METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RATING A MULTI-VERSION PRODUCT
A method and apparatus for rating a product is disclosed. The method comprises accessing ratings data associated for a plurality of versions of a product; causing display of an indicator, on a timeline, for each version in the plurality of versions; causing display of ratings, on the timeline, for a version of the product; receiving a request to view ratings for a version of the product different from the indicated version; and updating the timeline with ratings for the different version of the product.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
accessing ratings data associated with a plurality of versions of a product;
causing display of an indicator on a timeline, for each version in the plurality of versions;
causing display of ratings, on the timeline, for an indicated version of the product;
receiving a request to view ratings for a version of the product different from the indicated version; and
causing updating of the timeline with ratings for the different version of the product.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a rating for the different version of the product; and
causing updating of the timeline with ratings reflective of the received rating.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein causing display of ratings comprises tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale; calculating an average rating for the version of the product; causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale, and indicating the average rating for the version of the product.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received when a pointer on the timeline is relocated on the timeline to refer to an indicator for a version that is different from the version currently displayed on the timeline.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a consolidated rating for a predefined number of versions of the product, wherein the consolidate rating is a weighted rating for the predefined number of versions of the product.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the consolidated rating is calculated using the equation:
CR
=
∑
v
=
1
k
(
R
v
*
T
v
)
∑
v
=
1
k
(
T
v
)
,
wherein CR is the calculated consolidated rating, V represents a product version, which ranges from 1 to k, R v represents a product rating for the version v, and T v represents a product time span for version v, wherein a product time span is an amount of time which a version was available before a newer version of the product was available.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein updating comprises accessing ratings data for the different version, tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale for the different version; calculating an average rating for the different version of the product; causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale for the different version, and indicating the average rating for the different version of the product.
8 . An apparatus for a product rating system comprising:
a rating database for storing rating data associated with the plurality of versions of a product; and
a rating retrieval module for accessing ratings data associated with the plurality of versions of the product, causing display, on a timeline, of an indicator for each version in the plurality of versions, causing display of ratings, on the timeline, for a version of the product, receiving a request to view ratings for a different version of the version; and updating the timeline with ratings for the different version of the product.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a rating registration module for receiving a rating for the different version of the product and causing updating the timeline with ratings reflective of the received rating.
10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein causing display of ratings comprises tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale; calculating an average rating for the version of the product; causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale, and indicating the average rating for the version of the product.
11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the request is received when a pointer on the timeline is relocated on the timeline to refer to an indicator for a version that is different from the version currently displayed on the timeline.
12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising calculating a consolidated rating for a predefined number of versions of the product, wherein the consolidate rating is a weighted rating for the predefined number of versions of the product.
13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein updating comprises accessing ratings data for the different version, tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale for the different version; calculating an average rating for the different version of the product; causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale for the different version, and indicating the average rating for the different version of the product.
14 . A non-transient computer readable medium for storing computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform a method for processing data for a product rating system, comprising:
causing a change of display of ratings from a first version of a product to a second version of the product;
receiving a rating for the second version of the product; and
causing a change in display of ratings for the second version of the product.
15 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising causing display of ratings of the first version, wherein causing display comprises tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale and calculating an average rating for the first version of the product.
16 . The computer readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale, indicating the average rating for the first version of the product, and calculating a consolidated rating for a predefined number of versions of the product.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein causing a change in display of ratings for the second version comprises accessing ratings data for the second version, wherein the ratings data includes the received rating, and tallying a rating count for each rating on a rating scale for the second version.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 17 , further comprises calculating an average rating for the second version of the product; causing display of the rating count for each rating on the rating scale for the second version, and indicating the average rating for the second version of the product.
19 . The computer readable medium of claim 18 , further comprises recalculating a consolidated rating for a predefined number of versions of the product, wherein the consolidate rating is a weighted rating for the predefined number of versions of the product.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the consolidated rating is calculated using the equation:
CR
=
∑
v
=
1
k
(
R
v
*
T
v
)
∑
v
=
1
k
(
T
v
)
,
wherein CR is the calculated consolidated rating, V represents a product version, which ranges from 1 to k, R v represents a product rating for the version v, and T v represents a product time span for version v, wherein a product time span is an amount of time which a version was available before a newer version of the product was available.