Methods and systems for a virtual marketplace or exchange for distributed signals

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing an automated virtualized signal marketplace or exchange for signals from distributed data sources that are controlled by a multiplicity of signal sellers or signal owners. Signals are indicators of data that are derived from data sources and abstracted to protect the underlying data. Each entity that sells data in the virtual marketplace first converts data into a “signal” or indicator that represents the data without disclosing it or providing it. Signal sellers determine if they want to share signals based upon buyer, price, and other rules, including limitations on signal use. Signal buyers determine signal value based upon their objectives.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating signals from distributed data source computers controlled by a multiplicity of owners for selling in a signal marketplace, the method steps comprising:
 a data processor at a data source computer generating at least one signal having at least one signal payload from raw data stored on the data source computer, wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, wherein the structured data and the unstructured data include records associated with an object;   wherein the at least one signal does not disclose the raw data, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   the data processor at the data source computer correlating the object within the data source computer with a unique hashed value, wherein personally identifiable information of the object is not revealed by the unique hashed value;   the data source computer providing the at least one signal and the unique hashed value to a centralized database associated with a virtual marketplace server computer;   the virtual marketplace server computer indexing the at least one signal in a signal index in the centralized database based on signal ownership, historical usage, historical performance, and/or relevance to an objective;   wherein the at least one signal payload includes an identification of a source, a delivery channel, and/or a transaction identifier;   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically determining and assigning a value to the at least one indexed signal in the centralized database based on a recency of the at least one signal, a time of construction of the at least one signal from an occurrence of a desired event and/or a desired behavior, a reputation of the at least one signal, historical performance of the at least one signal, and/or a reputation of a seller associated with the data source computer;   the virtual marketplace server computer receiving from a signal buyer computer a reference point including the desired behavior and/or the desired event;   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically recommending the at least one signal and a price for the at least one signal to the signal buyer computer based on the value for the at least one signal;   the virtual marketplace server computer sending the at least one signal to the signal buyer computer;   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically tracking feedback relating to the at least one signal including signal performance using the unique hashed value to identify the object, wherein the feedback includes events, behaviors, and/or states of the object; and   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically updating the signal index and the value of the at least one signal based on the feedback.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer receiving from the signal buyer computer reference point parameters for the desired behavior and/or the desired event, wherein the reference point parameters include a desired recency of the desired behavior and/or the desired event or a desired frequency of the desired behavior and/or the desired event. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising constructing at least one synthetic signal from the at least one signal and at least one second signal based on the reference point. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating the historical performance of the at least one signal based on the signal performance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the value of the at least one signal decays over time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a second signal and a second unique hashed value;
 wherein the second signal is constructed from second raw data, including second structured data and second unstructured data; and   wherein the second structured data and the second unstructured data include records associated with a second object.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second signal originates from a different distributed data source than the at least one signal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer receiving from the signal buyer computer an acceptance of an agreement related to use of the at least one signal, wherein the agreement includes a defined use for the at least one signal by the signal buyer computer. 
     
     
         9 . A system for providing a signals marketplace in a virtualized computer network for generating signals from distributed data source computers controlled by a multiplicity of owners comprising:
 a data source computer including a data processor operable to generate at least one signal having at least one signal payload from raw data stored on the data source computer, wherein the raw data includes a behavior and/or an event associated with an object, and wherein the data processor of the data source computer is further operable to correlate the object within the data source computer with a unique hashed value, wherein personally identifiable information of the object is not revealed by the unique hashed value;   wherein the at least one signal payload includes an identification of a source, a delivery channel, and/or a transaction identifier;   wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, wherein the structured data and the unstructured data include records associated with the behavior and/or the event associated with the object;   wherein the at least one signal does not disclose the raw data, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   a virtual marketplace server computer in network-based communication with the data source computer and a signal buyer computer;   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer includes a centralized database with a signal index for signals data, and wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is operable to index the at least one signal in the signal index based on signal ownership, historical usage, historical performance, and/or relevance to an objective;   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to receive from the signal buyer computer a reference point including a desired behavior and/or a desired event and parameters for the desired behavior and/or the desired event, wherein the parameters include a recency or a frequency of the desired behavior and/or the desired event;   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to automatically recommend the at least one signal to the signal buyer computer based on the reference point;   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to send the at least one signal to the signal buyer computer;   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to automatically track feedback relating to the at least one signal including signal performance using the unique hashed value to identify the object; and   wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to automatically update the signal index based on the feedback.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to automatically generate a value for the at least one signal;
 wherein the value is based on a recency of the at least one signal, a time of construction of the at least one signal from an occurrence of the desired behavior and/or the desired event, a signal reputation, historical signal performance, and a seller reputation associated with the data source computer; and   wherein the value is associated with the indexed at least one signal in the virtual marketplace server computer.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is further operable to recommend the at least one signal based on the value. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is operable to receive an acceptance of an agreement related to use of the at least one signal, wherein the agreement includes a defined use for the at least one signal by the signal buyer computer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the feedback includes events, behaviors, and/or states of the object subsequent to the defined use for the at least one signal by the signal buyer computer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual marketplace server computer is operable to construct a synthetic signal from the at least one signal and at least one second signal, wherein the at least one second signal is based on at least one second object and a second unique hashed value. 
     
     
         15 . A method for creating and using a virtual marketplace for valuing and selling signals generated from distributed data source computers that are controlled by a multiplicity of owners, the method steps comprising:
 a data processor generating at a data source computer at least one signal having at least one signal payload from raw data stored on the data source computer, wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, wherein the structured data and the unstructured data include records associated with a behavior and/or an event associated with an object;   wherein the at least one signal does not disclose the raw data, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   the data processor at the data source computer correlating the object within the data source computer with a unique hashed value, wherein personally identifiable information of the object is not revealed by the unique hashed value;   the data source computer providing the at least one signal and the unique hashed value to a centralized database associated with a virtual marketplace server computer;   the virtual marketplace server computer indexing the at least one signal in a signal index in the centralized database based on signal ownership, historical usage, historical performance, and relevance to an objective;   a rules engine on a remote server computer automatically considering identities of buyer computers with subscriptions to a desired behavior and/or a desired event, a price of the at least one signal, past performance of the at least one signal, and past performance of the buyer computers with subscriptions to the desired behavior and/or the desired event, to determine at least one buyer computer to which to publish the at least one signal;   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically transmitting the at least one signal to the at least one buyer computer based on the determination of the at least one buyer computer to which to publish the at least one signal by the rules engine on the remote server computer;   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically tracking feedback relating to the at least one signal using the unique hashed value to identify the object; and   the virtual marketplace server computer automatically updating the signal index of the at least one signal based on the feedback.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one signal payload includes an identification of a source, a delivery channel, and a transaction identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer determining and assigning a value for the at least one signal in the centralized database based on a signal recency, a time of construction of the at least one signal from an occurrence of the desired behavior and/or the desired event, a signal reputation, historical signal performance, and a seller reputation associated with the data source computer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer updating the value for the at least one signal based on the feedback. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer receiving from the signal buyer computer a reference point including the desired behavior and/or the desired event and parameters for the desired behavior and/or the desired event, wherein the parameters include a recency or a frequency of the desired behavior and/or the desired event. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the virtual marketplace server computer correlating the object to a second object and constructing at least one synthetic signal based on the correlation;
 wherein the object and the second object are related; and   wherein the second object is a person, a car, or a computer.