Abstract:
A computer-implemented method for analyzing and disseminating data within a networked community is described. It is determined whether to gather data from a variety of data sources. Members of the networked community may also contribute data. The data is gathered and provided to an administrator of the networked community. Upon being analyzed, the data is disseminated to the members of the networked community.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/507,455 entitled “Systems and Methods for the Analysis and Dissemination of Data Within a Networked Community” filed on 13 Jul. 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The use of computer systems and computer-related technologies continues to increase at a rapid pace. Computer systems have increasingly become an integral part of both the social and business worlds and the activities of individual consumers. Computer systems may be used to carry out all manner of business, industry, and academic endeavors. The wide-spread use of computers has been accelerated by the increased use of computer networks, including the Internet and, more recently, social media networks, such as, for example, facebook.com, twitter.com, etc. 
         [0003]    One particular aspect of the Internet is that it makes information of all variety, from a variety of sources, readily available. An organization stands to benefit by making a wide range of information available to users within its organization. The wide range of data sources and the availability of information, including over the Internet, can in some instances allow users to be more efficient in their responsibilities within the organization. Savvy organizations may seek to gather and analyze the data in order to present it to users within the organization in a way that is most beneficial to that organization and/or its users. 
         [0004]    These realties can pose various challenges, however. For example, the volume of information makes it difficult for an organization to pinpoint the data that is the most pertinent to that particular organization&#39;s purposes. As a second example, the number of sources of information can make it difficult for organizations to identify the sources of data that are most likely to have pertinent information for that organization. A third example of a challenge posed is that time spent reviewing and analyzing data as it is made available can prevent collaboration between all interested parties of the community regarding how to optimize the analysis and dissemination of available data. 
         [0005]    A need exists for organizations consisting of or housing communities for improved integration, analysis, and dissemination of data within those communities. 
       SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to at least one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for the analysis and dissemination of data within a networked community is described. It is determined whether to gather data from within a plurality of data sources for analysis. Data is gathered from the plurality of data sources according to a frequency assigned by an administrator of the networked community. A member of the networked community is granted the ability to contribute data to the networked community. The administrator of the networked community is provided with a set of data gathered from the plurality of data sources and the member of the networked community for analysis. The administrator of the networked community is provided with the ability to analyze the set of data, in part by determining a portion of data within the set of data to disseminate and further in part by determining how the portion of data should be disseminated. The analyzed data is disseminated to the members of the networked community according to individualized settings associated with the members of the networked community. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, a weight is applied to a first grouping of the plurality of data sources to determine whether to gather data from the first grouping of the plurality of data sources. A data source identity is used within a second grouping of the plurality of data sources to determine whether to gather data from the second grouping of the plurality of data sources. A data source popularity is used within a third grouping of the plurality of data sources to determine whether to gather data from the third grouping of the plurality of data sources. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the administrator of the networked community is provided with the ability to instruct a gathering of data from at least one of the plurality of data sources at any particular moment. The administrator of the networked community is also provided with the ability to assign the weight applied to the first grouping of the plurality of data sources. 
         [0009]    In yet another embodiment, the individualized settings associated with the members of the networked community are determined by preferences set by the members of the networked community. 
         [0010]    In yet another embodiment, a page is electronically provided for members of the networked community to interact with the analyzed data. The members of the networked community are allowed to bring together posts of the analyzed data from the page into threads. Documents are allowed to be attached to the threads. 
         [0011]    A computing device configured to analyze and disseminate data within a networked community is also described. The computing device may include a processor and memory in electronic communication with the processor. The computing device may also include a software module configured to complete the above steps. 
         [0012]    A computer-program product for analyzing and disseminating data within a networked community is also described. The computer-program product may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon. The instructions may include code programmed to complete the above steps. 
         [0013]    The foregoing, together with other embodiments, features, and advantages will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description, claims, and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The accompanying drawings illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, these drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of the instant disclosure. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the analysis and dissemination of data within a community that implements aspects of the present systems and methods. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a screenshot image illustrating administrative aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a screenshot image illustrating aspects of the gathering of data that may be incorporated into the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a subsequent screenshot image illustrating aspects of the gathering of data that may be incorporated into the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a screenshot image illustrating aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are screenshot images illustrating aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a screenshot image illustrating the intelligence-disseminating aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a screenshot image illustrating the intelligence-disseminating aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a screenshot image illustrating additional administrative aspects of the systems and methods of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is a screenshot image illustrating data-analyzing and intelligence-disseminating aspects of systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0025]    While the embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the instant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    The present disclosure is directed to the integration, analysis, and dissemination of data within a networked community. The example systems and methods disclosed herein integrate data from a variety of sources, analyze it, and disseminate it in a form that is useful to members of the community, sometimes referred to as the intelligence community. This community is sometimes contained within, or comprises, an organization or entity standing to benefit from the intelligence disseminated. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , data  100  is integrated from internal data sources  102  including web analytics tools, other internal databases, and the customer relationship management (CRM) system employed by the entity. Additionally, data may be gathered from external data sources  104  such as external RSS feeds from websites, social media systems including Facebook® and Twitter®, and web search tools such as Google®. Data  106  from intelligence community members can also be integrated, as members share articles they have read or their thoughts on a specific topic. Data  108  from experts in the industry, including those that have been hired to provide their insights, can also be integrated into the platform. Data  100  that is integrated into the system can come from any other desirable data source. 
         [0028]    Data  100  is submitted into a data analytics engine  120  according to methods known in the art. The engine  120  prioritizes the information through the use of statistics and predefined business rules. The algorithms performed by the engine can cull through the data to find anomalies, defined by the settings of the engine  120 . 
         [0029]    Data passes from the data analytics engine to a workbench  130 . The workbench  130  can be administered by a leader or administrator, referred to herein as the intelligence leader. The data can be formed into a post containing intelligence that is transmitted to the workbench  130  in order for the intelligence leader to be able to analyze it. In one exemplary embodiment, the analytics engine  120  might analyze the entity&#39;s website traffic over a given period of time. During this process the analytics engine  120  will compare traffic with historical averages. If the analyzed traffic falls outside of some predetermined normal or acceptable range, a post is generated and sent to the intelligence leader for additional analysis. 
         [0030]    The analysis of data can vary according to the source of the data in question or according to the intelligence leader&#39;s desires. For instance, when the intelligence leader adds a data source to the system, he or she can apply a weight to that source. This weighting is taken into consideration by the analytics engine  120  in determining the analysis of the data and the priority with which that data is transmitted to the workbench  130 . 
         [0031]    As another example of the type of analysis performed on the possibly massive amount of data  100  entering the system, the analytics engine  120  can determine which messages (called “tweets” when sent from accounts held on the microblogging and social networking site website Twitter®) broadcast from sources that have been integrated into the system should be submitted to the intelligence leader for analysis. For instance, the engine may transmit a message to the workbench  130  based in part on the popularity of the message and/or the person who submitted the message. By receiving only the most important messages, the intelligence leader is able to more quickly perform his or her responsibilities with respect to the incoming data. 
         [0032]    Once reviewed and analyzed by the intelligence leader, data becomes intelligence. Intelligence leaves the workbench  130  and is received by intelligence community members at the discretion of the intelligence leader according to the preferences of each member. A preferences engine  140  enables the intelligence community member to customize the intelligence that the member is to receive and the method by which the member will receive it. 
         [0033]    One of the methods by which community members may receive intelligence is HTML-based emails  150 . By this method, intelligence is sent to a member in an email containing any combination of text, graphics, and active links to websites either internal or external to the present system. Another method by which community members may receive intelligence is by a community site  160  provided with the present system. The site  160  may be a website accessible via the Internet or it may be internal to the entity. The site  160  houses posts generated by the intelligence leader and the analytics engine as well as other information relevant to community members, and allows members to interact with the intelligence and with each other. Alternatively or in addition, the email  150  can contain links to external websites. 
         [0034]    An additional method by which community members can receive intelligence is via mobile devices such as personal digital assistants, cellular telephones having data capabilities, or so-called smartphones. The system includes a mobile application  170  which will allow the community members to interact with the intelligence and with each other via a mobile device. 
         [0035]    Yet another method by which community members can receive intelligence under the present system and methods is via monitor displays  180  that are strategically placed inside departments of the entity or entities in which the community is found. 
         [0036]    In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a data integration page  200  of the present system is shown. On this page the intelligence leader can add any data source  202  desired to be integrated into the system, including those discussed by way of example herein: RSS feeds, microblogging and social networking websites including Twitter®, news articles or alerts pulled from internet search engines, and the entity&#39;s internal systems. In addition to adding the data source  202 , the intelligence leader can assign a weight  204  to that data source, a frequency  206  with which the data is to be gathered from the data source, all of which will be taken into account by the analytics engine  120 . The data integration page also gives the intelligence leader information  208  on the most recent gathering of data from any particular data source. Additionally, the data integration page  200  gives the intelligence leader the option to gather data from the source at that particular moment, by including a link  210  which activates the data gathering function of the system, which link is shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2  as “Run Now.” 
         [0037]    With respect to data coming from the microblogging and social networking website Twitter®, the intelligence leader can integrate all messages broadcast from a specific account. In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the weight  204  of “5” with the data gathering frequency  206  of “8 hours” has been assigned to all messages sent from the Twitter® account @chucklsharp. In addition, Twitter® allows its users to emphasize certain words in messages by placing the pound sign with them, i.e., #politics. Such words are referred to as “hashtags.” The intelligence leader can designate all messages having specific hashtags or even specific terms as a data source. Additionally, the intelligence leader can designate all messages that mention a specific account user or any other sort of information desired. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 3-4  demonstrate one way in which community members interact with the present system and yet another way by which data is gathered into the present system. A bookmarklet can be added to a community member&#39;s browser according to known methods, including by simply dragging it onto the member&#39;s list of bookmarks. When a member sees an article or webpage they would like to share with the intelligence community they are able to do so by clicking on the bookmarklet  300 . 
         [0039]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the bookmarklet  300  can be configured to pull contents from a member-chosen webpage and bring it into the system. Any desired information concerning the member-chosen webpage may be submitted to the intelligence leader for analysis. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the title  400  of an article, a description  402  of the article, and an image selection option  404  are presented to the member submitting the article. By this means, the member has the ability to add his or her own edits and comments to the information and then submit the data to the intelligence leader for analysis. 
         [0040]      FIG. 5  demonstrates how the intelligence leader interacts with the data according to the present systems and methods. On a synthesis page  500 , the intelligence leader reviews the information that has been added into the system by any method, including that which has already been processed and prioritized by the data analytics engine  120 . The data is received in the form of various posts, which may refer any piece of data that packaged together such as an article, chart, graph, thought, message, image, or document. The intelligence leader can write a short summary  502  of a post that has entered the synthesis process, can add a priority  504  to the post, and can place each post into one or more categories  506 . The intelligence leader can choose to decline posts that are not important or add additional posts to a queue of posts that are more pertinent to the community&#39;s purpose. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 6A-7  show a method of publishing posts to the intelligence community. On a publish page  600  shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 6A , the intelligence leader determines, by actuating order buttons  602 , the order the posts should appear on the page presented to the community, which page is referred to as the intelligence page. The intelligence leader may click or otherwise actuate the publish button  604  to send intelligence to the intelligence page. A separate publish all button  606  may be used to send all queued intelligence to the intelligence page. The process of deciding which intelligence to send to the intelligence page is sometimes referred to as curation. 
         [0042]    The synthesis page  500  may be combined with the publish page  600  into a curate page  650  shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 6B . The intelligence leader may choose the data source groups to view for curation by selecting from a drop down menu, for example. The intelligence leader can include summaries  502  and add priority  504  to the data. The intelligence leader can also categorize the data. In the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 6B , the intelligence leader categorizes the data by selecting from a category drop down menu  654 . The intelligence leader can determine the photo or graphic to be presented to the community by actuating a selection link  656 . The intelligence leader may also choose to edit the information presented from the data source by actuating edit links  658 . The intelligence leader also can choose to send the data to another individual who has expertise in a particular field by actuating an expert link  660 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  illustrates how an intelligence page  700  may appear. On the intelligence page, intelligence community members see the posts that the intelligence leader has deemed relevant, as the intelligence leader has elected to present them. Members have the ability to add comments  702  to posts and classify the post as being beneficial to their purposes using buttons or links  704  that so indicate. When community members add a comment or classify a post, the person who added it may receive an email notifying him or her of the activity taking place on the post. A list of top contributors to the community may also be shown on this page. The system may include functionality that counts the number of posts, comments and classifications submitted by members of the community. Those members with the greatest activity will be listed as top contributors. 
         [0044]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the present invention also allows members to bring together a collection of posts under a common theme. Such a collection is referred to herein as a thread  710 . A member may create a thread and add to it as additional posts are created. As threads are formed and areas of interest emerge, documents  712  can be attached to the threads. The documents, which may be referred to as briefs, are prepared in any known program and provide strategic, forward-looking guidance on the area of interest presented in the thread, for the benefit of those in the community. 
         [0045]      FIG. 8  illustrates a method by which intelligence is disseminated to community members using email. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 8 , an email page  800  gives the intelligence leader the ability to review all published posts and determine which posts should be disseminated to the intelligence community via email. The intelligence leader can then publish the email and have it disseminated to the community using links or buttons  802 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 9  illustrates a method by which the present system is administered in part. An administration page  900  allows the intelligence leader to add new community members by entering key information into various fields  902 . Other administration functionality includes: deleting and editing members, providing members with different levels of access within the system, helping members with lost passwords, viewing usage logs inside of the application, and adding, deleting, and editing data sources. 
         [0047]      FIG. 10  is a screenshot of a reporting page  1000 . On this page, key performance indicators (KPIs)  1002  relating to an entity&#39;s website or other online presences can be shown. Shown in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 10  are some of the top KPIs that members may want to view on a regular basis, such as total visits to the entity&#39;s website, sources of traffic to the website, etc. The present disclosure contemplates that the reporting page  1000  could also incorporate and/or display an application from another entity that further analyzes and presents relevant information, including applications known in the art as “dashboards.” The reporting page  1000  allows members of the community to be aware of both the information made available to the community on the intelligence page and the information concerning the public&#39;s interaction with the entity, which information can aid the community&#39;s and the entity&#39;s decision-making processes with respect to the entity&#39;s online presences. 
         [0048]    The operation of a computer system to implement the present disclosure is readily known in the art and is not discussed in this application. Code to implement the present disclosure can be stored in computer-readable medium such as one or more of system memory, fixed disk, optical disk, or floppy disk. 
         [0049]    While various embodiments have been described and/or illustrated herein in the context of fully functional computing systems, one or more of these exemplary embodiments may be distributed in a variety of forms, regardless of the particular type of computer-readable media used to actually carry out the distribution. The embodiments disclosed herein may also be implemented using software modules that perform certain tasks. These software modules may include script, batch, or other executable files that may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or in a computing system. In some embodiments, these software modules may configure a computing system to perform one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. 
         [0050]    The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present systems and methods and their practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present systems and methods and various embodiments with various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated.