IP Library Granted Patent US 12,645,346
Granted Patent B2
US 12,645,346 · App. 17/563,132 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Methods and systems for soliciting an answer to a question

Inventors: Adam Edward D'Angelo (Mountain View, CA); Abhinav Sharma (San Francisco, CA); Muhammad Emmad Mazhari (San Francisco, CA); David Cole (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Quora, Inc.
G06F3/0484G06F3/0482G09B7/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,645,346
App. No.
17/563,132
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from one or more users. Upon soliciting one or more users for an answer to a particular question, a message may be directed to the one or more users. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism enabling the one or more users to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page may include a notification with information about the solicitation, including information identifying the group of users who have been asked to answer the question and the number of times the one or more users has been asked to provide an answer.

Claims (57)

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request associated with a particular computing device, wherein the request is associated with a topic;

selecting a subset of users from a set of users based on historical communications generated by the subset of users, wherein the historical communications are associated with the topic, and wherein the subset of users share a common background;

generating, by a machine-learning model, a predicted quality score that corresponds to a predicted quality of future communications that the subset of users will generate;

generating, the machine-learning model, a predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting a response to a request;

ranking the subset of users based on the predicted quality score and the predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting response to a request;

receiving a selection of one or more users from the ranked subset of users;

generating an interface for one or more computing devices associated with the request, the interface including a representation of the request and an indication that a communication corresponding to the request is confirmed, wherein the interface includes a representation of a quantity of instances where the request was transmitted to the one or more users and an indication of the common background of the one or more users; and

facilitating a transmission including the interface.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request corresponds to a request to resolve a query.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interface includes an identification of one or more identifiers associated with the request.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a second interface includes a representation of the request, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

modifying a third interface to include a representation of the communication.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a quantity of instances in which the request is transmitted to the one or more computing devices associated with subset of the set of users, wherein each instance is associated with a different computing device, and wherein the interface includes the quantity of requests proximate to the indication that the communication is confirmed.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

modifying a second interface to include the request, the communication, and an identification of an identifier associated with the different computing device.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a notification to another device associated with the subset of users.

8 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a request associated with a particular computing device, wherein the request is associated with a topic;

selecting a subset of users from a set of users based on historical communications generated by the subset of users, wherein the historical communications are associated with the topic, and wherein the subset of users share a common background;

generating, by a machine-learning model, a predicted quality score that corresponds to a predicted quality of future communications that the subset of users will generate;

generating, the machine-learning model, a predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting a response to a request;

ranking the subset of users based on the predicted quality score and the predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting response to a request;

receiving a selection of one or more users from the ranked subset of users;

generating an interface for one or more computing devices associated with the request, the interface including a representation of the request and an indication that a communication corresponding to the request is confirmed, wherein the interface includes a representation of a quantity of instances where the request was transmitted to the one or more users and an indication of the common background of the one or more users; and

facilitating a transmission including the interface.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the request corresponds to a request to resolve a query.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first interface includes an identification of one or more identifiers associated with the request.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein a third second interface includes a representation of the request, and wherein the operations further include:

modifying a third interface to include a representation of the communication.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include:

determining a quantity of instances in which the request is transmitted to the one or more computing devices associated with subset of the set of users, wherein each instance is associated with a different computing device, and wherein the interface includes the quantity of requests proximate to the indication that the communication is confirmed.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further include:

modifying a second interface to include the request, the communication, and an identification of an identifier associated with the different computing device.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include:

transmitting a notification to another device associated with the subset of users.

15 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the interface includes an identification of one or more identifiers associated with the request.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a request associated with a particular computing device, wherein the request is associated with a topic;

selecting a subset of users from a set of users based on historical communications generated by the subset of users, wherein the historical communications are associated with the topic, and wherein the subset of users share a common background;

generating, by a machine-learning model, a predicted quality score that corresponds to a predicted quality of future communications that the subset of users will generate;

generating, the machine-learning model, a predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting a response to a request;

ranking the subset of users based on the predicted quality score and the predicted likelihood that the set of users will activate a notification requesting response to a request;

receiving a selection of one or more users from the ranked subset of users;

generating an interface for one or more computing devices associated with the request, the interface including a representation of the request and an indication that a communication corresponding to the request is confirmed, wherein the interface includes a representation of a quantity of instances where the request was transmitted to the one or more users and an indication of the common background of the one or more users; and

facilitating a transmission including the interface.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the request corresponds to a request to resolve a query.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein a second interface includes a representation of the request, and wherein the operations further include:

modifying a third interface to include a representation of the communication.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further include:

determining a quantity of instances in which the request is transmitted to the one or more computing devices associated with subset of the set of users, wherein each instance is associated with a different computing device, and wherein the interface includes the quantity of requests proximate to the indication that the communication is confirmed.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the operations further include:

transmitting a notification to another device associated with the subset of users.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2021
From: D'ANGELO, ADAM EDWARD; SHARMA, ABHINAV; MAZHARI, MUHAMMAD EMMAD; COLE, DAVID
To: QUORA, INC.
Reel/Frame 058486/0715 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16404453 · May 6, 2019
Provisional Application 62668140 · May 7, 2018
Related Publication 20220269386A1 · Aug 25, 2022
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