Customizable data management system

Abstract

The invention relates to methods, systems, and computer-readable media related to a system having a plurality of users, designed to display a user-customized subset of item and/or provider information to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of exchanging event information on a system, wherein the system has (i) a plurality of consumer-users including a first consumer-user and one or more additional consumer-users, and (ii) a plurality of events including a first event, wherein the plurality of events are promoted by a plurality of event promoters including a first event promoter, the method comprising acts of:
 a. Receiving first event information;   b. Receiving first event preference information indicating that the first consumer-user has expressed a preference for the first event information;   c. Filtering the first event information to create a subset of first event information that is provided to the first consumer-user;   d. Displaying to the first user one or more data object representations relating to the subset of the first event information;   e. Receiving one or more first user interactions with the one or more data object representations relating to the subset of first event information;   f. Displaying to the first event promoter:   Interaction data relating to the first event and specific to one or more consumer-users;   Interaction data related to the first event aggregated for a plurality of consumer-users on the system;   Comparative interaction data from a plurality of customer-users related to the first event relative to one or more other events on the system; or   Combinations thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: receiving additional event information from a plurality of event promoters; receiving additional event preference information indicating that the first consumer-user has expressed a preference for an additional subset of the additional event information; filtering the first event information and the additional event information to create one or more supplemental subsets of additional event information that is provided to the first consumer-user; displaying to the first consumer-user one or more data object representations relating to the one or more supplemental subsets of additional event information; receiving one or more first consumer-user interactions with the one or more data object representations relating to the one or more supplemental subsets of additional event information; and displaying to each of the additional events promoters: (i) interaction data relating to the one or more additional events and specific to the one or more consumer-users expressing a preference for the one or more additional event information; (ii) interaction data related to the one or more additional events aggregated for a plurality of consumer-users on the system; (iii) comparative interaction data from a plurality of customer-users related to the one or more additional events relative to a one or more other events on the system; or (iv) combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising displaying to the first consumer-user first event information not previously displayed to the first consumer-user on the system. 
     
     
         4 . The subset of first event information created by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . The subset of data object representations displayed to the first consumer-user by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein displaying step (d) further comprises displaying to one or more additional consumer-users one or more data object representations relating to the subset of the first event information, wherein the one or more additional consumer-users have a relationship with the first consumer-user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the interaction data comprises the number and/or demographic information related to (i) one or more consumers-users of the plurality of consumer-users on the system, (ii) consumers-users expressing a preference for one or more interest categories, (iii) one of more consumer-users of the plurality of consumer-users on the system expressing a preference for the first event, (iv) all consumer-users of the system, or (v) combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the one or more first consumer-user interactions with the subset of data object representations includes: viewing one or more data object representations of the subset, expressing a preference for one or more data object representations of the subset, commenting on one or more data object representations in the subset, commenting on one or more derivative data object representations in the subset, indicating an intention to attend an event represented by one or more data object representations of the subset, participating in a dialog regarding one or more data object representations in the subset, offering an opinion regarding one or more data object representations of the subset, providing a rating for one or more data object representations of the subset, clicking through one or more data object representations of the subset to view additional details, clicking through one or more data object of the subset to view first event-hosted information, participating in a survey regarding one or more data object representations of the subset, requesting further information from the first event regarding one or more data object representations of the subset, buying a ticket for admission to an event displayed in one or more data object representations of the subset from a third-party retailer/reseller, buying a ticket to admission to an event displayed in one or more data object representations of the subset directly from the first event, buying a ticket to admission to an event displayed in one or more data object representations of the subset from an individual, participating in an auction regarding one or more data object representations of the subset, offering a ticket to admission to an event displayed in one or more data object representations in the subset for free, loan, sale, lease, and/or rental, requesting to purchase a ticket to admission to an event displayed in one or more data object representations in the subset, requesting that an additional event related to a first event displayed in one or more data object representations in the subset is scheduled by the first event promoter, suggesting to the first event promoter event ideas, improvements, and/or corrections regarding one or more data object representations in the subset, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the comparative interaction data comprises the number and/or demographic information related to (i) one or more consumers-users of the plurality of consumer-users on the system, (ii) consumers-users expressing a preference for one or more interest categories, (iii) one of more consumer-users of the plurality of consumer-users on the system expressing a preference for the first event, (iv) one or more consumer-users on the system expressing a preference for the first event event, (v) all consumer-users of the system, or (vi) combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the comparative interaction data is collected over a defined time interval. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the defined time interval is a time period in which the first event and/or a first event competitor has participated in the system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the comparative interaction data further comprises event ranking data for the first event in relation to the plurality of events. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the comparative interaction data further comprises event ranking data for the first event in relation to one or more competitor events of the plurality of events. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first event preference information includes system tracking preference for the first event information and the method further comprises filtering the first event information to create a first supplemental subset of first event information that is provided to the first consumer-user expressing a system tracking preference for the first event information; and displaying to the first consumer user one or more derivative data object representations relating to the first supplemental subset of the first event information, wherein the one or more derivative data objects are associated in the system with the one or more data objects. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving first consumer-user preference information indicating that an additional consumer-user has a system tracking preference for the first consumer-user; filtering the first event information to create a second supplemental subset of first event information that is provided to the additional consumer-user expressing a system tracking preference for the first consumer-user; and displaying to the additional consumer-user one or more data object representations and/or derivative data object representations relating to the second supplemental subset of the first event information. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving first consumer-user preference information indicating that a first event-promoter user has a system tracking preference for the first consumer-user; filtering the first event information to create a third supplemental subset of first event information that is provided to the first event-promoter user expressing a system tracking preference for the first consumer-user; and displaying to the first event-promoter user one or more data object representations and/or derivative data object representations relating to the third supplemental subset of the first event information. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the system tracking preference is expressed by following and/or listing a data object representation and/or a derivative data object representation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving additional event preference information indicating that an additional event of the plurality of events has a preference for the first consumer-user; and displaying to the additional event one or more data object representations relating to the subset of the first event information. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the preference is expressed as a following, listing, friending, attending, and/or liking a data object representation and/or a derivative data object representation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the preference is a system tracking preference selected from following, attending, and/or listing a data object representation and/or a derivative data object representation. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the expression of a system tracking preference for a data object representation by the first consumer-user generates a derivative data object based on the data object, wherein the derivative data object is associated in the system with the data object and the first consumer-user. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the expression of a system tracking preference for a data object representation by a first event-promoter user generates a derivative data object based on the data object, wherein the derivative data object is associated in the system with the data object and the first event-promoter user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving additional first event information responsive to the first event interaction data and/or the first event comparative interaction data. 
     
     
         24 . A computer implemented method of selecting data object representations for interaction with a user at a graphical user interface, the method comprising:
 receiving a data stream from an item provider, the data stream identifying items available from the item provider;   storing a data object in a global database with a provider identifier uniquely identifying the item provider;   storing for each item in the data stream a data object with an item identifier uniquely identifying the item;   detecting a user interaction at a graphical user interface of a user device, the interaction with an item or item provider data object representation, and creating a user data object with a user identifier uniquely identifying the user;   creating in a tracking database an association between the user data object and the item and/or item provider data object; and   using the tracking database to select a customised data set of data objects based on the associations in the tracking database, the customised data set being for presentation at the graphical user interface.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein each data object is stored with an object identifier uniquely identifying that object, and the association between the user data object and the item and/or item provider data object is an association between the object identifiers of those objects. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the association conforms to an association data structure, the association data structure comprising respective fields for those object identifiers. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the association is further between those object identifiers and the user identifier. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the association data structure comprises a further field for the user identifier. 
     
     
         29 . The method  claim 24  wherein each data object conforms to an object data structure, the object data structure comprising respective fields for at least some of: an object identifier of that object; a user or provider identifier of a creator of that data object; a user, item, or provider identifier of a user, item or provider to which that data object relates; and additional information for said presentation at the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24  comprising, subsequent to the item provider creating a new data object associated with the item and/or item provider data object, updating the customized data set to include the new data object. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the global database contains a category data object associated with the item and/or item provider data object; and
 wherein at least one of the selected data objects is also associated with the category data object in the tracking database, that data object being selected for inclusion in the customized set on that basis. 
 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  comprising, subsequent to the item provider creating a new data object associated with the category data object, updating the customized set to include the new data object. 
     
     
         33 . A computer system comprising:
 a plurality of user devices each having a display interface available to a user;   a plurality of item providers;   a global database of data objects, each data object comprising a unique object identifier of that object and a user, item, or provider identifier of a user, item or provider to which that data object relates;   computer storage storing: (i) for each item provider, a respective provider data table comprising a unique provider identifier of that provider and one or more item identifiers of items provided by that provider; (ii) for each user, a respective user data table comprising a unique user identifier of that user and one or more item identifiers, provider identifiers, and/or category identifiers for items, providers and/or categories in which that user has expressed a preference; and (iii) a customized set of data tables selected for at least a first user, the customized set selected from the user data tables and provider data tables based on the item and/or the provider identifiers contained in the first users data table;   a global tracking database configured responsive to the first user expressing an additional preference for a provider or item by instigating an association instruction at their user device to associate that first user's user identifier with an object identifier of a data object comprising the provider or item identifier of that provider or item; and   an information exchange computer configured, responsive to the first user expressing the additional interest in the item or provider, to select one or more additional provider data tables and/or user data tables for inclusion in the first user's customized set to update that set, and to select at least one data object based on the first user's updated set for display to the first user via the display interface of their user device.   
     
     
         34 . The computer system of  claim 33  wherein the global database contains a category data object and the category data object is associated with the data object comprising the provider or item identifier of the provider or item in which the user has expressed a subsequent interest, and wherein the selected data object is also associated with the category data object in the tracking database. 
     
     
         35 . A computer system comprising:
 a plurality of user devices each having a display interface available to a user;   a plurality of item providers;   a global database of data objects, each data object comprising a unique object identifier of that object and a user, item, or provider identifier of a user, item or provider to which that object relates, the data objects including a user association data object comprising a target user identifier of a target user and a follower user identifier of a user following the target user, wherein the global database is configured responsive to the target user expressing a tracking interest in a data object representation by instigating a tracking instruction at their user device to create a new derivative data object based on that data object;   a global tracking database configured responsive to the target user expressing the tracking interest in the data object representation to store an association between the user identifier of the target user, the object identifier of that data object, and the object identifier of the created derivative data object; and   an information exchange computer configured, responsive to the target user expressing the interest in the data object representation to access the global database and the global tracking database and to display the derivative data object representation to the follower user via the display interface of their user device.