Method and apparatus for social trust networks on messaging platforms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817872-B2
Application number	US-41168309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2009
Priority date	Mar 26, 2009
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A social trust network is implemented in combination with a communication network capable of monitoring one or more parameters of communications. The social trust network includes a database containing trust data and possibly profiles of respective entities can be searched to return identities of entities such as subject matter experts with whom a user such as a decision-maker may wish to communicate; which communication may be facilitated by communication contact information corresponding to entities returned by the search. A plurality of trust metrics are computed from the trust data and search results are ordered based on a weighted sum of trust metrics, possibly including ratings of entities, where the relative weights may be manipulated at the will of the user. The monitored parameters of such communications are represented in data stored as trust data in a database which is thus adaptively developed through use of the social trust network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A social trust network implemented in combination with a networked communication platform which monitors information in messages communicated through a network, said social trust network comprising:
a processor executing an application for conducting a search of a database to return identifications of one or more persons or groups of individuals and corresponding trust data and communication data;
a trust network platform including an aggregate trust engine for computing a trust metric from said trust data, said trust metric being a quantitative metric of likelihood of a person or group of individuals providing information which is useful or of value to a user;
an arrangement operatively associated with said networked communications platform for selective communication between said user and said one or more persons or groups of individuals using said communication data;
monitoring means operatively associated with said networked communications platform, wherein said monitoring means are configured to parse a message of said selective communication, and extract information from the parsed message including at least one of tone of speech, speed of speech, and voice frequency variation expressed as quantitative metrics of a value or usefulness of said message to said user; and
a user trust management subsystem for deriving additional trust data from said information of said selective communication monitored through said networked communication platform and storing said additional trust data in said database for inclusion in said computing of a trust metric corresponding to said person or group of individuals;
wherein said message is from one of said one or more persons or groups of individuals and is responsive to an inquiry by said user,
wherein said aggregate trust engine computes a plurality of trust metrics from said trust data, and wherein one of said plurality of trust metrics is a weighted sum of others of said trust metrics.

2. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said trust management subsystem combines said additional trust data with trust data in said database.

3. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said database includes profiles of said one or more persons or groups of individuals and said search includes searching said profiles.

4. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , further including means for supplying weights to said aggregate trust engine for computation of said weighted sum.

5. The social trust network as recited in claim 4 , wherein said means for supplying weights includes means for adjusting relative weight of said weights.

6. The social trust network as recited in claim 5 , wherein said means for adjusting relative weight includes a displayed graphic feature.

7. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said search conducted by said processor additionally returns communication contact information for said one or more persons or groups of individuals.

8. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , further including means for creating and managing results of a poll of a plurality of said persons or groups of individuals returned by said search.

9. The social trust network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said information includes at least two selected from said group consisting of tone of speech, speed of speech, and voice frequency variation.

10. A method of identifying trusted entities, said method comprising steps of searching a database containing at least profiles and trust data corresponding to respective persons or groups of individuals;
computing a trust metric from said trust data for a person or group of individuals of said respective persons or groups of individuals, said trust metric being a quantitative metric of likelihood of a person or group of individuals providing information which is useful or of value to a user;
reporting results of said search in accordance with said trust metric;
selectively conducting a communication with a person or group of individuals included in results reported by said reporting step to communicate a message between said person or said group of individuals and said user over a networked communications platform, wherein said message is from one of said respective persons or groups of individuals and is responsive to an inquiry by said user;
monitoring information in said message of said communication conducted in said step of selectively conducting a communication, wherein said step of monitoring includes parsing said message of said communication, and extracting information from the parsed message including at least one of tone of speech, speed of speech, and voice frequency variation expressed as quantitative metrics of a value or usefulness of said message to said user; and
storing data corresponding to said one or more parameters as trust data in said database for inclusion in a repetition of said step of computing a trust metric, wherein said computing step computes a plurality of trust metrics, and wherein one of said plurality of trust metrics is a weighted sum of others of said trust metrics.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein said step of storing data includes combining data corresponding to said information with trust data stored in said database.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , including the further step of supplying weights for computing said weighted sum.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein said step of supplying weights includes the further step of adjusting relative weights of said weights for computing said weighted sum.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein said step of adjusting relative weights includes manipulation of a displayed graphic feature.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said step of searching said database includes the further step of returning communication contact information for said respective persons or groups of individuals.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 including the further step of creating and managing results of a poll of a plurality of persons or groups of individuals included in said results reported by said reporting step.

Assignees

• Pamu Gautham
• Ragan Jr Richard W
• Yu Yongshin
• IBM

Inventors

• Pamu Gautham
• Ragan Jr Richard W
• Yu Yongshin

Classifications

• G06F16/2458 Primary

  Special types of queries, e.g. statistical queries, fuzzy queries or distributed queries · CPC title

• G06F17/30533 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic