the request;

presenting the item when determining that the request is the exact match to the query;

presenting the item responsive to the request when determining that the human assistant has indicated that the item is the response to the request;

associating the request with the item as the exact match to the query when determining that the curator has accepted the request and the item;

associating an answer of the curator with the request;

generating alternate forms associated with the request; and

receiving, from the curator, acceptance of the alternate forms associated with the request.

19. A search system, comprising:

a search system device comprising memory and a processor receiving information of a request for information from a user system, receiving an indication of a media file, and a registration indicator associated with the media file, obtaining an item by processing the media file, selecting a human assistant other than the user based on the registration indicator, associating the item with a query when the human assistant accepts the association of the item with the query, providing the request and information of the media file to the human assistant associated with the registration indicator when determining that the request is not an exact match to the query and providing the item as a response to the request based on a source of the request when the human assistant indicates that the request matches the query, providing information of the request and the item to a curator system when determining that the human assistant indicates that the item is the response to the request, providing the request and information of the media file to the curator when determining that the human assistant indicates that a suitable response is not available, and presenting the item responsive to the request when the request matches the query;

the user system submitting the request for information;

the curator system providing the indication of the media file and designating a source for requests associated with the media file.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to execute an operation including creating media content, comprising:

receiving a registration indicator from a curator;

accepting an indication of a media file by the curator;

obtaining an item by processing the media file;

associating the item with a query;

receiving a request from a user;

selecting a human assistant associated with the registration indicator when the request indicates an identifier of the curator;

providing the request and information of the media file to the human assistant when determining that the request is not an exact match to the query;

providing information of the request and the item to the curator when determining that the human assistant indicates that the item is a response to the request;

providing the request and information of the media file to the curator when determining that the human assistant indicates that a suitable response is not available;

associating the request with the item as a match to the query when determining that the curator has accepted the request and the item; and

presenting the item responsive to the request when the request matches the query.