Capturing sensor information for product review normalization

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium and a computer readable program code stored in the computer readable storage medium, the computer readable program code containing instructions that are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to implement a method of normalizing reviews, the method comprising the steps of:
• the computer system receiving a request from a user for a view of reviews of a first product, the reviews provided by respective reviewers, and the user being different from each of the reviewers;
• the computer system receiving data specifying a behavior of the user from one or more sensors that monitor one or more activities of the user, the behavior describing a usage by the user of a second product;
• the computer system receiving data specifying a usage of the first product by the reviewers from other sensors that monitor activities of the reviewers;
• based on the data specifying the behavior of the user and the data specifying the usage of the first product by the reviewers, the computer system identifying topics specifying an aspect of the first product which matches an aspect of the second product to which the behavior of the user is directed;
• based on the identified topics, the computer system normalizing the reviews of the first product by (i) determining a subset of the reviews of the first product that include at least one of the identified topics and (ii) selecting the subset of the reviews so that at least one of the reviews of the first product that does not include at least one of the identified topics remains unselected;
• the computer system presenting the selected subset of the reviews to the user in the requested view so that the selected subset of the reviews is distinguished from the unselected at least one review;
• the computer system presenting the unselected at least one review as including a visual indicator that indicates that the unselected at least one review is not related to the identified topics;
• the computer system presenting to the user an overall rating of the first product based on ratings associated with the selected subset of the reviews but not based on ratings associated with the unselected at least one review;
• the computer system receiving a review about the first product, the review being provided by a reviewer;
• the computer system determining that the first product is a connected device configured to supply data about usage of the connected device;
• responsive to the step of determining that the first product is the connected device, the computer system prompting the reviewer for permission to share the data supplied by the connected device as part of the review and the computer system receiving the permission;
• the computer system receiving a request from the user to view the review;
• responsive to the step of receiving the request to view the review, the computer system calling application programming interfaces (APIs) of the connected device;
• responsive to the step of calling the APIs of the connected device, the connected device sending information about usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the information including an amount of time the connected device was used by the reviewer;
• responsive to the step of sending the information about the usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the computer system obtaining information about the usage of the connected device;
• based on the information about the usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the computer system determining that an aspect of the usage of the connected device by the reviewer is associated with content of the review;
• and
• based on the aspect of the usage of the connected device by the reviewer being associated with the content of the review, the computer system modifying the review so that the modified review includes (i) an indication of how frequently the reviewer uses the connected device, (ii) a usage of the connected device up to a time at which the review was posted, (iii) whether the reviewer discontinued usage of the connected device, and (iv) an indicator that the reviewer is a verified user of the connected device;
• and
• the computer system presenting to the user the modified review so that the modified review having the indicator that the reviewer is the verified user of the connected device is more trustworthy to the user than other reviews that do not include respective indicators that other reviewers are verified users of the connected device, the other reviews being reviews of the connected device by the other reviewers, respectively.

A computer system comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory coupled to the CPU;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium coupled to the CPU, the computer readable storage medium containing instructions that are executed by the CPU via the memory to implement a method of normalizing reviews, the method comprising the steps of:
• the computer system receiving a request from a user for a view of reviews of a first product, the reviews provided by respective reviewers, and the user being different from each of the reviewers;
• the computer system receiving data specifying a behavior of the user from one or more sensors that monitor one or more activities of the user, the behavior describing a usage by the user of a second product;
• the computer system receiving data specifying a usage of the first product by the reviewers from other sensors that monitor activities of the reviewers;
• based on the data specifying the behavior of the user and the data specifying the usage of the first product by the reviewers, the computer system identifying topics specifying an aspect of the first product which matches an aspect of the second product to which the behavior of the user is directed;
• based on the identified topics, the computer system normalizing the reviews of the first product by (i) determining a subset of the reviews of the first product that include at least one of the identified topics and (ii) selecting the subset of the reviews so that at least one of the reviews of the first product that does not include at least one of the identified topics remains unselected;
• the computer system presenting the selected subset of the reviews to the user in the requested view so that the selected subset of the reviews is distinguished from the unselected at least one review;
• the computer system presenting the unselected at least one review as including a visual indicator that indicates that the unselected at least one review is not related to the identified topics;
• the computer system presenting to the user an overall rating of the first product based on ratings associated with the selected subset of the reviews but not based on ratings associated with the unselected at least one review;
• the computer system receiving a review about the first product, the review being provided by a reviewer;
• the computer system determining that the first product is a connected device configured to supply data about usage of the connected device;
• responsive to the step of determining that the first product is the connected device, the computer system prompting the reviewer for permission to share the data supplied by the connected device as part of the review and the computer system receiving the permission;
• the computer system receiving a request from the user to view the review;
• responsive to the step of receiving the request to view the review, the computer system calling application programming interfaces (APIs) of the connected device;
• responsive to the step of calling the APIs of the connected device, the connected device sending information about usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the information including an amount of time the connected device was used by the reviewer;
• responsive to the step of sending the information about the usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the computer system obtaining information about the usage of the connected device;
• based on the information about the usage of the connected device by the reviewer, the computer system determining that an aspect of the usage of the connected device by the reviewer is associated with content of the review;
• and
• based on the aspect of the usage of the connected device by the reviewer being associated with the content of the review, the computer system modifying the review so that the modified review includes (i) an indication of how frequently the reviewer uses the connected device, (ii) a usage of the connected device up to a time at which the review was posted, (iii) whether the reviewer discontinued usage of the connected device, and (iv) an indicator that the reviewer is a verified user of the connected device;
• and
• the computer system presenting to the user the modified review so that the modified review having the indicator that the reviewer is the verified user of the connected device is more trustworthy to the user than other reviews that do not include respective indicators that other reviewers are verified users of the connected device, the other reviews being reviews of the connected device by the other reviewers, respectively.