Methods and systems for a virtual marketplace or exchange for distributed signals including data correlation engines

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, including at least one data correlation engine that is operable for processing the signals to generate at least one correlation value relating to a specific objective for signal buyers corresponding to the behavior of the object and/or the activity and/or the event. 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 wants 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 creating and processing commerce signals for use in a virtualized or cloud-based commerce data marketplace, comprising:
 constructing at least one signal from raw data on a data source computer, wherein the at least one signal is constructed based on at least one reference point and includes an abstracted payload corresponding to the reference point;   wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, wherein the unstructured data and the structured data include records of interaction with an object, wherein the at least one signal represents the raw data without being the raw data and without disclosing the raw data, wherein the at least one signal is constructed in a form that is relevant for a predetermined signal use based on a reference point, wherein the at least one signal provides for privacy protection for the object such that the at least one signal does not disclose an identity of the object, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   providing a distributed data system having a remote server computer constructed and configured for network-based communication with a multiplicity of distributed computers;   wherein the remote server computer includes at least one data correlation engine that receives the at least one signal and generates a signal index by generating at least one correlation value for the at least one signal by correlating the at least one signal with external signals held externally by at least one other distributed computer;   wherein the external signals are correlated to external objects, external events, external behaviors, and/or external states;   wherein each of the at least one signal corresponds to a state of the object, a behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or an event associated with the object;   the at least one data correlation engine processing the at least one signal and the external signals to generate the signal index by correlating the state of the object, the behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or an event associated with the object to the external objects, the external events, the external behaviors, and/or the external states; and   providing the at least one signal, thus permitting the predetermined signal use without providing the raw data including the records of interaction with the object from which the at least one signal was created.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one data correlation engine generating a price for each of the at least one signal based on the at least one correlation value. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal index includes at least one signal value for the predetermined signal use. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a feedback corresponding to the behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object or the event associated with the object. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one correlation value decays with respect to time and the at least one signal value decays with respect to time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a signal construct for each of the at least one signal defines a source of the at least one signal, a destination of the at least one signal, the predetermined use of the at least one signal, a price of the at least one signal, a delivery channel of the at least one signal, a method for securing the raw data of the at least one signal, the unique transaction identifier of the at least one signal, a transaction time of the at least one signal, a duration of time for which the abstracted payload can be stored for the at least one signal, and/or a value of the abstracted payload of the at least one signal. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal includes at least one anonymized identifier, wherein the at least one anonymized identifier provides privacy protection for the object. 
     
     
         8 . A system for creating and processing commerce signals in a virtualized or cloud-based commerce data marketplace computing system comprising:
 a distributed data system having a remote server computer constructed and configured for network-based communication with a multiplicity of distributed computers;   wherein the remote server computer includes at least one data correlation engine operable to receive at least one signal, wherein the at least one data correlation engine is further operable to generate a signal index associated with the at least one signal by generating at least one correlation value for the at least one signal by correlating the at least one signal with external signals held externally by at least one other distributed computer;   wherein the external signals are correlated to external objects, external events, external behaviors, and/or external states;   wherein each of the at least one signal corresponds to a state of an object, a behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or an event associated with the object;   wherein the at least one signal is constructed from raw data on the data source computer, wherein the at least one signal is constructed based on at least one reference point and includes an abstracted payload corresponding to the at least one reference point;   wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, wherein the unstructured data and the structured data include records of interaction with the object, wherein the at least one signal represents the raw data without being the raw data and without disclosing the raw data, wherein the at least one signal provides for privacy protection for the object such that the at least one signal does not disclose an identity of the object, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   wherein the at least one data correlation engine is operable to process the at least one signal and the external signals to generate at least one correlation value by correlating the state of the object, the behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or the event associated with the object to the external objects, the external events, the external behaviors, and/or the external states; and   wherein the at least one signal is transmitted for the predetermined signal use without providing raw data including the records of interaction with the object from which the at least one signal was created.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one correlation value is operable to be modified based upon feedback from actual signal use of the at least one signal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the signal index includes at least one signal value for a predetermined signal use. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one correlation value decays with respect to time and the at least one signal value decays with respect to time. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined signal use is provided by an agreement. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein a signal construct for each of the at least one signal defines a source of the at least one signal, a destination of the at least one signal, the predetermined use of the at least one signal, a price of the at least one signal, a delivery channel of the at least one signal, a method for securing the raw data of the at least one signal, the unique transaction identifier of the at least one signal, a transaction time of the at least one signal, a duration of time for which a payload can be stored for the at least one signal, and a value of the payload of the at least one signal. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein at least one anonymized identifier provides privacy protection for the object. 
     
     
         15 . A system for creating and processing commerce signals in a virtualized or cloud-based commerce data marketplace computing system comprising:
 a distributed data system having a remote server computer constructed and configured for network-based communication with a multiplicity of distributed computers;   wherein the remote server computer includes at least one data correlation engine operable to receive at least one signal, wherein the at least one data correlation engine is further operable to generate a signal index associated with the at least one signal by generating at least one correlation value for the at least one signal by correlating the at least one signal with external signals held externally by at least one other distributed computer;   wherein the external signals are correlated to external objects, external events, external behaviors, and/or external states;   wherein each of the at least one signal corresponds to a state of an object, a behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or an event associated with the object;   wherein the at least one signal is constructed from raw data on the data source computer;   wherein the at least one signal represents the raw data without being the raw data and without disclosing the raw data, wherein the at least one signal provides for privacy protection for the object such that the at least one signal does not disclose an identity of the object, and wherein the raw data remains localized on the data source computer;   wherein the at least one data correlation engine is operable to process the at least one signal and the external signals to generate at least one correlation value by correlating the state of the object, the behavior of the object correlated to the state of the object, and/or the event associated with the object to the external objects, the external events, the external behaviors, and/or the external states; and   wherein the at least one signal is transmitted for the predetermined signal use without providing raw data including the records of interaction with the object from which the at least one signal was created.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the raw data includes structured data and unstructured data, and wherein the unstructured data and the structured data include records of interaction with the object. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an object state estimator operable for creating correlations from signals within a distributed signals environment. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising an object behavior estimator operable for storing values of at least one expectation for the at least one signal. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein a signal construct for each of the at least one signal defines a source of the at least one signal, a destination of the at least one signal, the predetermined use of the at least one signal, a price of the at least one signal, a delivery channel of the at least one signal, a method for securing the raw data of the at least one signal, the unique transaction identifier of the at least one signal, a transaction time of the at least one signal, a duration of time for which the abstracted payload can be stored for the at least one signal, and/or a value of the abstracted payload of the at least one signal. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one correlation value is operable to be modified based upon feedback from actual signal use of the at least one signal.