Cumulative Evaluation and Review System and Methods

Abstract

The present invention is generally directed to a cumulative rating system for generating accurate and unbiased evaluations of products, performances, and/or services, thereby improving the reliability of information provided to a consumer and improving their purchasing decision.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating and providing one or more evaluations to a consumer to aid in a decision making process, the method comprising:
 receiving evaluation request data associated with evaluation of at least one of a product, performance, or service;   transmitting an evaluation notification to a set of reviewers based on the evaluation request data;   receiving evaluation data based on one or more evaluations completed by the set of reviewers;   analyzing the evaluation data to thereby generate an overall review of the product, performance, or service; and   providing the overall review of the product, performance, or service to a consumer to thereby assist the consumer in making a decision associated with the evaluated product, performance, or service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluation request data is selected from the group consisting of: identity of a requesting client; identity of the product, performance, or service to be evaluated, evaluation parameters; timeframe for release of overall review of the product, performance, or service; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the evaluation parameters are selected from the group consisting of: number of reviewers in the set of reviewers; characteristics of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; specialty of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; experience level of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting an evaluation notification comprises providing a cumulative evaluation form to the set of reviewers, the cumulative evaluation form eliciting evaluation input data from each reviewer of the set of the reviewers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the evaluation input data is selected from the group consisting of: a numerical score of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; a written opinion of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein analyzing the evaluation data comprises comparing input data from at least two reviewers of the set of reviewers and generating the overall review of the product, performance, or service based on the comparison. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the overall review of the product, performance, or service comprises a numerical score representative of a ranking of the evaluated product, performance, or service relative to other similar evaluated products, performances, or services. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the numerical score is a percentile score. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising verifying authenticity and objectivity of evaluation data prior to analyzing the evaluation data and providing the overall review of the product, performance, or service to a consumer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of reviewers comprises at least three reviewers, each reviewer providing evaluation input data for the product, performance, or service to be evaluated. 
     
     
         11 . At least one computer accessible medium storing instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations for generating and providing one or more evaluations to a consumer to aid in a decision making process, the operations comprising:
 receiving evaluation request data associated with evaluation of at least one of a product, performance, or service;   transmitting an evaluation notification to a set of reviewers based on the evaluation request data;   receiving evaluation data based on one or more evaluations completed by the set of reviewers;   analyzing the evaluation data to thereby generate an overall review of the product, performance, or service; and   providing the overall review of the product, performance, or service to a consumer to thereby assist the consumer in making a decision associated with the evaluated product, performance, or service.   
     
     
         12 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise providing a cumulative evaluation form to the set of reviewers, the cumulative evaluation form eliciting evaluation input data from each reviewer of the set of the reviewers. 
     
     
         13 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 12 , wherein the evaluation input data is selected from the group consisting of: a numerical score of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; a written opinion of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise comparing input data from at least two reviewers of the set of reviewers and generating the overall review of the product, performance, or service based on the comparison. 
     
     
         15 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise verifying authenticity and objectivity of evaluation data prior to analyzing the evaluation data and providing the overall review of the product, performance, or service to a consumer. 
     
     
         16 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluation request data is selected from the group consisting of: identity of a requesting client; identity of the product, performance, or service to be evaluated, evaluation parameters; timeframe for release of overall review of the product, performance, or service; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 16 , wherein the evaluation parameters are selected from the group consisting of: number of reviewers in the set of reviewers; characteristics of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; specialty of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; experience level of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 11 , wherein the overall review of the product, performance, or service comprises a numerical score representative of a ranking of the evaluated product, performance, or service relative to other similar evaluated products, performances, or services. 
     
     
         19 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 18 , wherein the numerical score is a percentile score. 
     
     
         20 . The computer accessible medium of  claim 11 , wherein the set of reviewers comprises at least three reviewers, each reviewer providing evaluation input data for the product, performance, or service to be evaluated. 
     
     
         21 . A system for generating and providing one or more evaluations to a consumer to aid in a decision making process, the system comprising:
 an internet-based computing system configured to communicate and exchange data with at least one of a system host, one or more administrators, one or more clients requesting evaluation of at least one of a product, performance, or service, one or more registered reviewers, and one or more consumers, the internet-based computing system comprising a cumulative evaluation computing system, including a processor, configured to:
 receive evaluation request data from a requesting client, the evaluation request data associated with evaluation of at least one of a product, performance, or service; 
 transmit an evaluation notification to a set of registered reviewers based on the evaluation request data; 
 receive evaluation data based on one or more evaluations completed by the set of reviewers; 
 analyze the evaluation data to thereby generate an overall review of the product, performance, or service; and 
 provide the overall review of the product, performance, or service to the one or more consumer to thereby assist the one or more consumers in making a decision associated with the evaluated product, performance, or service. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the evaluation request data is selected from the group consisting of: identity of a requesting client; identity of the product, performance, or service to be evaluated, evaluation parameters; timeframe for release of overall review of the product, performance, or service; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the evaluation parameters are selected from the group consisting of: number of reviewers in the set of reviewers; characteristics of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; specialty of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; experience level of at least one reviewer in the set of reviewers; and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein cumulative evaluation computing system is configured to provide a cumulative evaluation form to the set of reviewers, the cumulative evaluation form eliciting evaluation input data from each reviewer of the set of the reviewers. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the evaluation input data is selected from the group consisting of: a numerical score of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; a written opinion of the product, performance, or service in one or more evaluation categories; and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the cumulative evaluation computing system is configured to compare input data from at least two reviewers of the set of reviewers and generate the overall review of the product, performance, or service based on the comparison. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the overall review of the product, performance, or service comprises a numerical score representative of a ranking of the evaluated product, performance, or service relative to other similar evaluated products, performances, or services. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the numerical score is a percentile score. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the cumulative evaluation computing system is configured to verify authenticity and objectivity of evaluation data prior to analyzing the evaluation data and providing the overall review of the product, performance, or service to a consumer. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the set of reviewers comprises at least three registered reviewers, each reviewer providing evaluation input data for the product, performance, or service to be evaluated.