Method for determining relative ranking data in a broker mediated geospatial information service environment

Abstract

A method for determining a value indicator in a broker-mediated geospatial information service (GIS) environment includes receiving, from a second system via a communication network at a first system of the broker-mediated GIS environment, from a plurality of respondents, feedback data relating to: a broker-mediated GIS based upon geospatial data relating to at least one of natural features, constructed features and boundaries on the Earth, the geospatial data including location and characteristic data, and a geospatial information process for geospatially processing a dataset provided to each respondent of the plurality of respondents. Each respondent of the plurality of respondents is a prior requestor of a process-dataset solution for performing the broker-mediated GIS. Based on the feedback data, a value indicator is determined relating to a process-dataset solution based upon the geospatial data and the geospatial information process. The value indicator is transmitted, via the communication network from the broker-mediated GIS, in association with the process-dataset solution transmitting. The process-dataset solution relating to selection of a restaurant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining a value indicator in a broker-mediated geospatial information service environment, comprising:
 receiving from a second system via a communication network at a first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment, from a plurality of respondents, feedback data relating to:
 (1) a broker-mediated geospatial information service based upon geospatial data relating to at least one of natural features, constructed features and boundaries on the Earth, the geospatial data including location and characteristic data, and 
 (2) a geospatial information process for geospatially processing a dataset provided to each respondent of the plurality of respondents; 
 each respondent of the plurality of respondents being a prior requestor of a process-dataset solution for performing the broker-mediated geospatial information service; 
   based on the feedback data, determining a value indicator relating to a process-dataset solution based upon the geospatial data and the geospatial information process; and   transmitting via the communication network from the broker-mediated geospatial information service the value indicator in association with the process-dataset solution, the process-dataset solution relating to selection of a restaurant.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the value indicator relates to a quality of the restaurant. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein the process dataset solution indicates a particular restaurant as a solution to a previously provided query. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein the solution to the provided query is determined independently by a plurality of different process dataset solutions and provided, each with a value indicator. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein the value indicator provided with each process-dataset solution is based on feedback collected from individual users by the first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein the value indicator provided with each process-dataset solution is based on feedback collected by each provider of a process-dataset solution, the feedback data provided from each provider to the first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the value indicator provided in association with each process-dataset solution is based on feedback collected from individual users by the first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the value indicator provided in association with each process-dataset solution is based on feedback collected by each provider of a process-dataset solution, the feedback data provided from each provider to the first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising: requesting by the first system of the broker-mediated geospatial information service environment feedback data from a user of a process-dataset solution. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising: receiving a selected process-dataset solution from a list of process-dataset solutions, the list including value indicators associated with at least some process-dataset solutions.