Patent ID: 7389285

Claim:
A method of collecting ratings on a plurality of subjects, said method comprising the steps of: storing, on a portable computing device, a first set of ratings for ones of a plurality of subjects and a first set of indications of interest regarding additional ones of said plurality of subjects; storing on the portable computing device, a policy specifying whether rating information is to be accepted through a short-range transmission device; encountering, through the short-range transmission device, a user having a second set of ratings for ones of said plurality of subjects; responsive to said policy being met, receiving, through said short-range transmission device, ones of said second set of ratings; updating ones of said first set of ratings and ones of said first set of indications of interest by merging with corresponding ones of said second set of ratings wherein the updating is further configured for updating ones of said first set of ratings by calculating, for each of said ones of said first set of ratings updated, a new weighted rating based on an existing weighted rating from said first set of ratings, an existing weighted rating from said second set of ratings, and a similarity factor between said first set of ratings and said second set of rating; and displaying said updated ones of said first set of ratings.