Apple issued reassigned Topsy patent for reputation-based search engine

Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2015
Apple on Tuesday was reassigned a patent from Topsy Labs, the social analytics firm it purchased in 2013, covering a computer search system that cuts through the noise often found in crowdsourced recommendation services by surfacing search results based on user ranking and influence.


Source: USPTO


Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's U.S. Patent No. 9,135,294 for "Systems and methods using reputation or influence scores in search queries" was originally assigned to Topsy Labs, a social network analytics firm that came under Apple's umbrella in late 2013. The patent is one of many that offers some insight into what Apple is planning to implement, or has already implemented, into its products as part of the acquisition.

This particular invention looks to solve the problem of presenting search users with reliable, trustworthy information, arguably one of the biggest problems facing services that aggregate user-sourced reviews and ratings. Someone looking for restaurants on Yelp, for example, might find a glowing review by "User A," only to find a contradictory one-star rating from "User B."




Further, without reliable information about a reviewer, and in turn their knowledge of a subject (restaurant, book, album or other reviewed item), it is difficult to assign appropriate weight to a given rating. The document boils the issue down to one of two computational realities, classifying one node as subjects (reviewers) and another as objects (reviewed items). By calculating associations between subject and object, Topsy proposes integration with an intelligent reputation platform, another of its inventions.

The system assigns reputation indicators, more commonly known as reputation scores, based on the degree and number of relationships between "reputation targets," or other users. This process is further refined to include experience in sub-environments, or specific topics like "movies," "music," "business" and others.

Conducting a graph search on direct links between subjects, objects, sub-environments, community feedback data, platform guidelines and other metrics results in finely tuned search query responses that are both relevant and, hopefully, more accurate than what current systems can provide.




Applied to Apple's current product lineup, Topsy's patent could see immediate use in iTunes and the App Store, or perhaps as a crowd-sourced Apple Music search engine. It is thought that Apple is currently leveraging a modified version of Beats Music's curation methodology, powered by humans and smart algorithms. The revamped Spotlight search, now called Siri Suggestions in iOS 9, is another service ripe for integration, especially as Apple delves into real-time location-based recommendations.

Apple might also use the patent to tap into Twitter, Topsy's bread-and-butter, for real-time recommendations on a litany of topics, but for now the company relies on data gathered from Yelp, TripAdvisor and other such services.

Apple's reassigned reputation-based search engine patent was first filed for in January 2014 and credits Rishab Alyer Ghosh and Vipul Ved Prakash as its inventors.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    Apple is in the Search business!
  • Reply 2 of 8
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member

    This is all well and good for Apple, but this shows that people care far too much about what other people think. I would rather try something myself and/or trust the word of people I actually know.

  • Reply 3 of 8
    [I]The system assigns reputation indicators, more commonly known as reputation scores, based on the degree and number of relationships between "reputation targets," or other users. This process is further refined to include experience in sub-environments,[B][I] or specific topics like "movies," "music," "business" and others.[/I][/B] [/I]

    We could use a bit of help here on Appleinsider for specific topics like,

    [LIST]
    [*] stock price
    [*] ?watch
    [*] RAM amount
    [*] ?TV
    [*] iPad Pro Pencil
    [*] Social Issues
    [/LIST]

    ... and all kinds of assorted topics that cause unnecessary wading through mud and flotsam.

    Think Apple would allow a free license?
  • Reply 4 of 8
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    I truly hope ?Search is coming. Relegate Google to the same rank as Flash on OS X and iOS possible on one not the other and even then, an option not default.


    I am so sick of Google searching these days. Half the time results are so out of date and the latest information relating to searching is several pages down. The have seriously lost their way. I'd welcome a really good, non bribed, search system and who better to supply it for Apple devices than Apple!
  • Reply 5 of 8
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    mike1 wrote: »
    This is all well and good for Apple, but this shows that people care far too much about what other people think. I would rather try something myself and/or trust the word of people I actually know.

    It isn't so much caring about what people think IMHO, it's that people believe what they read due to their own lack of knowledge, hence misinformation is spread all the time, look at the idiotic vaccination scare, totally based on false information ... but 'If it's on Google it must be true' prevails. I wish there was some sort if filtering built in for crackpot data. That's not censorship that's responsibility.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I truly hope ?Search is coming. Relegate Google to the same rank as Flash on OS X and iOS possible on one not the other and even then, an option not default.


    I am so sick of Google searching these days. Half the time results are so out of date and the latest information relating to searching is several pages down. The have seriously lost their way. I'd welcome a really good, non bribed, search system and who better to supply it for Apple devices than Apple!

    Stop with the "?Search" that name is hurrendous!!

    The only way I see it being titled something that ridiculous is if it's a background service like 3D Touch or Metal.

    "Spotlight" is a much better name and even that name isn't so great.

    I don't see Apple copying much here. They can easily give Siri a huge overhaul and be done with it.
    It isn't so much caring about what people think IMHO, it's that people believe what they read due to their own lack of knowledge, hence misinformation is spread all the time, look at the idiotic vaccination scare, totally based on false information ... but 'If it's on Google it must be true' prevails. I wish there was some sort if filtering built in for crackpot data. That's not censorship that's responsibility.

    The scientists behind vaccines don't vaccinate their kids. Just saying.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    cali wrote: »

    The scientists behind vaccines don't vaccinate their kids. Just saying.
    Now you are talking whacked out cuckoo bat shit crazy tripe
  • Reply 8 of 8
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    cali wrote: »
    Stop with the "?Search" that name is hurrendous!!

    The only way I see it being titled something that ridiculous is if it's a background service like 3D Touch or Metal.

    "Spotlight" is a much better name and even that name isn't so great.

    I don't see Apple copying much here. They can easily give Siri a huge overhaul and be done with it.
    The scientists behind vaccines don't vaccinate their kids. Just saying.

    Keep your panties on. The name is not my point, call it what you want, I used ?Search as a way f saying 'search engine from Apple' quickly. Your last comment isn't worth replying to.
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